SPALDING RFC 19
ROLLS ROYCE 7
Spalding RFC eased their relegation fears with a timely 19-7 victory over high-flying Rolls Royce at the Memorial Field on Saturday.
With heavy overnight rain making the surface difficult, Town ran onto the pitch knowing that a win against their fifth-placed opponents was essential to keep them just above the relegation battle – with the likelihood that three teams will face the drop this season.
The opening minutes saw both teams familiarising themselves with the muddy conditions underfoot, but The Elephants were up and running directly from the kick off, giving no room to Rolls Royce.
Spalding had a surprise for the visitors, with the return of their speedy wingers Ashton Capes and Gav Sharman to the side – and they soon illustrated the threat as Capes burst down the right wing and around the last tackler to score near the corner for an unconverted try after five minutes.
Encouraged by the early score, Town started to dominate territory as the visitors started to infringe at the breakdown, but two kickable penalties were missed.
Every time Spalding managed to get the ball out wide, scoring opportunities were being created.
Capes thought that he had scored again with another excellent run. As the defence closed he kicked ahead to the dead ball area – and as he and a Rolls Royce defender touched down at the same time, a try was denied as the referee awarded a drop out.
Capes was again denied minutes later.
Rolls Royce started to kick for territory and, with ten minutes of the half remaining, finally exerted sustained pressure with a succession of scrums as they edged their way towards the Spalding try line.
There was then an injury blow for Town as Kev Hudson sustained an injury and was replaced by prop George Freeman, with Jacob Greaves moving to lock.
The visitors were now encamped on the five metre line and with their superior scrum a try looked certain, but a knock on at the base allowed Spalding to escape with a relieving kick.
The Town injury jinx stuck again just before half time as George Brown sustained a knock in a tackle and was replaced by Tom Wilson.
Unsurprisingly the second half followed a similar pattern – but this time it was left winger Gav Sharman, on his return from a hamstring injury, outpacing the Rolls Royce defence to score by the posts for Spalding.
With Willis Ingleby converting, a 12-point gap had been opened up within two minutes of the restart.
Jason Steels at number eight, playing behind a retreating scrum, was having a storming game, securing possession on the retreat and always getting across the gain line with his runs and setting up the next phase as he laid the ball back.
Not far behind was young Kieran Bailey in the back row, as he came into his own in the second half showing his ability in the lineout and making tackle after tackle on the blind side.
In fact all Spalding forwards, although going backwards in the scrum, put in an immense performance around the field to deny Rolls Royce in open play.
Also high up on the tackle count was fly-half Dan Adams, but it was his strong running from deep inside his own half that helped seal victory.
He evaded several attempted tackles as he burst from the 22 straight down the middle of the pitch. With cover defence closing in, Adams offloaded to Sharman who was running in support and his pace took him clear and under the posts for a converted try, with only eight minutes remaining.
The Rolls Royce forwards were not going to be denied, however, and they set up one last attack through their superior scrum and were awarded a penalty try as Spalding were being driven backwards and collapsed under pressure.
The victory leaves Spalding eight points clear of the bottom three in ninth place, with two games left to play. All of the sides below do have at least one game in hand, however.
Spalding RFC: John Barrett, Sam Cooke, Jacob Greaves, Kev Hudson, Ash Piccaver, Kieran Bailey, Richard Cooke (captain), Jason Steels, Ben Shields, Dan Adams, Gav Sharman, George Brown, Willis Ingleby, Ashton Capes, George Douglas. Subs: Tom Wilson, George Freeman and Tom Rollinson.
Next game: Ashby (away, April 14).
