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HEREFORD  5 - 14  NUNEATON OLD EDWARDIANS

Wyeside, Saturday 3 January 2004, 2:30pm

Powergen Midlands 2 West League
 
Hereford lost this game mainly through their lack of ability to make sure that the ball was cleanly won at the breakdown. This has been the team’s main problem all season, where when being stopped by the opposition they have not got the foresight to put the ball on the ground and recycle through the ruck. The turnover ball accounted yet again, for the oppositions try and had Hereford been able to keep hold of the ball in crucial positions they could have scored half a dozen tries.

Hereford started well with Jeremy Grisman showing up confidently in his first outing this season at fly-half. Unfortunately a pulled hamstring late in the game forced him to retire early. Nuneaton relieved the pressure simply by fly half Will Masser either kicking for touch or using the high up and under to put the Hereford backs under pressure.

The Hereford front row of Ben Priday, Dave Thomas and Nathaniel Bishop did exceptionally well against a bigger, more experienced front row. Indeed 19-year-old Bishop will be missed when he goes to New Zealand next week. All three had good games outside the scrum as well.

After taking it to the opposition it was Nuneaton who struck first after 15 minutes when Masser kicked an easy 3 points for offside in the ruck to take the initial lead. Then came a crucial turnover ball after 30 minutes where a Hereford forward tried to take it on too far, the ball was lost and Nuneaton spread it out quickly to left winger Steve Krauth who was missed by 3 tacklers and went over in the corner to put the away side 8-0 up.

Andy Johnson and Matthew Pritchard were always at the thick of it and contested for every ball and every tackle. Richard Preece made a good run early in the second half but did not have a enough support and once again the ball was lost and Masser kicked Nuneaton out of trouble. From the ensuing line out Hereford were deemed to have handled in the ruck and Masser made it 11 –0 after 10 minutes in the second half.

Shortly afterwards the referee sent prop Durdett to the bin for 10 minutes for foul play. No sooner had Durdett returned but scrum half Mitchell was binned for persistently being offside and killing the ball.

When Hereford ran the ball, centre Jimmy Crompton looked dangerous on the attack and deservedly gained the man of the match award. Ben Jenkins made some impressive breaks but he too on occasion struggled to ensure the ball came back on Hereford's side. Sam Walker made ground with a good run and was ably supported by Steve Scott who had come on as a replacement for Richard Preece early in the second half. Scott made an impressive debut and was responsible for ensuring that the ball was secured at the breakdown. Hereford were then penalised at the line out, Masser kicked to the home side's 22 and from the lineout Hereford were penalised again to give Masser another easy kick in front of the posts for a 14-0 lead after 60 minutes.

From the kick off the ball was recycled by Nuneaton but pressure from the Hereford backs forced a handling error and Jimmy Crompton dribbled the ball over 30 yards to touch down in the corner. Colin Osborne missed the difficult conversion.

Hereford then had their best passage of play and for the remaining 20 minutes had Nuneaton pinned back in their 22. A dazzling run from Dave Thomas set the ball up under the posts but once again Nuneaton stopped the ball from coming out and a penalty was awarded. Hereford decided to take a scrum and despite 2 attempted groundings from Bishop and Jenkins the referee decided that both were held up and gave the scrums to Nuneaton. Hereford were unable to capitalize on their position.

Next week Hereford travel to Kenilworth in another league encounter.