South London Storm 26 - 22 St Albans Centurions
Round 2 RLC Southern Premiership
28th April 2007
After visiting tournament favourites Skolars Premier the previous week, St Albans Centurions travelled to Croydon on Saturday to take on reigning champions South London Storm, and once again came away with a narrow defeat, this time by 4 points. Whilst the margin off defeat was narrow, Cents were a clear second to a Storm side that was vigorous in defence, not allowing the Cents to play the more expansive game they had planned. Cents entered the game with more enforced changes, this week Oli Fountain and Andy Lake were on England Lionhearts duty in Blackpool but Centurions continued their policy of fielding a number of the successful u16 side of 2006 with Lewis Padmore, Jamie Molloy, Jack Cornthwaite getting the nod. Also returning to the starting line up were Kristian Warner and Roy Dube.
The game was kicked off in beautiful spring sunshine and soaring temperatures and this combined with the wide Storm paddock was always going to test the fitness of the competing sides. The two teams got stuck into each other right from the off, but with defences on top it was proving to be quite a dour game, but on 16mins it sparked into life, when after a series of penalties, Storm were allowed good field position and on the second tackle the Storm hooker Craig Guthrie took advantage of a large hole in the Cents line to score, Darren Bartley converting to make the score 6-0. The game continued in a similar vein with both sides competing well but very little flair or ambition on show. On 25mins Cents registered their first score when a loose ball was gathered by Cornthwaite and he managed to evade several would be tacklers to stretch over, and although the conversion was missed Cents were right back in the game at 6-4. Cents upped their game for the next period but on the stroke of half time, having given away several unnecessary penalties Storm took advantage and Richard Singleton scored, the conversion making the half time score 12-4.
The first half could be summed up as an exhibition of resolute defence and so it continued into the second half. At times the Cents struggled with the ferocity of the Storm defence and their pace out wide and this was exploited twice in a 3 minute period when they sealed the game, Karl Zacharow crossing twice, taking advantage of indecision in the Cents right flank and with a quarter of the game to go Cents trailed 22-4. Cents were then rocked when Owen Doyle went down injured and the game was stopped for several minutes whilst he was treated leaving the field to a serious knee injury, but the team regrouped and increased their intensity, the effort being rewarded when Adam Cox stretched over and the Dan Chilcott conversion made the score 22-10. On 69mins the Storm put the game out of Cents reach when Tani Kingi crossed to make the score 26-10 but to their credit Cents dug deep and Richard Smith crossed and the conversion made it 26-16. Right on the stroke of full time, Smith somehow managed to burrow his way through a number of bodies to touch down for his second try and the conversion left the final score at 26-22.
Coach Rampling was disappointed at the end of the game, and a little frustrated that the team were unable to translate the game plan that he had prepared on to the paddock, saying 'It was another tough game. It is disappointing to lose our second game on the bounce but we were competing with the tournament favourites and champions we always knew that with three away games to start the season we would be doing well to get results. Our application continues to be good, but we need to sort out our organisation, and decision making. Our plans are not helped with the changing nature of the side each week or the injuries suffered in game. Owen will be out for as month now with the knee injury which is a real blow. We travel to Ipswich on Saturday and we hope that we can turn round our fortunes.'
