Drybrook Rugby Club

Western Counties North
Drybrook 22pts
Barton Hill 8pts

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Drybrook lost ground at the top of the league when the two sides above them secured bonus point wins but they will be satisfied with this victory against a tough BartonHIll outfit.
Drybrook seemed to lack energy in the opening 15 minutes and did well to keep BartonHill from scoring with some solid defence near their own line.
The perfect conditions allowed both teams to play open rugby and it was the visitors who took the lead with a penalty after 22 minutes.
A timely interception from scrum half Tom Treherne denied BartonHill a try just after and then Drybrook finally got into the game.
Following a kick to the corner Drybrook were held up over the BartonHill line twice but the pressure continued and a series of pick and goes eventually led to second row Marcus Cowles powering over in the corner.
BartonHill hit back and although they missed a penalty attempt from near half way, Drybrook made a mess of clearing their lines. This gave the visitors a good field position and when they were awarded a free kick their scrum half took it quickly to dart over for a try.

Half Time:
Drybrook 5pts
BartonHill 8pts

Drybrook hit the ground running in the second and played at a tempo that BartonHill found difficult to handle. A penalty soon resulted and Ollie Clements brought the score level with a fine kick.
Drybrook enjoyed an extended period of pressure but then their game fell apart for a while with a lot of individual errors as they looked to edge in front.
Eventually Drybrook regained their composure and a great passage of play ended with a penalty award that they kicked to the corner.
The initial drive was held up but a second burst resulted in flanker Mitch Bourne grabbing a deserved try for Drybrook which Clements converted from near the touch line.
Drybrook then began to take control and went close on several occasions before the impressive Cowles grabbed his second try following some lovely handling from the home side.
Clements converted but there was no time left for Drybrook to try and go for a bonus point try.

Drybrook 1st XV; Kristian Taft, Harry Gooderham, Simon Rugman (capt), Ben Large, Dan Cox, Ollie Clements, Tom Treherne, Jun Sing Lee, Craig Clarke, Tom Reed, Marcus Cowles, Glenn Nott, Neil Morgan, Danny Price, Mitch Bourne.
Replacements; Luke Fisher, Nick Ovens, Mitch Browning.

Gloucestershire Reserve League Premier

Drybrook United 11pts
Cinderford Stags 3pts

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Drybrook United dented the Stags title hopes with this excellent victory following a typically tight forest derby.
Drybrook had most of the play in the first half even when they were reduced to 14 men with the loss of hooker Dean Jelf to a yellow card.
An Andy Milner penalty was all that separated the teams at the end of a very tight first half.

Half Time:
Drybrook United 3pts
Cinderford Stags nil

Adam Wilce levelled the scores early in the second half and both teams had the chance to go back in front with penalty kicks but the game remained deadlocked.
Drybrook lost Aiden Price to the sin bin after 50 minutes but manged to kep the Stags at bay until he returned.
Eventually Drybrook sneaked in front when replacement scrum half Mitch Baldwin took a quick tap penalty to cross for a try in the corner.
Milner’s conversion attempt unluckily rebounded off the upright but he made amends a little later on with his second penalty to take the game beyond Cinderford.
Drybrook’s man of the match was Mitch Renton who starred in an impressive back row with Jim Rugman and Craig Moore.
Cinderford’s skipper and hooker Rob Groves was their star man.

Drybrook United XV; Andy Milner (capt), Jack Freeman, Aiden Price, Jay Knight, John Jeffs, Chris Rawlings, Kieran Auker-Howlett, Connor Auker-Howlett, Dean Jelf, Tony Suter, Mitch Hale, Joe James, Jim Rugman, Craig Moore, Mitch Renton.
Replacements; Mitch Baldwin, Dan Wilce, Chris Treherne, Chris Tingle.

Gloucestershire Reserve League North 2

Cheltenham Saracens “B” 76pts
Drybrook Extras nil

Drybrook Extras lost for the first time since December when they were blown away by an impressive Saracens outfit.
A much changed Drybrook side had no answer to the hard running home team who exposed them time and again in a game they will want to quickly forget. With Saracens 2nds not playing Drybrook were simply out done by a better team.
Some positives to come out of the game were a man of the match performance from Kane Hale and Paul Hornchurch coming out of retirement and playing well.
The Extras still hold on to second spot in the league but will have to dig deep to have any realistic chance of promotion.

Extras XV; Quentin Partridge, James Ellway, Kane Hale, Jack Davies, James Meek, Jimmy Ryder, Grantley Brown, James Smith, Tom Maskell (capt), Lee Phelps, Steve Turley, Dan Rogers, Guy Williams, Iain Murphy, Simon Ballinger.
Replacements; Paul Hornchurch, Tim Baldwin.