Halbro Cup 3rd Round
Sedgley Park 2nd 52 pts - Blackburn 2nd 0pts

Sedgley progressed to the semi-final with a comfortable win 52-0 against a plucky Blackburn team who defended stoutly for the majority of the 80 minutes.

The match was played in a good spirit and there was some spectacular rugby, with 8 great tries. However, in the first half especially, the game was played in a staccato mode with a spate of penalties and a disinclination by the referee to play the advantage law. As a result the play never flowed, to the frustration of both sides, and the spectators.

Sedgley opened the scoring after 2 minutes. Centre Freeman Payne made the initial break, continued by his co-centre Tom Albinson, and finished off by winger and captain Sion O’Hare.

After 10 minutes Sedgley extended their lead. A missed penalty kick to touch by Blackburn was counter-attacked from the Sedgley half by Albinson and full back Paul Morris, and resulted in wing Phil Largan scoring an unconverted try.

5 minutes later, from a Sedgley scrum 40 metres out, Largan pierced the Blackburn defence and linked up with O’ Hare who used his power and pace to score a good try.

Sedgley were then twice held up over the try-line by a resolute Blackburn defence. As a result there was no further scoring in the first half. With Dominic Köhler converting two of the tries the score was 19-0 at half-time.

The second half opened with the Blackburn left winger intercepting in his own 22. It looked a certain try, but O’Hare got back and brought the winger down 15 metres from the Sedgley line. That was the nearest Blackburn came to scoring.

Sedgley immediately counter-attacked. Danny Harrison, Gareth Roberts, Tom Albinson, Dave Livesey and Dominic Kohler were all involved in the breakout from the Sedgley 22, and prop Leyton Taylor scorched in over the final 20 metres for a fantastic try.

Minutes later Freeman Payne created havoc among the Blackburn backs, forcing them to hurry their passes and eventually drop the ball, which Freeman picked up to score under the posts.

10 minutes into the second half, number 8 Rob Leigh made a break from a scrum and off-loaded to supporting flanker Chris Leader to score. The seventh try came 5 minutes later. From a scrum in Sedgley’s 22, Kohler’s perfect pass enabled Largan to split the Blackburn defence and race to the half-way line. He found substitute winger Henry Monsell in support, who ran strongly to outpace the covering Blackburn defence and score a terrific try under the posts.

The final try was scored 5 minutes from the end. Sedgley counter-attacked from the half way line. Monsell made the decisive break up the left wing. His curved crossfield kick was patiently tracked and picked up by Leader who fed Leigh to score.

Dominic Köhler added four second-half conversions.

Next Saturday, February 2nd, brings the long awaited return league clash between Sedgley Park and Manchester, at Park Lane. Coincidentally the two clubs also meet, at Cheadle Hulme on March 15th, in the Halbro Cup semi-final.