@rugby__tog On Tour
Bill Beaumont Division 3 - Pool 1
What could be my final rugby match of the 2024/25 season
marked a first visit to Ilkeston Rugby Club, a team in the Midlands North -
Regional 2. Today, they played host to the Notts, Lincs, Derby team against the
Eastern Counties, for a Bill Beaumont Division 3 - Pool 1 fixture. The teams
had previously faced each other during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, with Eastern
Counties losing on both occasions.
The trip was fairly straightforward, and I managed to reduce
the distance by 20 miles, somehow !!! it was, however, it was a bit slow when
the outskirts of Nottingham were reached, but nothing major, but enough to make
me come home a different way, it also turned out to be further !!!
Eastern Counties were forced to make some changes to their
match day squad, bringing in players from St Ives, Oundle, Diss, Stowmarket,
Hadleigh, Beccles, Wymondham, Holt, Witham, Sudbury and Hertford,
Eastern Counties commenced the game with a positional
advantage, playing downhill with the wind in their favour. Initially, both
teams struggled to gain control of the match. However, Eastern Counties managed
to secure the first points by moving the ball across the pitch from a lineout
and driving it over the try line, subsequently adding the conversion, the lead
was soon added to, with 23 minutes on the clock they crossed the try again,
crossing over line in the left hand corner, three minutes later they scored
their third try of the afternoon, going over in the corner again, again they
were unable to add the conversion points as they lead 17-0.
Thirty minutes into the match, the home team registered
their first score by capitalising on an overlap on the right to cross the try
line. The successful conversion further reduced the deficit. Moments later,
they closed the gap even more as the winger, demonstrating exceptional speed,
scored under the posts. With the additional conversion, the scoreboard
displayed a score of 17-14.
Second started like the first with neither side on top, the home
county came close to scoring the first points of the half, but the chance was
missed due to a dropped ball, with 60 minutes on the clock the first try came
for the home county, going over on the left side, with the added conversion
added they lead 28-17, EC once more come back as they go over the line close to
the post, they add the conversion to close the gap to four points, they soon take
the lead with a converted try with 13 minutes left of the game, a game that
EC took the lead with a converted try with 13 minutes left
in the game. The match remained closely contested, with either side still
capable of winning. Following their score, the home team responded immediately
from the restart and regained the lead after evading a tackle to score under
the posts, as the game entered the final 5 minutes, and with the home county
leading by 4 points, however EC were at the wrong end of the pitch, but slowly
they started to gain yards and move up the pitch, finally within touching
distance to break free to score, but the officials flagged as the ball was out
of play, from the line out EC broke free again to score under the posts, with
the conversion added, the game ended with a 38-35 win for EC
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