Banbury Bulls were given a lesson in clinical finishing away to Old Laurentians in their latest Midlands 2 West (South) league fixture. Banbury were to reproduce many of the same errors that have dogged their season to date and gave up easy scores whilst failing to convert their own pressure into points.

An unsettled team selection saw changes in all three rows of the pack as well as a return to fly-half for Mike Smith and full-back for Pete Flemming. Banbury started brightly against a team pushing for the promotion play-off spot and nice interplay between centre Adam Walsh and winger Andy Collett saw the latter put into space wide out on the right. Breaking into the OLs 22, Collett fed the ball back inside to the supporting Simon Brand, playing in the second row this week. The big forward was quickly closed down but managed to drive over the tryline, only to be held up. From the resulting scrum it looked like Banbury were going to have to settle for 3 points through a penalty goal, but Smith was off-target and this was to prove to be the highlight of a tough first half for the Bulls.

OLs started to turn the screw and kept Banbury pinned inside their own half, where a successful penalty from fly-half Bean gave the home side the lead after 8 minutes. Time and again the Bulls were forced to defend their own 22 metre line and eventually the line was breached after a good offload to the supporting full-back Owen. The kick was successful and Banbury were 10-0 down. Things were to continue in this vein for the remainder of the half, with Banbury defending manfully but unable to get any lengthy spells of possession or territory. OLs stretched their lead when another half-break found supporting runners and flanker Orbinson scored the home side’s second try, which was again converted for a half-time score of 17-0, which could have been much worse but for 3 missed penalty goals by the OLs kicker.

Banbury needed to respond quickly and get on the scoreboard in the second half, but it was OLs who stretched their lead to 20-0 after just 4 minutes through another successful penalty. However Banbury finally broke their duck when a series of fine runs by Bulls man-of-the-match Walsh, supported by the pack saw the visitors camped in the OLs 22. From a ruck just metres short of the line it was skipper and scrum-half Ed Phillips who scampered through for Banbury’s try. Smith was off target and the score moved to 20-5.

Things looked better for Banbury as the continual spoiling of the ball was finally penalised by the referee and the replacement flanker for OLs received a yellow card. Banbury looked to capitalise but their composure near the OLs try line was found wanting and instead of cutting the lead, the home side increased it. Turnover ball 10 metres from their own line was spun out wide where winger Bayliss showed excellent pace to go nearly the length of the field to score under the posts. The easy conversion put the score at 27-5 and Banbury seemed out of the game. OLs secured their bonus point after 75 minutes when a kick through was fumbled in defence and despite repulsing several attacks, centre Miller was able to score wide out on the left to take the score to 32-5.

Banbury were to have the final say with the last play of the game where good pressure in the OLs 22 was finally rewarded. Several rucks were quickly recycled and Smith was able to power through a gap in the line to score and then convert his own try for a final tally of 32-12.