CHESTER 2nd XV  3
SEDGLEY PARK 2nd XV 52

Bateman BMW Championship

SEDGLEY kept their try-line intact for the third game running to claim the win that guaranteed them the  Bateman BMW Championship title.

After losing the opening fixture they have now won the league on the back of 24 consecutive wins – and they still have three matches left to play!

This game was played on a pitch with a pronounced slope and, not surprisingly, with a history of producing games of two halves.

So with Sedgley kicking-off downhill in the first half, the plan was to hit the opposition early and then try to build up a healthy lead, which would then have to be well defended in the second period.

Sedgley immediately executed the first part of the plan with three tries in the first 11 minutes.

In the opening salvo Number 8 Rob Leigh made a great break from his own half. Captain and centre Sion O’Hare kept the move going and was well into the Chester 22 before he was eventually overwhelmed by tremendous covering defence. However, Sedgley didn’t waste this good attacking position and when the pack took a scrum against the head, the ball was swiftly passed to the backs, where Freeman Payne broke through the defensive line before offloading back to O’Hare to score. With fly-half Dominic Kohler converting, Sedgley lead 0-7 after three minutes. 

Almost immediately fullback Phil Largan collected a kick deep inside his own half and sliced through the oncoming attacking screen. On reaching the Chester 22 he linked up with winger Danny Harrison who found Leyton Taylor in support. The dynamic prop rounded the fullback in style to score in the corner and Kohler added the extras.

Next Harrison executed a good kick and chase to take play back into the opponent’s 22. When Chester lost the ball, lock Dean Williams snapped it up and stormed through the defence before offloading to Taylor to score his second try. This was a deserved reward for the hard working prop whose powerful surges proved a handful for Chester throughout the first half. With Kohler converting Sedgley led of 0-21.

Living up to their reputation for champagne rugby flanker Luke Wooley broke off a scrum in his own half. Payne and flanker Chris Leader kept the momentum going but unfortunately the final pass was knocked-on.

It was 20 minutes before the home side made their first attack, but they showed that they couldn’t be taken lightly. When Sedgley’s defence momentarily switched off, Chester’s speedy left winger got clear on the outside, evading the efforts of forwards Leigh and Taylor to cover across and cut him off. When he kicked over and ran into the last line of defence, the referee ruled he had been late tackled and awarded a penalty five metres from the Sedgley try line.

However, not for the first time this season, a Sedgley lock rescued the situation when Williams picked off the Chester throw-in at the ensuing line out and scrum-half Paul Urmston alleviated the threat with a good clearing kick to touch. But back Chester came. This time they broke up the right hand channel and it took a superb covering tackle by Harrison to save the day.

Having shown their defensive resilience, Sedgley immediately showed they could attack from deep inside their own half. Having been given a relieving penalty, the forwards won the ensuing line out. The ball was rapidly transferred to the backs where Payne made the decisive break. Leader and winger Paul Morris then took play into the Chester 22. With quick ruck ball Kohler penetrated the defensive line and offloaded the ball to hooker Paul Keyes to score close to the posts. Kohler converted to extend Sedgley’s lead to 0-28 after 25 minutes.

Three minutes later from a lineout on half-way, O’Hare powered through and on reaching the 22 found Largan in support and the nippy fullback raced in to score an unconverted try.

Shortly afterwards Chester opened their account with a penalty. But Sedgley soon hit back. Williams stole another Chester throw-in and Kohler put in another probing kick. Taylor caught the return clearance kick and stormed through the first defensive screen. Swift handling saw the ball switched out wide to the left where Payne made the incisive break before passing to Harrison, who in turn zipped in to score an unconverted try in the corner. That gave Sedgley the required healthy lead of 3-38 at the interval.

The second half opened with Chester on the attack and it took a terrific covering tackle by Wooley to stop the home side breaking through. When Sedgley infringed at a ruck, Chester missed a relatively straightforward penalty kick at goal.

Once again Kohler, with his astute kicking, forced the home side back into their own half. From a scrum Wooley made a great break and was only halted five metres short of the try-line. Unfortunately Sedgley couldn’t capitalise on the good attacking position as they were again penalised at the subsequent ruck.

Wooley then made another stunning break from a scrum on the half-way line and again was only brought down five metres from the try-line. But Sedgley lacked a bit of composure and lost the ball when trying to keep the move going.

The timely arrival of replacements then pepped up Sedgley’s game. From a scrum on the Chester 22 a perfect pass from Urmston saw Largan race through a huge gap to score under the posts. Kohler converted to make it 3-45.

In the next ten minutes Sedgley had to withstand intense pressure. Throughout the contest Chester sought to play open and enterprising rugby and in this last phase of the game both backs and forwards tried manfully to prise open the Sedgley defensive wall. But to no avail, though it took a sustained and resolute defence to keep them at bay.

In the last minute Sedgley again showed their counter attacking prowess. Largan made the break up the right hand channel from his own 22 and reached half-way before offloading to his support.

Play was then switched left where Payne made the opening for Daniel Broderick. The replacement winger raced up-field only to be halted by fine covering tackle. This time Sedgley didn’t waste the promising position. A clearing kick was run back by Largan, who kept his momentum going despite a high tackle. Quick ruck ball saw Kohler glide through for a sparkling try, which was thoroughly deserved for the manner in which he dictated the pace and direction of the whole game.