Rams first visit to Malvern

Second half tries from scrum half Will Clark and prop James Baker, both converted by fly half Guy Swadling, who also added a penalty, had Rams 22-8 in front with only minutes to go on their first ever National League 3 South West visit to Spring Lane,home to league newcomers Malvern.

With the two sides all-square, 5-5, at half-time the visitors upped their work-rate after the interval to dominate much of the second half and ease comfortably ahead before conceding a late try.

Despite the win they remain seventh in the table but have cut the deficit down to three points between themselves and sixth placed Chippenham.

Triumphant Rams skipper Chris Rowland commented afterwards:- “The game could have gone either way and it shows tremendous character from the boys who, one to eighteen, were absolutely fantastic.

“At half time the coaches didn’t have to hand out a b……..g, we knew perfectly well what was wrong and we came out a different side.

“We weren’t looking for all the big yards, we just picked and go, picked and go and the patience paid-off. Patience and a belief in ourselves that I don’t think that we really had in the first half.”

Rams certainly started brightly enough but it was the home side who had the first chance of points only for fly half Adam Dixon to send his seventh minute penalty attempt wide of the posts.

With neither teams try-line coming under sustained pressure early on it wasn’t until the 31st minute that the visitors finally managed to break-down the home resistance.

With the Rams front-row on top a great drive from the pack turned over the home ball and it was left-wing Will Rasbridge, on his starting debut, left to swoop in for the opening try only for Swadling’s conversion to go wide of the posts.

But, bang on half-time, an unfortunate fluffed Rams clearance, deep inside their own 22, fell neatly into the hands of the Malvern left-wing Thomas Hale who seized the moment to drive in for the equalising, but unconverted, try and for the sides to turn around all-square, 5-5.

And, it was the home side who opened the second-half scoring when, on a rare 12th minute visit into the visitors half, Rams were penalised for hands in a ruck and Dixon bisected the posts for an 8-5 lead much to the delight of the good sized home crowd.

The visitors, however, were now beginning to get into full stride and, almost immediately, responded when skipper Rowland tackled home lock Dave Smith forcefully and from the well-won ball Swadling kicked Rams to deep inside the home 22.

Keeping the pressure on, a sweeping Rams move saw full back Jezz Flynn stopped short of the line but some quick recycling had scrum half Will Clark sneaking over for a Swadling converted try and a 12-8 lead.

Swadling’s 61st minute penalty extended Rams lead to 15-8 and, as they kept the ball tight and in amongst the forwards, they went further ahead 10 minutes later.

Following drive after drive the ball eventually went out to right wing Joe Duffelen who was held up short before Rams quickly recycled the ball back into mid-field for lock Owen Root to smash through the tackles before finding prop James Baker on his shoulder to burrow over for his second try of the season.

But the home side caught Rams, now virtually assured the win, basking in their own celebrations and slightly asleep as they immediately attacked up the left hand wing and exposed a gap in the visitors defence for full back Luke Milton to score out wide and bring out a fine conversion from Dixon.

“The forwards took control in the second half with their pick and goes and they only got into our half once or twice and I was pleased. But we’re still not the finished article, but a wins a win,” summed up up forwards coach Spike Henderson afterwards.

Malvern: Milton; Southall, Mustow, Miller, Hale; Dixon, Longley; Brookes, Prosser, Clark; Smith, Williams; Marshall, Nuttall, Gratwohl. Reps – Kitching, Day, Hobbs.

Redingensians: Flynn; Duffelen, Bryant, Gumbleton, Rasbridge; Swadling, Clark; Rumble, Rowland ©, Baker; Root, Stapley; Aiono, Amor, Jeffreys. Reps: Titchard-Jones, Hallett, Smith.

Report By Steve Williams