Dubs 17 vs. Old Cliftonians 20 (05/01/08 - Return Fixture)
(By Paul Cooper, 1st XV captain)
The 1s frustratingly lost 20-17 away to Old Cliftonians this Saturday.
The game was pretty much decided by each team’s playing strengths and discipline. We had the dominant pack and set-piece, Cliftonians a very handy backline and the nouse to introduce direct running back row forwards into it out wide to create overlaps and scoring chances. Cliftonians do not train, which was apparent in the set piece, but nonetheless have enough talented players to produce an open style of play, with the ball moved wide more often than not.
With the Dubs pack dominant from the off, the scoreboad started with a Dubs push-over try after 5 minutes, dotted down by No. 8 Ash, Dom Winfield coolly converted. Cliftonians responded with good pressure and some sniping runs out wide, eventually going over for a try, conversion missed. The game was then pretty even, but shortly before half time we gave away a number of penalties in our 22. The resulting pressure near our line allowed Cliftonians to spurn the 3 points on offer and take a quick tap to their no. 8 who was hanging out in the backs. He was dangerous throughout the game, and created the opportunity to score, which they duly did.
We regrouped at half-time and began the second half strongly. We finally began to listen to and play the ref, (who was consistent in his decisions throughout) and we came right back into it. We put them under great pressure which we were able to convert by way of another push-over try, Ash again from a 5-metre scrum, with another Winfield conversion, to take a narrow lead.
The sides then traded penalty kicks before Cliftonians scored out wide with 20 mins to go, after another run from the no.8. Despite a great deal of pressure from us, including a contentious decision from the ref that our scrum had wheeled on the 5 metre line when we were still pushing straight on for a 3rd push-over try, the game ended 20-17 to Cliftonians.
It was a disappointing result but we need to take from it the composure with which the forwards played in the tight and set piece and the lesson that we must play much more cleverly. We need to listen to the ref and play his interpretation of the rules and we need to do that from about 10 mins in, not 50. We also need to stop giving away penalties in the scoring zone. The reason Cliftonians didn’t let us back in in the last 20 is that they infringed less.
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