Week 7 Rugby round-up

**Nottingham 0 -19 Warwick 1st**

Back in league action following last week’s trophy success, the Men’s Rugby first team endured a torturous journey to Nottingham, ending with them arriving at the pitch five minutes before kick-off. The hurried warm up and long bus journey caused Warwick to have another disjointed opening to a game.

However, they managed to survive this early scare without conceding. A kick-through led to Nick Green scoring in the corner, as Warwick took a lead they would never surrender. Forced into playing Dan Edwards at fly half, due to an injury to Dom Rey, Warwick were expecting an eclectic mix of passing skills and erratic kicking from their new no.10.

Edwards lived up to his passing reputation, nearly decapitating George Irwin with a heavy throw – when all that was needed was a pop pass to score – but kicked surprisingly well, slotting touchline conversions for both Green’s and Irwin’s first half tries. 14-0 up at half time Warwick gave an efficient second half performance to complete a routine 19-0 victory.

Green crossed the line for his second try of the game to complete the scoring, while a solid defence meant the hosts failed to get on the scoreboard. The only possible downside was the sin-binning of scrum half Piers Nickolds for a cynical trip, more befitting of an amateur footballer.

In the long term it could be argued that Nickolds rashness was beneficial, as it allowed the introduction of Ally Davidson who marshalled the forwards in his usual efficient manner and saw the team across the finishing line. The win puts the first team top of the league, where they hope to be at the end of the season. **JB**

**Staffordshire 10 – 31 Warwick 2nd**

The University of Warwick 2nd XV continued their remarkable start to the season with a hard-fought victory away at fellow promotion-chasers, Staffordshire University, making it five consecutive wins out of five for Captain Jamie Fenton’s men.

Whilst its pre-match heralding as something of a ‘title decider’ might have been slightly premature, the 2nd XV were under no illusions as to the importance of the game within the context of the season. Warwick began with the same high pace and intensity that so decisively felled their previous four opponents, showing no signs of fatigue or low-concentration after their two hour coach journey northwest.

Early dominance was soon converted into points as winger Josh Downie slid over in the corner after a flowing backline move orchestrated by Mike McKee at fly-half. The poor condition and narrowness of the pitch did indeed limit Warwick’s trademark fluency in the backline, which has been a major contributor to their current goal difference of +209. Yet they soon found themselves in the ascendancy once again after some tense scrummaging close to the Staffordshire try-line.

Lewis Wilcock and his front-row partner James Phylip-Jones created the necessary platform for scrum-half Louis Emmerson to beat two men from the back of the scrum, burrowing over the line to make it 12 – 0 after McKee’s successful conversion.

A series of seemingly harsh penalties from the referee left the second team defending near their line, with the forward-oriented Staffordshire persevering with their dogged tactics to make it 12 – 5. Not to be outdone, the Warwick pack turned the ball over in the next Staffordshire scrum, gaining possession for their team and ultimately allowing Josh Downie to finish another penetrating move, after some impressive ball-carrying from inside centre Mark Arrowsmith.

The Warwick team continued to dominate the game and were unlucky not to add to their 12-point lead before half-time; their opponents, however, saw one of their players sin-binned, amidst accusations of eye-gouging and other sordid infringements. Failing to make their one-man advantage count after Mark Arrowsmith’s altruistic yet mistimed off-load on the Staffordshire try-line hit the enigmatic Pete Wild square in the face, Warwick finally broke the temporary deadlock deep into the second-half. Louis Emmerson cheekily popped the ball inside for James Phylip-Jones to power over the line, after some textbook rucking from Jamie Fenton, making it 22 – 5.

A Staffordshire try soon followed, yet Warwick responded immediately with only seconds to go as Emmerson (finally) converted one of his several two-on-one opportunities, sending the debutant winger Charlie Johnson over the line to make the final score 31 – 10 after some precise goal-kicking from McKee.

Man-of-the-match performances from Emmerson and Phylip-Jones, in addition to valiant work from Michael Silcock, Jack Whittet and Joe Allen (with very little regard for their personal safety), underwrote a terrific team effort as the Warwick 2nd XV marches on triumphantly.

The third team attempts to establish themselves in the top two in Midlands 3A league were thwarted when their trip to University College Birmingham was cancelled due to the opposition’s lack of players. Such is the confidence within the squad though that rather than taking the walkover, captain James Applewhite has rearranged the game in the hope that it will provide a sufficient boost to the points difference. **LE**