Hope Valley RUFC

Result: Hope Valley 17 – Buxton 7

Match Report:

Hope Valley started strongly, despite the delayed start, with Somerton making a strong run at the visitors. Valley pressure force
d the visitors to concede a penalty with captain Grattan kicking strongly for the line. A clean take saw the ball passed out to the backs, who mounted a strong attack. Buxton gained possession but the Hope tacklers stood up to the test.

The game was being played at a frenetic pace, with strong running and defending from both sides. Valley won a scrum, and a clever kick saw their backs up on Buxton, but the tackling was adjudged to be too high. From yet another Hope penalty Steve Rawson stepped inside the tackler and made excellent ground. The pressure was beginning to tell on Buxton, and they conceded more ground for talking back to the referee. Despite their efforts, Valley were unable to break the deadlock at half time. 0-0.After the break Hope kept up the pressure with a strong run from Hein La Grange just being forced into touch. Valley stole the ball at the resulting lineout, and a great passing move through the backs allowed Joe Dickinson to score, with Ben Somerton adding the conversion, 7-0.

Valley’s confidence continued to grow, and they surged at Buxton again, and another strong backs move saw Dickinson getting his second try out wide to make it 12-0. With their heads up the home side continued attacking, this time through Rawson, and Buxton were forced into making the errors. Excellent work from the Hope pack stopped Buxton gaining any ground, and from a Valley scrum Somerton at number eight drove over powerfully to score a try, but alas he couldn’t convert his own effort 17-0.

Valley continued to pressurise right until the end, but the ball fell loose and Buxton scored a breakaway try in the final minutes, giving a final score of 17-7. The game was played in an excellent spirit and was hard fought by both sides.

Feed on comments to this Post