1st XV 17 - 48 Esher

Player of the Match - Sebastian Pearson

Stourbridge 17-48 Esher                  By David Lawrence

attendance 530

Esher may have taken the spoils thanks to their free-running second half display but they suffered an early scare after the home side dominated the opening period to go in at the break 17-11 ahead.

And that was from a Stourbridge side ravaged by injuries and with Seb Pearson and Sam Robinson at centre – the first a flanker and the second making his return after 18 months out with a knee injury!

Stourbridge pressure, particularly from their marauding forwards, had the visitors on the back foot straight from the whistle and a string of misdemeanours resulted in Esher centre Neil Taylor being sent to the sin bin.

Jon Higgins slotted over the resultant penalty only for Sam Ulph to reply three minutes later.

But Stourbridge always looked capable to crossing the line and they duly bagged the opening try on 24 minutes when a penalty kicked to the corner resulted in a catch and drive move from the line-out and skipper Ben Hughes crashing over.  Higgins’ conversion opened up a seven-point lead but Esher slowly edged their way back, firstly through a second Ulph penalty before the free-scoring full-back nipped in at the corner to hand his side a slender 11-10 advantage.

Undeterred, Stourbridge continued to pile forward, building on the excellent work of the pack – nine-man rugby at its best.  And it paid dividends on the stroke of half-time when a rolling maul from just inside the visitors’ half edged further and further upfield before Duncan White burst free and romped the final 25 metres to the line. 

Higgins continued his good game with the conversion and Stourbridge were 17-11 ahead at the break, prompting a few stern words in the Esher changing room!

Those words obviously did the trick though and the league leaders totally ran riot in the second period, chalking up 37 points without reply.

Individual errors were clinically punished and cracks began to appear as the pace of the game began to take its toll, Esher running in three tries in the final ten minutes.

Ulph kicked three penalties soon after the restart, the third of these following a yellow card for replacement hooker Harry Collins who had only been on the pitch for three minutes.  With their hosts down to 14, the visitors ran in tries from flanker Chris York and winger Tom Loizides, Ulph adding the extras each time.

Two breakaway tries, from winger Jon Hylton and Taylor, wrapped up the proceedings while Ulph’s conversions took his personal tally to 28 points.

For Stourbridge, Robinson came through the game unscathed while Pearson didn’t look out of place at inside centre. The forwards were outstanding, particularly before the break, with prop Andi Lawrence relishing his chance to play after so long warming the replacements bench elsewhere.

And the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for former colt Nigel Sam Baker as he made his debut off the bench late in the game – the third generation of his family to wear the Stourbridge jersey.

Follow this link for some match photos supplied by Richie Laurent     

The Match in Pictures