Bodicote Park - Saturday 21st September 2013

Match reporting by Bob Mitchelmore.

The Bulls got their season up and running with with an emphatic six try victory at Bodicote Park against a Bedworth side reduced to 14 men after their flyhalf, Adam Chapman was red carded for foul play on the 1/2 hour.

With new signing, Alex Fogavini, at flyhalf pulling the strings, Banbury looked to play attacking rugby from the outset and their ambition was soon rewarded when second row forward Nick Pratt crashed over after Fogavini had been held up just short of the line.

Whilst the powerful Bedworth forwards were looking to keep the game tight Banbury were looking to run the ball at every opportunity and increased their lead after a period of sustained pressure saw flanker Chris Phillips receive the ball on the 22 and brushing would be tacklers aside scored following a rampaging run. Bedworth responded with a try from their scrum half following a quickly taken penalty, one of many given for a crooked feed at the scrum, close to the Banbury line.

However the Bulls ascendancy was maintained with a try from debutant winger, Alex Gandy, who showed impressive pace to outstrip the defence when put in space on the half way line, and after Bedworth had again closed the gap with another close range try from second row, Lee Cooper, Gandy added another fine score on the stroke of half time. With Fogavini converting all four tries Banbury held a commanding 28-12 lead.

Against a 14 man Bedworth team Banbury might have been expected to run riot in the second half, but after adding tries from winger Josh Deegan following a cleverly worked overlap on the blind side, and a further effort from hooker, Micky Fox, after a mazy run from Jed Boyle, the game became increasingly scrappy. The remainder of the game being notable only for the number of errors from both sides and yellow cards for Fogavini and Bedworth flanker, Cameron Sweeny, for fighting in the closing minutes.

Banbury will have been satisfied with this bonus point victory, but a malfunctioning lineout was a cause for some concern which will need rectifying for sterner challenges ahead. Debutants Gandy and Fogavini added pace and guile to the back line, whilst up front veteran No 8, Simon Brand enjoyed a particularly good game in both attack and defence, as did flanker Phillips before being forced off with an injury midway through the second half.