Droitwich brave the cold

Sunday saw the first State Visit of the season by Mrs Gilderson, luckily we had all washed our wellies (careful how you spell that), had we known we would have strung a ribbon between the posts for her to cut to start the game. With Hamish finally out of the pool and Will Gilderson launching his season closer to the end than the start we suddenly found ourselves with more rockets than Kim Jong-un.

Game 1 - Blues v Droitwich
1. Tracey, 2. JSD, 3. Neal, 4. Lowe, 5. Brett (Captain for BTM), 8. Hopkins, 9. Aris, 10. Everall, 11. Jowett, 12. Wycherley, 13. Gilderson, 14. Cross, 15. Hoare

First Half

Early scrum in Droitwich half, ball secured and out through the hands to Gilderson who lit the blue touch paper straight for the line. Try 1. Gilderson in full Warp-Drive up the left, pass to Bretty for a rather more agricultural trundle into contact and offload to Slippery Wycherley to see it across the line. Try 2. Hamish ripped the ball around our 22 and took off up the RHS looking like a teacher joining in a Primary School PE lesson. Try 3. Hamish to Jamie to Gilderson and over. Try 4.

Second Half
BTM lowering himself back after a shoeing in Cinderford last week, on for Crunchy.

Droitwich out of the blocks early, chunky runner from a penalty, stopped eventually, ball recycled and over, some sloppy defending from Evesham. Droitwich try 1. Gilderson in jetboots again and over. Try 5. Hamish off on another high speed caper from our own half and over. Try 6. Jamie pickup in midfield and over. Try 7.

The game saw BTM doing what BTM does best - tackling and rucking, Max put in a tremendous shift securing and distributing the ball, Ted running bravely up the wing taking contact from a determined defence, Crunchy was everywhere, James held his depth well and covered the back field with sure hands, Tracey continuing to use the oversize rig he inherited from dad, Cake and JSD strong carries into contact and Olly Neal too strong for his opposite number which sent the scrum spinning like 'Beta Pictoris b' (Google it).

Game 2 - Maroons v Droitwich
1. Neal 2. Roberts, 3. Davis, 4. Tinson, 5. O. Smith, 8. Hopkins, 9. Mullen, 10. LeMezak, 11. Bretty (pppfffff), 12. Pearce, 13. Everall, 14. Duberley, 15. Wycherley

Complete change of staff from Droitwich, Evesham change all and borrow a few of our muddy kids from game 1 to make the numbers.

First Half

Early penalty to Evesham 5m out, Olly Neal on a crash ball and over but the try ruled out as he took the ball on the run. Re-run of the penalty via a pivot to Indie to Mullen and over. Try 1. (Oohh look, a welshman scoring a try in England, rarer than a Phil Stone thank you). Not content with the one, Mullen popped up sniping on the RHS and across for a second. Try 2. Jamie put a kick over to the LHS, gathered by Bretty (Evesham's most improbable winger since 1882) and over the fullback for Try 3.

Second Half

Tracey on for Neal, Crunchy on for Brett.

Cake finishes up with the ball around the halfway line and runs the furthest he has ever run in a single week diagonally across to the RH corner. Try 4. The crowd were crediting Serge for a beautifully read intercept in the Droitwich half that saw him score Evesham's 5th, intercept or the Droitwich pass hit him in the hands, either way it was a good finish.

Droitwich decided enough was enough and crossed the Evesham line on a crash ball. Try 1. To round out a solid performance from the Evesham lads, Mullen again over for his hat trick on the day. Who remembers the celebrations in Upton a few years ago when Mullen crossed for his first ever try in 4 years.

Indie had a good shift at hooker, Tom Davis with some now trademark solid carries into contact, George Tinson was putting his ample frame around the place, held up somehow just short which lead to one of the tries, Olly Smith dropped back a row without complaint and added a determination to the defensive line, Matt and Jamie combining well through the hands in the middle, Doobs did not see much of the ball on the RHS but was not shy in stopping them when they did and Wycherley covered the back, mostly, reluctantly and whilst eyeing the attacking line like mum looks at a locked pub.

Welcome back to our chief whistler Ed who had two great games and ran further than his Burns Night whiskey had traveled to find him the night before. Bov's blazer post-match was quite something wasn’t it, the last time I saw that much stripy fabric in one place there was a pole in each corner and a fortune teller sat inside.

Great to see Rhino and Rocky down to support the lads despite injury. Thanks to the coaches, especially Marrick straight off a night shift.

CCR: Mullens, and that was BEFORE there was a hat trick to celebrate.