Sun 15 Dec 2024, 14:00
Bradford on Avon RFC Colts 0 - 38 Frome RFC Academy
Report by James Newbery
On Sunday 15th December, Frome RFC Academy travelled of a friendly fixture at Bradford on Avon RFC.
Bradford on Avon attacked the try line inside first minute. Two huge tackles from Ewan Cox and a turn over from hooker Freddie Corp were enough to dent the attack.
Big early carries from Oscar Stickley and Ollie Andrews followed. Throughout the opening minutes, the ball moved into space well by Frome. With Archie Pearn and Toby Cassidy making early in roads.
After ten minutes, quick ball from Cam Vince put Alfie Newbery into space. He found runners out wide. Offloads from Nick Powell and Cox offered a chance out wide. Cassidy and Harrie Webster were narrowly tackled short of the line.
After sustained pressure from Frome, Cassidy collected a high ball, swerved in between five on rushing defenders to score under the posts. Harry Greenwood sent extras over for a 0-7 lead.
With twenty minutes of the game gone, defence from Frome began to dominate. A big table from Pearn, disrupted the Bradford on Avon attack and Rob Norris jackled the ball for a turnover.
Next, following a barrelling run by Webster, pin-balling off the Bradford on Avon defence, offloads on the gain line from Stickley and Powell put the home sides defence under pressure. The ball was pinged wide to Cox who scored out wide, to make the score 0-12.
With time ticking down in the half, Bradford on Avon repeatedly infringed. Frome turned the screw. Quick ball from Vince, gave Newbery options. The fly-half pinged the ball back inside to Stickley, who romped home to score under the posts. Greenwood added the conversion for a 0-19 score line.
With the pressure building, Newbery double pumped and put Cassidy through a gap. The centre needed no second invitation, he scored under the posts, for a 0-24 score line at half time.
With the second half under way, several well placed kicks and hard carries from Frome meant they were knocking the defensive door down.
After eight minutes, from repeated carries, Frome made their absolute dominance tell. Isaac Cornish carried well and touched down to score a well worked try. Frome led 0-29.
Minutes later, a big kick in defence from Zach Sibley, playing at full back, put the play into the attacking half. When the ball was returned Titas Beaven and James Masters retuned the ball with interest and gained ground.
With fifteen minutes on the clock, a great line out steal from Kieran Stacey, who made a real difference off the bench gave a good attacking platform. Cornish found himself in space and carried twenty meters into the opposition half. But Bradford on Avon stole the ball to clear.
Bradford on Avon began to infringe again,
Frome in the ascendency attacked in waves, but good first up tackles from the home side prevented a try. From the next phase, Newbery with an on rushing blitz defence coming, kicked a perfect grubber for Cassidy to gallop onto to score and complete his hat-trick. Pearn added the extra’s, so that Frome led 0-38.
Bradford showed some spirit and attacked well in close quarters in the final minutes of the half. But, a series of first up tackles from Cornish, Adam Hancock and Beaven denied them a late try.
The final score was Bradford on Avon 0-38 Frome
Players of the Match went to Oscar Stickley and Toby Cassidy.
