Broadstreet RFC

On a sunny afternoon at Coventry Rugby Clubs Butts Arena, Broadstreet RFC on their 13th appearence in the Warwickshire cup final lined up against Dunlop RFC who on their first ever appearence in the final started the game with all the spirit and gusto associated with a debuting team. The game started with both sides trying to find the measure of each other, both teams making mistakes with knock ons and turnovers. The scoring began with a Dan Richards’ penalty on 3 mins then both sides went down to 14 men, firstly Dunlop’s number 8 Mitch Todd was sent to the sin bin for a technical offence closely followed by Street’s number 9 Nick Thatcher just a couple of phases of play later. Play in the first quarter focused around the centre of the pitch with Street winning the arm-wrestle in the scrumage and a lot of kicking from both sides trying to gain the upper hand in territory. The first score came on 25 mins after a Broadstreet scrum deep in the opposition half and a bustling run from No.8 Mark Challis set up the platform for Dan Richards to score through the depleted Dunlop defence. He then duly added the extras with the boot. Three more unanswered tries from Street were scored in quick succession from Nigel Mukarati, Daniel Phillips and Tom Grimes. The pick of the scores was finally dotted down by centre Tom Grimes, following a sweeping backs move culminating in wing James Hunt offloading the ball to Grimes to go over in the corner, all tries converted by Richards.

In the 3rd quarter Broadstreet continued to dominate possession with Dunlop defending valiantly, but their efforts were scuppered after 6 mins of the second half when former Dunlop colt, replacement fullback Andy McGrory’s powerful sixty metre run set up Nick Thatcher’s unconverted try. On forty nine minutes, a promising attack from Dunlop was halted and a quick turnover saw the ball ending up in the hands of replacement Broadstreet wing Perry Pudge to sprint seventy metres for Street’s 6th try. On sixty mins Carl Southwell replaced hooker Mick Hewitt to bolster streets’ forward effort, leading to numerous phases of pick and drive from Broadstreet’s forwards. Then Captain Ed Simkiss found a gap open up in front of him and after a brief moment of disbelief he ran in the try from forty metres, with Dunlop’s defence left flailing. Dunlop full back Dave Weston came close on 62 minutes, only to knock on over the line following a concerted period of pressure from the undeterred Dunlop side. Broadstreet rung the changes, using their replacments bench to good effect which culminted in Broadstreet’s final try of the game for centre Grimes with his second of the day, again converted by Richards. Dunlop continued to plug away and their efforts were rewarded when Dunlop turned the ball over deep in Street’s half and a mazy run from fly half Craig McGrory who fed Dave Weston for Dunlop’s solo score of the afternoon. Overall Broadstreet dominated territory, possession and the battle of the breakdown , with a couragous Dunlop side defending tirelessly taking the game to Street at any opportunity, unfortunately to come off a good second best to the soon-to-be National league side.