Kenilworth 2XV 32 - Earlsdon 5
Mar
After a short sojourn elsewhere, the Warwickshire Second XV Cup has returned to Glasshouse Lane. Kenilworth, parading a potent mixture of experience and youth, comprehensively demolished a poor Earlsdon side on a perfect day for Rugby Union at Old Leamingtonians RFC (writes Bob Jones).
Kenilworth started the game as they finished it, totally dominating Earlsdon in all aspects of the game. Credit then to the men from south Coventry for keeping the score to reasonable proportions by never giving up, and getting a late consolation try. The opening score was a try by Rob Varney on 10 minutes. This followed a driving maul, and was improved by a Jamie Peacock conversion. Peacock and Jai Purewal were especially effective at calling the shots, as Earlsdon struggled to cope with wave after wave of attacks. They soon resorted to transgressions, and from one too many for referee Rob Hunter, Peacock increased the lead with a penalty goal. Mr. Hunter then caused a compendium of amazement, frustration and mirth among players and supporters, by halting play for several minutes because he (correctly -although why he or his fellow officials had not spotted this at the outset), insisted that an Earlsdon player who was wearing tights, leave the field and remove them before the game could continue. Soon after normal service resumed, Stuart Lynch claimed a second try for Kenilworth, following yet another surge up field, Peacock again adding the extras. Earlsdon's tight-head prop was yellow-carded after more persistent offending, but Peacock was off-target with the penalty attempt. However, as matters became heated up-front, and subsequent to a minor fracas, he duly extended the lead with another penalty goal.
The second half was a mirror image of the first, with Earlsdon never in the hunt. Luke Brown and Jimmy Middleton got in on the act with good breaks, and it was no surprise when a sweeping move by the threequarters culminated in a try for Adam Trean on the quarter-hour, Peacock converting to post 27 unanswered points. Ten more minutes of intense pressure by the Ks ended with an unconverted try for Brown, after a scintillating move by the backs. With ten minutes remaining, and against the run of play, Earlsdon broke out and crossed for a try, which they failed to convert. A raft of replacements by Manager Neil McComiskey, and continued pressure until the final whistle, brought no more points for Kenilworth, but the game was long-since in the bag.
