Buckingham took an early lead with an Ed Kinmane penalty after Banbury were penalised for not driving straight in a scrum on the edge of their own 22. Buckingham 3 Banbury 0.

Banbury took the lead with the first try of the game. The Banbury pack drove the ball to within a metre of the try line before some quick hands from the backs snuck Alex Caviezel Cox over in the corner. The conversion attempt came back off the post, 3-5.

Ed Kinmane kicked another penalty for Buckingham to make it 6-5 but Banbury retook the lead following an error from the home side. James Jennings reacted quickest to a knock-on, diving on the loose ball before releasing Jack Briggs who sprinted over from close to the halfway line. Ed Phillips converted, 6-12.

The lead changed again when Harry Scarr drove over from close range. The flanker taking a quick penalty and the Bulls defence couldn’t keep Scarr out. Converted, 13-12.

Joe Mills continued his fine form when he crossed for Banbury’s third try. Some lovely hands from the backs got the ball down the right flank before Alex Caviezel Cox played in Mills to put Banbury back in front, 13-19.

Ed Phillips added a simple penalty shortly before the half time whistle after Buckingham came in at the side with the Bulls a metre from the try line. 13-22.

Justin Parker sealed the try bonus point for Banbury early in the second half. The backs were at it again, Tommy Gray expertly drew the pressure before playing in Parker who burst through the opposition defence before beating the last man and touching down out to the right. Conversion missed, 13-27.

Matthew London drove over from close range after a quickly taken penalty to narrow the lead for the home side. Conversion missed, 18-27.
Ed Phillips extended the lead with another penalty after the Buckingham pack were penalised for not driving straight. 18-30.

Buckingham secured a losing bonus point in extra time when James Barker peeled off the back of a 5m scrum before driving over in the corner. Converted, 25-30.

A lesson in how to win ugly. Not Banbury’s best performance but maximum points going into the Christmas break is a great result, especially on the road. Jacob Turner was selected as Banbury’s man of the match. A really solid performance, good carries and even better defensive work.

Speaking to Forwards Coach, Pete Boulton, after the game:

25-30, not Banbury best day but 5 points is 5 points, were you happy with the performance today?
“I’m happy with the result and in parts the boys played very well but a frustrating game overall. The conditions played a part. Lots we can work on over Christmas though. Overall happy with the result but the performance wasn’t quite there.”

That finishes off 2019 with the Christmas break now. Is that a mixed blessing? The break to rest a few players carrying niggles but you lose that momentum the Bulls have been building recently
“We’ve had some great momentum but we’ve been forced into rotating the players quite a lot recently. The boys that have been stepping up and playing have done a fantastic job. I think we need the rest and we’ll be straight back at it after the new year with some of the boys coming back from injury as well.”

14 games into the season now, 12 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. The Bulls are right in that promotion race, aren’t they?
“I think we want to get a few more wins under the belt before we start really thinking about that. When you’re pushing for promotion it’s not about beating teams in the lower half of the league it’s about results against teams around you. We’ve drawn 1, lost 1 against the two teams up there with us. We’ll see how the return fixtures go before we start talking about promotion.”

Points Scorers:
Tries: Alex Caviezel Cox, Joe Mills, Jack Briggs, Justin Parker.
Penalties: Ed Phillips (2)
Conversions: Ed Phillips (2)

15. Joe Mills (Sponsored by: DTC International) *
14. Alex Caviezel Cox (Sponsored by: Jamie Briggs Removals & Storage) *
13. Duncan Leese (Captain) (Sponsored by Wednesday Strollers)
12. Jack Briggs (Sponsored by: Wykham Park Farm)
11. Justin Parker (Sponsored by Wurzel Broadband) *
10. Tommy Gray (Sponsored by: Edd Frost & Daughters) *
9. Ed Phillips (Sponsored by: P Montanaro – ITSM Consultancy) *

1. James Leonardi (Sponsored by: Tim Varney) *
2. Chris Davies (Sponsored by: GDC Rail & Civils)
3. Ken Key (Sponsored by: Lockwoods Ski and Outdoor)
4. Will Thurlow
5. Kallum Dixey (Sponsored by: Gallagher Insurance Brokers) *
6. James Jennings
7. Tom Macdonald (Sponsored by Liberis) *
8. Jacob Mills (Sponsored by: Hire Safe Solutions) *

Replacements:
16. Mickey Fox *
17. Sam Carr-Archer
18. Dan Kirwin (Sponsored by: Hollywood Bowl) *

*Graduate of the Banbury Youth Section