Walking Rugby - Kingswood 9th July 2022
Salisbury sent a squad to Bristol to compete in a merit table competition.
Well, the sun always seems to shine when the Spitfires step out to represent the Club. Although playing in July is an obvious advantage !
Our first opponents were our nearest rivals: Amesbury. Despite scoring off the very first play, we struggled to establish a rhythm and the game became a little frustrating for both sides, but a final score of 2:2 was fair and we were off and running.
Next up were the Dragons from Newport, and we set off at a fast pace taking a 6:nil lead in the first half. The pick of the tries being a 'show & go' by Andy Pickering, that was obviously such a thrill he promptly forgot his other try ! The second half was a very different affair. With Salisbury frequently penalised and The Dragons managing to string their passes together the final score was 6:4 when the hooter blew.
By now the it was baking ! Thankfully we all took the advice of Baz and applied plenty of Sunscreen. Hydration was being taken seriously, although it is doubtful whether scotch eggs are the best energy source for a day's exercise.
Our next opponents were the Torfaen Swifts, and again we were fast out of the blocks and blew away our Welsh opponents. The second half was a little closer as Torfaen played the ref and took a more direct approach. But we held our form and finished 8 (or was it 9 ?) to 2 winners.
Kingswood, our hosts, were the 4th game, and proved to be a difficult match. Walking Rugby has very simple laws but relies on a fair degree of honesty from the players. We all stretch those laws but unless the offside line is honoured it becomes a little messy. And so it was as the sides battled to a disjointed 2:2 draw.
Next up were the winners of our own Festival, Gosport & Fareham. This was possibly our most satisfying match as a great defensive display held G&F to a nil score whilst our higher tempo brought 3 tries, leaving us undefeated and setting us up for the final match with Crickhowell. They were the best team we faced all day. Keeping their shape they stretched our defences and at times it felt like we were being overwhelmed, but the effort levels were maintained and Nicky Stockley's tries kept the game finely poised at 3:2 before the final hooter ended the game and our day's play.
It was a great effort by the whole squad, who all contributed to a great day both on and off the field.
Squad: Ellie Cooper, Mo Cooper, Rod Crossley, Del Gurney, Graham Hillier, Dave Humphreys, Richard Lloyd, Andy Pickering, Karen Pickering, Pete Rattue, Andy Reed, Nicky Stockley, James Wilmot