Hope Valley RUFC

Date: 30 January 2010
Venue: Home
Result: Win
Final Score: Hope Valley 81 – Burnage 0

Tries:
Dean Ancell – 1
Steve Hudson – 2
Gary Allen – 1
Dave Ryder – 2
Adam R – 1
John Eyre – 1
Tom Hodgson – 2
Steve Boundy – 1
Rory Williams – 1
Tommy McGuigan – 1

Conversions:
Dave Warren – 4
Tommy McGuigan – 4

Match Report

The game was moved to Hope Valley College due to a frozen pitch at Hollowford, and Valley started brightly. A good initial attack from Woodhouse, deputising at scrum half for the injured Spencer, threatened the Burnage defence. Another good run from Johnson kept Valley camped in the visitors 22. From a Valley scrum Will Wain drove towards the line, and from the resulting rolling maul Ancell crossed for the first score which was unconverted 5-0. Burnage pressured from the restart, but Woodhouse kicked clear, with the chasing Valley backs winning the ball, and a good run from McGuigan set up Hudson to score, with Warren kicking the conversion 12-0. Valley soaked up Burnage attacks and continued to run at the visitors with attacks from Wain, Ryder and Ancell being stopped by handling errors.Burnage won a penalty but kicked wide, and Valley attacked again with a superb handling move, the ball being passed from McGuigan to Ryder on the wing, and back inside to Martin Spencer, Wain and finally to prop Allen who scored, converted by Warren, to make it 19-0.

Valley were surging at Burnage at every opportunity, with McGuigan and Hudson in the thick of it, and the pressure told with a try to Ryder out wide making it 24-0. Another good move by the backs set up Adam for a try under the posts, and another conversion to Warren 31-0. Further pressure on the Burnage 22 saw the ball pass to Ryder who handed off the attempted tackle to score his second try out wide making it 36-0. Valley continued to play some great attacking rugby but failed to increase the lead more before the half time whistle.

Valley made some changes after the break, with Charmasson, Woodall, Williams and Gladstone taking the field. This didn’t interrupt the flow of the game, and hooker Eyre capitalised to score, with Warren converting to make it 43-0. Valleys pressure was relentless and Boundy hacked the ball through from some way out to gather and score, with McGuigan  this time converting to make the half century 50-0. Valley backs again made inroads into Burnage territory, with Warren and Hudson dominant.  Valley won a scrum in the Burnage 22 and skipper Hodgson at number eight powered over from the back, unconverted,with the score now 55-0.

Continued domination, both in the scrum and the loose, and Williams, on at scrum half, poached the ball from the back of a Burnage scrum on the 22 and managed to evade the defence and score a great solo try which was unconverted 60-0. Valley now brought on Winder and Hutchinson, and Valley continued attacking in waves. Woodhouse ran at the Burnage line and managed to do a forward roll in the process, obviously a move from the training ground. After an excellent performance McGuigan broke through to get his name on the try sheet under the posts and kicking his own conversion. 67-0. Wing Johnson, now playing for the visitors , showed great tenacity in tackling the 6’6 second row Winder, proving the point that if you tackle low you can bring anyone down. Another strong run from Hodgson brought his second try, converted by McGuigan 74-0. Hudson, who had run at Burnage all afternoon, also broke through to score under the posts for his second, converted by McGuigan to finish an exciting game 81-0.

Burnage deserve great credit for competing throughout in an excellent match. Valley remain unbeaten at the top of Division 5 East.

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