Burnham-on-Sea 2nd 29 Chard 17
Chard Throw down the Gauntlet;
Burnham remain Resilient
Burnham Seconds were at home to Chard at the weekend.
It was clear from the start of the game that the visitors had not come for an away day at the seaside. They started with a very hungry; direct; approach to the game it was clear that they had serious intentions of beating the current league leaders in their home patch. The visitors had fielded a very well balanced side with some handy looking individuals in key positions it was apparent that this was going to be a very interesting encounter. In the early skirmishes it was apparent that Chard had a game plane of dominance in the loose and set piece’s this would give their Scrum half / stand off / inside centre combination a chance to exercise options. In the early stages Burnham were given a taste of this capability by some well-put together moves that took the visitors into the Burnham 22.
As the first quarter progressed the Burnham pack were beginning to get their act together, it was from a turnover ball that Ryan Jones burst out of the loose and drove deep into the visitors defence making some twenty meters. The subsequent pick and go from George Scott and Tiny Reese enabled the ball to be set up in the visitors 22, after a number of penetrating runs by Dan Berry and Ginge Somerhay it was left to Rob Lewis to demonstrate how it is done as he crossed the line. This effort went unconverted. This was a crucial score as it fortified Burnham’s position which continued in the same way that had produced the first score the effort paid of when from a turn over in the Visitors 22 Mike Whitfield went on a solo run an crossed the line under the posts. He quickly converted his effort and was to tally up two other conversion and a penalty for his afternoons appearance.
Chard retaliated almost immediately when their back line combined eventually feeding the winger to cross the line this effort was converted.
Just on half time as Burnham was putting together an attacking platform the ball was kicked passed from Whitfield to the right corner which saw Ginge Somerhay pounce on it after a 20m sprint to collect and put down under the uprights, this try and conversation on half time was a crucial blow to the visitors.
The second half got under way with immediate retaliation from Chard who moved the ball extremely well to feed their centre and wing who crossed the line under the uprights, they were back into the game.
This score stimulated Burnham who immediately picked up the pace. Penetrating runs into the visitors defence from Dan Berry, Rob Lewis, Ginge, Phil Collings and George Wilcox were telling as was the pressure laid onto the visiting forwards; the home side were punishing the visitors in the pack the front row of Glenn Cutter Ash Morris and Phil Collings were dominant; in the Line Tom and Tiny were not missing much. This rate of attrition was telling; the visitor’s focus on discipline was waning slightly which was telling in there playing capability. Burnham’s skipper Matt Slater reduced to walking Wounded due to a viruliferous attack during the week sent on the substitutions at this stage, Mike Smith, Podge Barrington Gilly Hicks Paul, and Dave Harris were submitted to the conflict to up the tempo, It was from this introduction of reinforcements that from a successful series of pick and go in the forwards orchestrated by the Captain of the day Lee Berry that Glen Cutter broke out and despite holding off two of the opposition crossed the line for a fine try.
Burnham were determined to have the last say in the game and were positioned in an almost identical position of the previous try when a loose pass was picked up by Chard who ran almost the length of the field try; although the pass that had produced it was controversial.
Final Score Burnham 29 Chard 17.
This game presented a fine challenge to Burnham who rose to the occasion very well indeed. There were some individuals missing for this game which proves that the second team pool is well capable of rising to these challenges. A second team training session is scheduled for Thursday to those available with a view to rehearse for Saturdays league at Minehead