Hoppers unlucky in 11 try thriller
Seniors: First XV: 18th February 2017
Stevenage Town |
40 |
28 |
Grasshoppers |
Third place Grasshoppers travelled to fourth place Stevenage
expecting a tough encounter and that’s exactly what they got with end to end
rugby delivering eleven tries and a lead that changed nine times throughout the
game.
Grasshoppers played down the substantial slope in the first
half and got off to a god start but the first ten minutes set the scene for the
whole game one score generally followed a counter-score. So, after fifteen
minutes the score stood at 7-10 to G’s thanks to two well taken tries from
number eight, James Kent and centre Louis Brown against a converted try from
the home team.
Things then settled down in the middle period of the half
but picked up again towards the end as re-took the lead 14-10 with a converted
try. Back came G’s though with a try from flanker, Callum Taylor to make the
half time score a nail-biting 14-15.
The second half started well for G’s as they stretched their
lead thanks to a penalty from stand-off, Conor Gilmore to 14-18. This was
though short lived at Stevenage countered with their third albeit unconverted
try to make it 19-18.
This spurred G’s on and so they threw everything at
Stevenage and were rewarded with their fourth bonus point try from full back
Blaze Salle to make it 19-23. Back came the home side as any ball gained in G’s
half saw their forwards on the rampage to the line. Such a situation prompted
their fourth try which when converted saw the lead change again to 26-23.
Could G’s come back from this and the answer came as a sound
yes as replacement winger, Ewan Crowley slipped in for G’s fifth unconverted
try to make it 26-28 with ten minutes to go, could G’s hang on?
Stevenage threw everything as G’s and made the most of the
phycology of the slope. This saw them press for their fifth try which they achieved
and the added conversion put them five points ahead at 33-28.
G’s tried to force the game in the last play of the game to
try to get back into the game but alas a lost ball saw the home side slip in
for their sixth try and as the conversion flew over and the final whistle went,
G’s were left to reflect on a single point achieved as the score board went to
40-28. However, all players should be proud of a great all round performance in
which they scored five tries and played some magnificent inventive rugby.