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Sat 24 Mar 2018 · London 3 South East
1st XVBromley
21
41
Old Boys lose the plot
Colin Sinclair27 Mar 2018 - 14:55
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Local rivals complete the double with emphatic victory
As Orson Welles once said, if you want a happy ending it depends on where you stop the story. For this OD team, the clear and present danger is that they have ended this season’s narrative too early in order to make do with the veneer of earlier success. The list of unavailability compounded by a string of injuries necessitated changes in every combination throughout the side that unsurprisingly brought with it a disjointed and unrehearsed performance. Despite staying on terms, stress fractures were already visible in the first half as the visitors noticeably began to dominate possession and territory to turn around 7-12 at half time.
Hopes of something better had come from a very effective OD scrum that looked, early on, to have the measure of the opposition and a line out returning to its best with Peter Jefferys and James Oddy successfully harvesting the accurate throwing of Sam Perry, who was playing his first senior game after a long injury lay off. This first phase possession, however, converted into not very much as, initially, both sides sparred around the half way line. During this first period, OD’s had little joy in open play while Bromley seemed over inclined to kick away possession into the grateful hands of Dermuid Raleigh, who was brave and competent under the high ball all afternoon. However, it was Bromley who first broke loose to transfer the contest close to the old boys’ line and drive a line out maul over for the first try after fifteen minutes. Like the Russians, OD’s responded tit for tat, cleanly taking an attacking lineout in Bromley’s 22 and keeping the ball tight to set up a series of forward phases before skipper Pete Jefferys stretched a long arm to place the ball down for an equalising try wide out. Mike Ubee obliged with a sweetly struck conversion. So, there we had the match winning formula: secure first phase possession from scrum and line out, with forwards and half backs combining to get deep into opposition territory before releasing a backline that, elsewhere on the pitch, was visibly under pressure both with and without the ball. Unfortunately, this was counter-intuitive to a side continuously tempted by wider passing and higher risk options, even in the depths of their own half. More worrying was the number of times that opportunities went begging as OD’s lost accuracy and momentum at crucial moments, losing the ball in contact and conceding penalties on the ground to give Bromley the chance to counter attack with a backline that looked increasingly sharp and organised. If OD’s could have maintained their narrow lead by half time perhaps the psychological tide might have turned but with the final move of the half, Bromley exhausted Dunstonian defences on the left to cross over unopposed on the right and establish a deserved 7-12 lead at the break.
Old Boys briefly flattered to deceive with a strong restart featuring some determined running from prop Josh Ajiboye and an excellent solo effort from Kieran Elliot at centre. For once, these inroads laid the foundations of a sustained assault that allowed Luke Jebb to cross wide out on the left and Ubee to deliver another touchline conversion. Indeed, the barnstorming charge by second row Nick Keppe from the restart kick seemed to confirm more of the same from the home side but, alas, as Keppe hobbled off from the resulting tackle, the match took an ominous turn for the worse with an 80 minute physical effort suddenly looking beyond the Langley Parkers. The fragile balance was well and truly shattered as Bromley camped in the OD half and accumulated nearly 30 points in as many minutes against a tired and dishevelled defence.
Even a last gasp effort from Dunstonians, a fine combination between Raleigh and winger Jamal Gobir following a superb break by the uncompromising James Oddy, proved scant consolation for a side well beaten on the day and left to contemplate the demands of taking on the best in this league, never mind the league above. The story of this season is certainly in its final chapter but there will undoubtedly be a final twist in the tale if Old Dunstonians lose their appetite for victory and dissemble in the confusion of an early Easter
Scorers:
Tries: Jefferys, Jebb, Gobir
Conversions: Ubee (3)
MoM: Diarmuid Raleigh who produced a fine all round performance at full back under constant pressure from the high ball and waves of attack from the Bromley backs. Despite being confined mostly to defensive duties, he showed equal Gaelic flair to deliver the scoring pass for Dunstonians’ late try.
Hopes of something better had come from a very effective OD scrum that looked, early on, to have the measure of the opposition and a line out returning to its best with Peter Jefferys and James Oddy successfully harvesting the accurate throwing of Sam Perry, who was playing his first senior game after a long injury lay off. This first phase possession, however, converted into not very much as, initially, both sides sparred around the half way line. During this first period, OD’s had little joy in open play while Bromley seemed over inclined to kick away possession into the grateful hands of Dermuid Raleigh, who was brave and competent under the high ball all afternoon. However, it was Bromley who first broke loose to transfer the contest close to the old boys’ line and drive a line out maul over for the first try after fifteen minutes. Like the Russians, OD’s responded tit for tat, cleanly taking an attacking lineout in Bromley’s 22 and keeping the ball tight to set up a series of forward phases before skipper Pete Jefferys stretched a long arm to place the ball down for an equalising try wide out. Mike Ubee obliged with a sweetly struck conversion. So, there we had the match winning formula: secure first phase possession from scrum and line out, with forwards and half backs combining to get deep into opposition territory before releasing a backline that, elsewhere on the pitch, was visibly under pressure both with and without the ball. Unfortunately, this was counter-intuitive to a side continuously tempted by wider passing and higher risk options, even in the depths of their own half. More worrying was the number of times that opportunities went begging as OD’s lost accuracy and momentum at crucial moments, losing the ball in contact and conceding penalties on the ground to give Bromley the chance to counter attack with a backline that looked increasingly sharp and organised. If OD’s could have maintained their narrow lead by half time perhaps the psychological tide might have turned but with the final move of the half, Bromley exhausted Dunstonian defences on the left to cross over unopposed on the right and establish a deserved 7-12 lead at the break.
Old Boys briefly flattered to deceive with a strong restart featuring some determined running from prop Josh Ajiboye and an excellent solo effort from Kieran Elliot at centre. For once, these inroads laid the foundations of a sustained assault that allowed Luke Jebb to cross wide out on the left and Ubee to deliver another touchline conversion. Indeed, the barnstorming charge by second row Nick Keppe from the restart kick seemed to confirm more of the same from the home side but, alas, as Keppe hobbled off from the resulting tackle, the match took an ominous turn for the worse with an 80 minute physical effort suddenly looking beyond the Langley Parkers. The fragile balance was well and truly shattered as Bromley camped in the OD half and accumulated nearly 30 points in as many minutes against a tired and dishevelled defence.
Even a last gasp effort from Dunstonians, a fine combination between Raleigh and winger Jamal Gobir following a superb break by the uncompromising James Oddy, proved scant consolation for a side well beaten on the day and left to contemplate the demands of taking on the best in this league, never mind the league above. The story of this season is certainly in its final chapter but there will undoubtedly be a final twist in the tale if Old Dunstonians lose their appetite for victory and dissemble in the confusion of an early Easter
Scorers:
Tries: Jefferys, Jebb, Gobir
Conversions: Ubee (3)
MoM: Diarmuid Raleigh who produced a fine all round performance at full back under constant pressure from the high ball and waves of attack from the Bromley backs. Despite being confined mostly to defensive duties, he showed equal Gaelic flair to deliver the scoring pass for Dunstonians’ late try.
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