Shelford Development Squad 7 Rosslyn Park II 46

(Rugby Tech Shield Division One)

Shelford anticipated and had a tough encounter against Rosslyn Park. Both sides were struggling for early season attacking continuity with both sides’ defences the more prominent in the first half.

Park were the first to score, playing down the slope in the corner. Shelford still struggling to get into the game, coughed up a guilt edge try scoring opportunity when Sam Redmayne spilt the scoring pass , but the heavier Park tight 5 were now tiring and Shelford were gaining marginal ascendancy in the forwards.

Shelford took the lead when Chris Yeomans finished off a series of powerful Shelford drives, Andy Daly converted. Shelford had the lead which should have been greater and which they should have taken into half time. However, Park gave Shelford another lesson in clinical finishing, taking the lead in first half injury time with a converted try.

The home team saw the glimmer of a chance on the resumption, which was quickly expelled with the visitors scoring three tries in ten minutes (one being converted).The game was now well out of reach, and Shelford’s cause was further exacerbated with the red carding of fly half and former skipper Andy Daly for serious foul play (No arms in the tackle with a raised forearm).

Park were to run out comfortable winners scoring a further three tries, but Shelford must and will learn quickly from this baptism of fire. This starts with a friendly match on Wednesday night (7 pm kick off) against the Royal Engineers Corps team.

Team:- Ben Boothman, Dan Reilly, James Briggs, Andrew Hutchinson, Gaz McLaughlin, Nick Viljoen, Iain Morrison, Rupert Crossland, Chris Yeomans (Capt.), Andy Daly, Alex Poirier, John Naylor, Henry Blandford, Sam Redmayne, Ned Brown 

Reserves:- Adam Hodgkisson, Will Pullen, Nick Wilkons, Sachin Booysen, Duncan Bolt, James Summerscales, Will Ringrose, Benji Ruthven, Alex Boyce, Ali Paterson, Andrew Wallace, Tommy McGinty, Michael Lampard