Banbury's 16 game winning run finally came to an end as Newbury pipped Banbury 16-13 in challenging conditions.

The Bulls had edged the reverse fixture 31-27 despite being a man down for nearly 60 minutes and Banbury knew Newbury would have a score to settle after such a close game at Bodicote Park. Before the match there was a minute’s applause to pay tribute to Jack Jeffery who sadly lost his life playing for Evesham last weekend.

There had been heavy rain all morning in the aftermath of Storm Eunice. The game couldn't have been far off being postponed as although the pitch looked okay on the surface, underfoot it was extremely waterlogged. Luckily for all involved the rain stopped about 5 minutes before kick-off but there was still a howling wind going straight down the pitch from top to bottom.

The Bulls had the wind in the first half and spent the first 10 minutes camped in the Newbury 22. Three points from the boot of Ed Phillips didn't quite feel enough for the hard work the Bulls had put in after Newbury were penalised for offside.

With the conditions it quickly became apparent that Newbury wouldn't be able to kick their way out of trouble and with good defensive work it wasn't long before Banbury found themselves back in opposition territory. The penalty count was racking up for Newbury but frustratingly for Banbury, lineouts were incredibly hard with the windy conditions. The forwards found a way though and a rolling maul was stopped just short of the line. Banbury showed quick hands though to put Tommy Gray in for a score in the corner. Ed Phillips added a tricky conversion to make it 10-0 to Banbury.

Thomas Cole was finally yellow carded for Newbury after the home side were given a number of final warnings. Banbury couldn't find a way to extend the lead though as Newbury showed good game management to retain the ball in the forwards through phase after phase.

Ordinarily you'd be delighted with a 10-0 lead at half time but considering how strong the wind was and the opportunities Banbury had it felt like it might not be enough for the Bulls.

Newbury quickly did what Banbury did in the first half and continually put boot to ball to keep Banbury pinned in their own half. Eventually the pressure became too much, and Josh Winfield drove over from close range. Dan Thorne converting, 7-10.
Both sides traded offside penalties to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Newbury levelling the scores before Banbury retook the lead just after the restart, 10-13.

Banbury's Kaleem Niazi was yellow carded after being penalised for not rolling away as the Bulls penalty count rose in the second half. The Blues kicked the resulting penalty to make it 13-13 with over a quarter of the game still to go.
The Bulls worked hard but with Newbury knowing that kicking was impossible for Banbury it was very easy to defend, and Banbury struggled to make ground up the pitch. Newbury kicked what would prove to be the winning penalty after another offside penalty decision. Dan Thorne putting it through the posts in the challenging conditions. 16-13.
Both sides battled for the remainder of the game, but the scores stayed the same. Going against the wind the Bulls tanks looked empty and it was a surprise that Newbury kicked the ball out to end the game and not try to deny Banbury a losing bonus point. Crucially for Banbury though, that losing bonus point keeps Banbury top of the table on 88 points with Oxford Harlequins on 87 and Bracknell on 86.
A tough loss for Banbury. The conditions didn’t suit Banbury’s attacking style of rugby and needed to turn their possession and territory into a couple more points in the first half. Credit to Newbury though, they used the conditions well and their big pack were hard to stop once they got rolling. The Bulls now have a week off before taking on Marlborough at home on the 5th of March.

Match Stats:
Tries: Tommy Gray (1)
Conversions: Ed Phillips (1)
Penalties: Ed Phillips (2)

Speaking to Matt Goode after the game:
16-13, Bulls just coming up short today, what did you make of the contest?
“I thought it was a great game. Obviously, the wind was a massive factor today. In the first half we were in control but didn’t convert enough points in the red zone. Credit to Newbury they stuck at it though and got the win. It’s a big learning curve for us and we’ll get stronger. We had chances in that game to get to the win but a couple of little mistakes. It was a good contest though. These are the games you look forward to.”

It's tough to look back after a loss but before today you were on a 16-game winning run. How proud are you of that run?
“It’s been amazing, and the squad has been unreal. We’ve got lots of youngsters and lots of boys that are still learning. We’ll learn more losing by three points today against a good side than we will when we win by sixty. We’ll take it on the chin, go back to the drawing board. We’ve got two big games coming up against Marlborough and then Oxford Harlequins and we want to try and win both.”

You’ve got a weekend off for the first time since before Christmas. Does that give everyone the chance just to heal up any little injuries, recharge those batteries and then a big push for the final six games of the season?
“Hundred percent. We’ll refocus and gather ourselves back up. I’m immensely proud of the direction this club is going and what we’ve been doing. It’s been a long run of games and we’ve got a chance just to rest the boys a little bit. We’ve got a young squad and they’ll be chomping at the bit to get back out there. It’s a long season though and these last six games could be huge.”