MATCH REPORT: CENTAURS FALL TO IMPRESSIVE GROVE

RAMS Centaurs slipped to a sixth consecutive Counties One Tribute Southern North defeat as they went down 53-21 to an inspired Grove at Old Bath Road.

The visitors came out of the blocks strongly and took an early lead with a show of power, a pushover scrum dotted down by No. 8 Mark Roberts.

Ollie Nicholl slotted a simple conversion, but Rams struck back quickly as the impressive Jack Rushton charged down a kick before racing into the Grove 22, his pass sending Ollie Cullum under the posts for a try added to by Cameron George.

The hosts shot themselves in the foot from the restart, however, allowing wing Will Nicol to claim the ball and surge towards the line.

Another scrum five metres from the whitewash was repelled, but captain Roberts was then able to barrel over before Nicholl made it 14-7.

The scrum-half extended the lead with a straight-forward penalty, and Grove then made a decisive move as the opening period came to its conclusion.

Again the Cents were there own worst enemies though, a penalty overturned for back-chat enabling the visitors to kick to the corner before hooker Luke Matthews went over in midfield.

Nicholl’s kick gave his side a 24-7 interval advantage, but after George was sin-binned for dissent, the Mighty Cents gave themselves hope with the first score of the second half as a clearance kick was hoovered up by Ethan Konigkramer to run in from halfway.

Rams skipper Jack Gaylor added the extras to cut the deficit to 10 points, but Grove then turned on the style with a string of fine scores.

Firstly they returned a kick from half way to send Sam Christensen diving under the posts, Nicholl making no mistake with the conversion, and soon after a hefty charge from Roberts and a lovely off-load sent the latter over for the visitors’ fifth try.

The outstanding Nicholl knocked over another conversion and then scored a brilliant try of his own, collecting his own chip ahead before landing the kick for 45-14.

He missed for the first time after the Oxfordshire men reached their half century through Matt Callaway, but Rams kept going and Gaylor went over late on before George landed the kick.

It was merely a consolation, though, and Grove added the final points when replacement James Monks landed a penalty with the last kick of the game.

Centaurs host Bletchley on Saturday.