1st XV Match report - 28th Jan 2023

David Daniels - 1st XV Manager

Match report - 28th Jan 2023

Sutton Coldfield 31pts v Oadby Wyggestonians 39pts

Regional 2 North Midlands

Coming into the final quarter of a highly entertaining and challenging contest last weekend, Sutton 1st XV were leading 31-29 but as they shaped to score another try in the right corner to surely settle the match, what should have been the scoring pass was intercepted on the Oadby try line by substitute back Joe Bell, who gathered the ball and had the pace and courage to race 100 metres, holding off the pursuing Sutton defenders to score under the posts, raising gasps from the large Sponsors Day home crowd and cheers from the strong Oadby Wyggestonians travelling support.

Fly half Jack Elliott landed the easy conversion to take Oadby Wyggs into a 36-31 lead, which if that scoreline had carried to the end of the game would have given Sutton a try scoring bonus point plus a losing bonus but as Sutton chased the game, in the closing minutes they were penalized in midfield 30 metres out and fly half Elliott landed the kick to take the final score to 39-31, denying Sutton the losing bonus point, which would have kept them in 2nd place in a very tight contest at the top of the table.

In the event Sutton slip from 2nd to 3rd place, with league leaders Long Eaton losing without any points they move from 1st to 2nd as Sutton move level with them on 56 points thanks to the try scoring bonus point but Sutton stay 3rd on points difference, as Leek leapfrog both Sutton and Long Eaton to take top spot on 59 points after a 43-10 bonus point win over Moseley Oak - watch this space as the contest develops with Sutton in strong contention.

Oadby kicked off on a dry, cool day with a firm pitch under foot, providing perfect conditions for a keen competitive contest and in front of a large expectant crowd, many having enjoyed the successful official opening of the refurbished Gresswold Function Room plus pre-match lunch and celebrations, which recognized the important contribution made to the club by the Club Sponsors and the many valued volunteers, all of whom keep the club ticking over.

The visitors were a big outfit in the backs with a big formidable pack and from the outset they were clearly intent on extracting revenge for the 36-9 defeat inflicted on them by Sutton in the away fixture back in October 2022. The fired-up Oadby pack charged forward in the early exchanges applying early pressure in the Sutton 22 but they conceded a penalty and Sutton were able to clear the ball back into the Oadby half. However, following the line-out Sutton conceded successive penalties and the visitors kicked their way back into Sutton 22, with a line-out 5 metres out from the Sutton try line on the right of the field. From the line-out the powerful Oadby pack drove for the Sutton try line but Sutton were judged to have pulled down the maul and Sutton were given a yellow card and the visitors were awarded a penalty try, giving Oadby a 7-0 lead after 5 minutes of play.

Undaunted by the deficit Sutton took up the challenge laid down in the early onslaughts, and their lively backs led by fly half & captain Laurie Harries set up a series of good attacking moves showing pace and good handling, and in one such play fly half Harries made a clean break in midfield with quick hands moving the ball right to left before switching back infield across the Oadby 22, when no8 Will Mitchell, returning to the Sutton no8 role for this game, took the ball on forcing a gap in the Oadby midfield defence using his pace and power to score an excellent try by the posts and with outside centre Matt Smith adding the conversion Sutton were level at 7-7 after 10 minutes of play.

Unfortunately, the parity was short lived as 4 minutes later Oadby kicked another penalty into the right corner and following a dominant catch & drive second row Michael Wright was driven over for a try wide out on the right wing. The difficult conversion was missed but the visitors took a 12-7 lead with 14 minutes played. Again Sutton responded well to going behind and they continued to compete; although under pressure in the set scrums they held their own ball and competed well in the line-out and the open play, securing good ball to take play back into the visitors half as left wing Will Smewin set up a decisive break using his speed and elusive running to weave his way forward from the halfway line moving left to right across the field before feeding right wing Miles Gregory, who used his speed to sweep round the defenders before cutting back infield to score to the right of the posts for a spectacular try scored by right wing Miles Gregory, made by left wing Will Smewin. Matt Smith kicked the conversion to give Sutton a narrow 14-12 lead with 27 minutes played but in this tight contest just 2 minutes later a penalty in front of the Sutton posts gave Jack Elliott an easy kick to snatch the lead back at 15-14 with 11 minutes to play to the break.

With the game evenly balanced and halftime approaching a quick tap penalty taken on by no 8 Will Mitchell just inside the Sutton half, set-up an attack down the Sutton left wing and receiving the ball at pace left wing Will Smewin skillfully chipped for the left corner then won the race to claim a fine try taking Sutton back into the lead, with 3 minutes left on the clock before the break. The tricky conversion was missed but outside centre Matt Smith made amends when on the stroke of halftime an Oadby line-out on the Sutton right wing was won by Sutton's Jack Wells and the ball fed left into midfield where outside centre Matt Smith made a break, then cutting left he out paced the would be defenders to score an excellent solo effort in the left corner to secure Sutton's 4th try and a try scoring bonus point. Unfortunately the conversion drifted wide but Sutton took a 24-15 lead into the break.

The keenly fought contest continued into the second half and it was the visitors who had first cause for celebration when using the power of their pack they executed another catch & drive from a line-out close to the Sutton try line and no 7 Tom Goad claimed the try and with fly half Jack elliott adding the conversion they closed to 24-22 with 10 minutes of the second half gone.

Again Sutton responded well to the score against them and following the restart Sutton scrumhalf Tom Harris stripped his opposite number of the ball at a breakdown inside the Sutton half and then made a break down the blindside before feeding his no 8 Will Mitchell, who was running in support down the left touchline and the stand-in no 8, showed his prowess as a winger, when he ran 40 metres down the touchline to score to the left of the posts and Matt Smith added the conversion to extend the Sutton lead to 31-22 with just 12 minutes of the second half played.

For the next 10 minutes the game ebbed and flowed but once again Oadby won a line-out close to the Sutton try line and they used their old tactic of securing their throw-in and driving for the try line with second row Michael Wright claiming his second driving try of the day, and with fly half Elliott good for the conversion the visitors moved to within 2 points at 31-29 with 18 minutes left to play.

But then again just 2 minutes later in this constantly changing game disaster struck as Sutton created a flowing attack moving left to right in front of the Oadby posts, then as the final scoring pass was launched to the Sutton right wing, who would have surely scored had he caught it, the ball was intercepted by Joe Bell, who was on as a backs replacement and the young flyer made the most of his good fortune by showing great courage and confidence as he kept ahead of the Sutton players in pursuit weaving his way to a try under the posts and an easy conversion by Jack Elliott, to retake the lead 31-36 with 16 minutes left on the referee's watch.

In the closing minutes as Sutton chased the game their efforts went unrewarded and in the end the final nail in the coffin came as Jack Elliott kicked the final penalty of the game when Sutton were penalized in mid-field 30 metres from goal to close the game on 31-39; as if by consolation Sutton had the satisfaction of knowing that they had the moral victory by scoring 5 outstanding tries, 2 of them by their running no 8 Will Mitchell, where by contrast; Oadby were awarded a penalty try from a driving maul, 3 tries from driving mauls off 5 metre lineouts and a 100 metre breakaway interception try plus 2 penalties...but they all count and good on Oadby for sticking to their task.

The other good news for Sutton was the welcome return of former player Taboka Habvane, who has re-signed with Sutton to strengthen our front row options.

Next week Sutton travel North into Staffordshire to face new league leaders Leek in what should be another close fought challenge. KO 2.15pm