A tight 13-12 score line at half time flattered to deceive as the boys in blue struggled for any quality possession either from the set piece or in open play. In fact, rare forward momentum was consistently cut short by a punishing penalty count that allowed the heavy Folkestone pack to turn the screw and pin the old boys back in their half for most of the game. Forward pressure was turned remorselessly into points as the home side racked up a commanding score with some well worked tries and excellent goal kicking.
In the opening period, with wind and slope advantage, Mike Ubee was able to go through his repertoire and get the ball behind the Folkestone defence with some deft touches and astute kicking. Early glimpses of the exciting potential of the OD backline were seen with two blistering first half tries from both wingers, to keep the visitors in contention at the break. Firstly, flanker James Oddy, who impressed throughout with some strong running and powerful tackling, pounced on some scrappy line out ball to drive forward and commit tacklers which released Mal Connolly to run around a stretched cover defence, followed soon after by a speculative high kick from fly half Mike Ubee which saw Jamal Gobir collect a favourable bounce and score under the posts.
Suddenly, the game plan looked simple from the touchline – a few forward phases to commit the heavy opposition forwards and then get the ball wide where the OD’s clearly had the pace and guile to score tries. Execution on the pitch, however, proved much more difficult with Dunstonians unable to retain possession and build the phases. As the game progressed, Folkestone tightened their grip to deny the OD backs any chance to make an impact. The OD’s struggled to match Folkestone’s numbers, strength and intensity at the breakdown resulting in a series of penalties which saw the game played mostly in the old boys’ half. Too many individual efforts floundered through a lack of close support which the modern day game demands and which consequently exposed the OD side to the vagaries of the referee’s interpretation at the breakdown. They certainly came off second best in loose play whilst also, at times, lacking concentration and accuracy at the scrum and lineout. Early injuries and the loss of captain Pete Jefferys after 20 minutes was testament to the energy sapping physical challenge posed by the Folkestone eight. OD’s didn’t help themselves either with 3 yellow cards at critical phases of the game which made the defensive effort even more difficult.
OD’s were truly under the cosh from the beginning of the second half which saw the Folkestone backs exploit some poor tackling to score 4 tries in quick succession and effectively take the game away from a temporarily disjointed and deflated opposition. Gratifyingly, the OD’s rallied to score two late breakaway tries, both converted, to earn a bonus point and open their league account. Mal Connolly’s second try was a superb solo effort to outstrip the Folkestone defence from his own 22m line, while spectators were treated for the second week running to a trademark ‘intersection’ (sic) try by replacement Andy Booth that saw him gallop under the posts in the final play of the game. Mike Ubee contributed 3 conversions and a penalty kick to OD's final tally.
Congratulations to James Oddy, Rhys Bozier and Charlie Murphy on their debut league appearance for the OD 1st XV. After the match, Pete Jefferys presented a plaque to Folkestone Rugby Club as a mark of enduring friendship between the two clubs and to signal the return of ODRFC to traditional rugby values both on and off the pitch.
OD Man of the Match: James Oddy