1st XV 21 - 45 Cambridge

Match date	Saturday September 19, 2009
Match time	15:00
Match location	Home
Team	1st XV
Opponent	Cambridge

Stourbridge 21 Cambridge 45                                                by Paul Smith

Cambridge’s South African backs have fewer World Cup winners medals, or even 60 metre triumphs head-to-head against a cheetah, than their more celebrated countrymen.

Nonetheless, wingers Chris Lombaard and Handre Schmidt, and scrum half Stefan Liebenberg will represent the difference between Cambridge and quite a few National 1 clubs this season.

It is pointless to speculate how the encounter at Stourton Park would have finished had they not been on the field, but they certainly posed a substantial proportion of Cambridge’s attacking threat.

Liebenberg, who faces stiff competition from Dan Hunter for a regular starting berth, always sought to impose a tempo that challenged Stour against full-time opponents. He also sniped to great effect with ball in hand, and ran some excellent supporting lines, to record a hat-trick inside an hour.

Lombaard, who has the remarkable record of 83 tries in 103 National League games, and the lesser-known, former Hertford winger Schmidt, posed a huge threat with ball in hand, and scored a try apiece to finish off a spirited home fight-back in the final quarter.

Esher look likely to be the only opponents who will match Cambridge’s all-round strength this year, although London Scottish and Redruth may dispute that. Indeed, it can be argued that Cambridge are in effect already a Championship club, since until the RFU combined its two favourite activities – a prolonged bout of internal navel gazing followed by a swifter bout of goalpost moving - last November, their runners-up spot two points behind Bees was enough to gain promotion.

With this background setting the benchmark, for Stour to be so competitive for an hour, and “win” the middle 40 minute period 21-14, should be viewed as a fine achievement.

Whilst improved luck with injuries and refereeing decisions, plus a little more composure at vital moments, would have brought two bonus points last week at Sedgley Park, there can be no question that this was a significantly better performance, and the denial of a four-try bonus point was cruel.

The front five competed doggedly, Rupert Cooper had his best game of the season, and there were some lovely touches from Stour’s Dean Richards play-alike Duncan White.

Tom Richardson and the unsung Jon Higgins prompted intelligently from half-back, while Craig Richards made a very decent fist of playing out of position against top-notch opposition.

Last, but by no means least, Stour’s Man of the Match Ben Barkley was simply magnificent.  Defensively solid, he blasted over the gain-line with great regularity, cutting some lovely lines as well as displaying excellent distribution skills. 

Stour started nervously, and were 12-0 down in as many minutes after a Tom Powell push-over was quickly followed by Liebenberg’s opening salvo.

However, the sin-binning of visitors’ flanker Dan Legge allowed Stour chance to settle, then snatch the lead with two quick scores.  A fourth try of the season for lock forward and captain Ben Hughes, was followed by a superb 40 metre solo effort from England Counties’ scrum half Tom Richardson.

Liebenberg’s second, on the stroke of half time, followed some poor home tackling, and the South African claimed the match ball, when he darted over from a close-range tap-and-go 15 minutes later.

But Stour would not be shaken off, Barkley responded immediately after a slick move, to bring the score back to 21-26 on the hour.

However, it was fitting that Cambridge’s South Africans had the last word, with Lombaard then Schmidt making sure their unbeaten league run, which stretches back to last November, was extended to 18 games.

A Darren Fox try on the final whistle gave the score a lop-sided look, and ensured Stour were undeservedly empty handed for a second week.

 

Stourbridge: Tenucci; Hunter-Blair, Richards, Barkley, Chace; Higgins, Richardson; Sturdy (Homer,80), Keylock (Collins,60), Lawrence (Baker,60); Hughes, Homer (W.Cooper,57); Pearson, R.Cooper, White (Rodley,65). Reps (not used)Bache.

Cambridge: Wheatcroft (Hinkins,68); Schmidt, Dodge, Evans, Lombaard; Shanahan, Liebenberg (Hunter,65); Laws, Pearl (Brown,74), Cooper (Reeves,17); Rudzki, Hurrell; Legge, Fox, Powell (Archer,9).

Referee: Richard Kelly

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