T-Birds vs Richmond II

With the T-Birds desperate for a bonus point win, it was unfortunate to say the least, that the Oakfield pitches were in just about the worst condition that I’ve ever seen them, the overnight rain ruining the usually fine playing surface.
T’s hit the ground running and were quickly in the lead when top Try scorer Sally Tuson got over the line.
Unfortunately the referee’s opinion of the breakdown differed somewhat from that of the T-Birds and Ts spent 30 minutes of the first half playing with 14 players as 3 went to the bin.
Things looked good, but the slippery conditions were not conducive to the running, passing game that T’s wanted to play and they found themselves dragged into a war of attrition.
Dropped passes with a wet ball cost trys and allowed the powerful Richmond scrum to dominate the set piece and restricts T’s possession.
As half time approached, Ts attacked from their own line. Cook and Emerson got them to halfway and then Tyler got behind the defence and offloaded to Captain Foy who dotted down under the posts for 12-0.
Unfortunately for Ts, as the half time whistle went, the heavens opened and by the time play restarted Ts were playing into the full force of a storm.
Richmond scored first to get back within touching distance and the game settled into a pattern of Richmond dominating possession and Ts cutting loose on the rare occasions that they had the ball.
With the clock ticking and the rain easing, Ts put together a good passage of play attacking again and again, Tyler got in behind the defence and then Harvey’s line back against the grain was only stopped by a despairing Richmond tackle on the line and Fi Jordan picked up and dropped over the whitewash.
At 19-5 the game was won but Ts were a couple of trys short of a bonus point.
Unless bottom of the table Wasps can do the unexpected next week, Richmond IIs will win the league and condemn the T-Birds to another year in the Championship.
Ts finish their league next week away to Saracens.
Team: Emerson, Tuson (T), Harris, Tyler , Harvey, Rettie, Cook (2C), Nichols, Foy (T), Mountjoy, Jordan. S (T) , R.French, Jordan. F, Beard, Dyche, Rep: Hepper, Franklin, Wheeler, Prosser, Walsh, Shaw