Edenbridge vs New Ash Green, Friendly
The recent downpours made for a late change to this fixture with New Ash Green now visiting Coombe Field. With the late change to the fixture there was a good deal of confusion approaching kick off and somehow the visitors managed to start the game, and play the first 10 minutes with 16 men on the field.
From the opening exchanges it was clear that New Ash Green had one game; the driving maul. This resulted in the first quarter of the game being spent in the Edenbridge half. Eventually the pressure told and New Ash Green went over for a push-over try. The resulting conversion was narrowly missed.
That try seemed to provide the wake-up call that ‘Bridge needed and they came back hard and intensely. An excellent try was scored by Noyce on his debut in the 1st XV, cutting a beautiful line from a 5 metre line out. Weaver demonstrated his versatility and stepped up to the kicking plate to add the conversion; 7-5 in favour of Edenbridge.
The game was either going to one of two ways and provided Edenbridge kept moving the ball and used their superior backs and didn’t get sucked into a mauling game by the bigger visitors it looked likely to be the home side’s day. Sure enough, Edenbridge ran in two further tries through Weaver and another for Noyce. The first a simple run in from a good turn over by pressuring the inside centre and the second a lovely piece of interlinking from Purivs, Perry and Noyce. All conversions were added by the open-side. A slight mar to the game with a red card shown to the visiting Number 8 for stamping in what was an otherwise well spirited but confrontational friendly.
21-5 at full time with Edenbridge, with Noyce unlucky not to have scored a further two tries; a four try debut would have been most impressive.
A good confident win from a slightly under strength ‘Bridge 15 to look forward to the top of the table clash next week at Vigo.
Edenbridge:
Scorers:
Tries: Noyce (2), Weaver
Cons: Weaver (3)
Pens:
Team:
15. Sedgwick, S.; 14. Allwood, D; 13. Noyce, W; 12. Clarke, R; 11. Perry, S; 10. Wallis, D; 9. Purvis, A; 1. Smith, B; 2. Bennet, B; 3. Berry, M; 4. Barnes, T (rep. Asagba, A); 5. Stevens, B; 6. Mitchell, D (capt); 7. Weaver, B; 8. Smith, T