With the weather finally clearing up, Banbury Bulls were finally able to take to the pitch once more after a 5 week lay-off. Welcoming Leicester Forest to Bodicote Park was a Banbury side that were looking to continue their unbeaten home run this season. The side saw a number of changes from that which finished 2009 as Pete Papenfus moved into the fly-half slot and Jon Paton returned to inside-centre. The forwards saw the welcome return of Darren de Bruyn to the back-row after his extended return home.

Games between these two sides have often been exciting affairs, with tries a plenty and within the first five minutes it looked like this pattern would continue. Some excellent close running and support play from the Banbury pack saw the Forest defence stretched and winger Andy Collett ploughed over the line only for the referee to adjudge that he had dropped the ball in the act of grounding it.

Rather than inspiring the home side this close run thing seemed instead to wake up the visitors. Taking advantage of some poor-tackling, the impressive Forest outside-centre ran powerfully into the Bulls half. Some excellent close support from the Forest back-row and some further missed tackles saw the visitors go over for the first score of the game. The conversion was missed but it was first blood to the visitors at 0-5.

It was vital now that Banbury got on the score sheet next and over the next passages of play it became clear that the home pack had the edge over their opposite numbers. Pressure on their own set-piece ball forced Forest to give up a penalty, but Papenfus was wide of the mark. However, the Bulls could now see a way back into the game. A stable scrum platform inside the Forest half allowed for a set-piece move to put Collett into space wide out. This time he made no mistake and scored in the corner with Papenfus nailing the touchline conversion to give the home side the lead at 7-5.

Banbury continued to put the squeeze on in the tight, but excellent defence from the visiting backline and back-row forwards kept the Bulls at bay. Then, a quick ruck, followed by some excellent handling from lock Nick Pratt allowed Papenfus to attack the Forest defensive line. Fixing his man he put in a splendid delayed pass to Number 8 Simon Brand who hit the gap and sprinted in under the posts from 25 metres out. Papenfus added the extras and Banbury now led 14-5.

The game continued to ebb back and forth and the Forest backs always looked threatening, but it was to be the Banbury pack that stretched the home side’s lead. Kicking a penalty to touch close to the Forest line, the Bulls forwards then executed a perfect catch and drive to take the ball over the Forest tryline. When the bodies were moved away it was skipper Sean Bannister who came up with the ball, and Banbury were 19-5 up and looked in control until the half-time whistle went.

Whether it was complacency from Banbury or an inspired team-talk from the Forest coaches that led to what followed at the beginning of the second half is not clear, but the visitors came out firing. Some poor kick-chasing allowed the Forest backs some time and space and they shredded through the Bulls defence after running the ball from deep. Again good support play from the notable Forest openside saw him go over for a try which was successfully converted by one of the Steel brothers. At 19-12 Banbury’s lead was reduced to just 7.

Things then proceeded to go from bad to worse for the Bulls as Papenfus missed touch from a clearing penalty kick inside his own 22. Forest then quickly went through the phases and some more poor tackling allowed the visitors to score once again. The successful conversion brought the scores level at 19-19 and the game had taken on a totally different complexion with just 20 minutes to go.

The home side then started to click once again and the forwards were now producing good, quick ball from both set-piece and open play. Another promising attack by full-back Dave Taylor looked like it had been snuffed out just inches short of the Forest line but a quick clear out allowed replacement scrum-half and coach Grant Holmes to score from close range – his second try in two games. Papenfus slotted the conversion and Banbury once again held a 7 point cushion at 26-19.

The result was finally sealed in Banbury’s favour when winger Jed Boyle collected his own speculative chip over the Forest defence, and the Bulls attack poured through. Prop forward Andy Gilbert was first to the breakdown and whipped the ball out quickly to the attacking line with a pass that any scrum-half would have been proud of. With a big overlap out wide, some good basic passing once again allowed Collett to collect his brace of tries in the corner. Papenfus was off target with his conversion and the scoreboard remained at 31-19 until the final whistle went to close out an entertaining and enjoyable match.

Man of the match could have gone to any of the front-five forwards who dominated their opposite numbers in the tight exchanges for much of the game and provided excellent support in the loose, but for his scrum-half exhibition passing the award goes to Andy Gilbert.

Banbury will need to tighten up several aspects of their game with an away match at Lutterworth next Saturday, but with the rustiness of the enforced lay off now out of their system the Bulls should travel with quiet confidence.