Once again this was an excellent advert for Forest rugby.
Combination Cup Semi-Final
Drybrook R.F.C 25pts
Lydney R.F.Cts 19pts
Drybrook produced a worthy performance to book a place against Cinderford United in the Final of the Forest Of Dean Combination Cup.
Although they controlled much of the game Drybrook were not able to get clear of a determined Lydney team who stayed in the game until the end.
On a beautiful warm day, in front of their biggest crowd of the season, Drybrook kicked off this much anticipated game playing towards the Clubhouse.
From the start the home team applied pressure on the Lydney line and were rewarded with an early attempt at goal after the Lydney second row had tip tackled his opposite number. Treherne slotted the penalty and the Lydney number five had a trip to the bin.
Lydney were happy to play the percentage kicking game from their own half, while Drybrook looked to keep the ball in hand.
Captain Ben Large caught one such ball and broke from the Drybrook half to take play up to the Lydney line. Quick ball was prevented from coming back as the Lydney prop tackled Drybrook scrum-half Ollie Moore off the ball, resulting in another yellow for the Severnsiders.
Drybrook who always had the edge in the front row, opted for the scrum from the penalty.
They drove the Lydney pack back over their own line and the ref had no qualms in awarding the
Drybrook team a penalty try as Lydney collapsed beneath the pressure.
.It was all Drybrook at this point and good Lydney defence and poor Drybrook options kept the score down to ten -nil, until the thirty-minute mark when Drybrook produced some clever back play for Large to score and Treherne to convert.
Typically though Lydney dug in and earned themselves a penalty inside the Drybrook half. They nudged the ball to the corner and executed a well drilled catch and drive to go over the home team’s line and score their first try.
Half time was called and the teams went into the break with Drybrook leading seventeen points to five.
Lydney kicked off the second half and started to show the form that has seen them win promotion this season.
Good pressure on the Drybrook line saw them create the overlap for their wing to cross in the corner. A fine conversion brought the score back to seventeen points to twelve and suddenly we had a game on our hands.
Drybrook made changes with the introduction of the Italian Stallion Corado coming on at scrum-half and big Mitch Hale moving into the front row.
The Drybrook momentum picked up and they moved further in front after Corado nipped in following a good Drybrook drive from the line-out.
The next ten minutes of play saw both teams go close, but a great break from the Drybrook
scrum-half earned his team a penalty in front of the Lydney posts.
Up stepped the young fly-half Dillon Worseley to convert and put his team two scores in front.
Lydney to their credit refused to be rolled over and brought themselves back into the game after good work from the forwards created the gap for replacement Sam Arnot to cross for a converted try on thirty-six minutes to set up a tense finale.
Drybrook were in no mood to give this one up though, and controlled the remainder of the game to go through to the final, worthy winners on the day.
Kyle Frowen and Ben Large were both outstanding and the hits put in by Baily Watts and Danny Price made sure that Drybrook took the spoils.
Once again this was an excellent advert for Forest rugby and with Lydney now promoted to Drybrooks level you would hope the R.F.U have the common sense to place them in the same league so we can all enjoy more of these occasions.
Drive on Dry !
Drybrook – T.Treherne, S.Peaper, D.Price, B.Large(Capt), R.Chapel-Thomas, D.Worseley, O.Moore, M.Bourne, K.Frowen, B.Watts, W.Greenway, G.Nott, H.Daynes, C.Williams, D.Jelf, J.Taylor, M.Hale, C.Columbo,
Once again this was an excellent advert for Forest rugby.