Kettering Rugby Football Club

Powergen Midlands 2 East

‘Blues back on track as they hammer O.N.’s!’

Kettering 52 Old Northamptonians 10

Kettering returned to winning ways after last weeks disappointing defeat at Newark with this demolition of local rivals Old Northamptonians who came to Waverley Road following a winning start to their season last week. It was not just the score line that was impressive, the overall performance in conditions certainly more suited to summer pastimes than rugby was excellent, with all departments of the side working together, and now hopefully the side can move on from here.

Paul Baird aggravated his knee injury at Thursday training so Paul Percival moved from wing to centre and young Stephen Duncan, a Colt last season made his first team debut on the wing with another young colt Cory Rainbow also making his debut from the bench. In really hot conditions Kettering kicked off and although ON’s caught the kick they were soon in trouble as the Blues turned over their ball and set up an attack which after a fine run from Tom Coles ended with prop Joey Barton being in support to dive over for the first score, Tim Jones converted.

On the ten minute mark, Jones missed a penalty kick but from the restart kick by O.N.’s the home side quickly ran the ball back and with some great handling the ball was moved wide to Tom Coles who with a typical jinking run scored in the corner, Jones kicking a superb conversion from the touchline. Kettering were well on top and it was no surprise when they scored again, this time skipper Ryan James takes most of the credit as he was involved twice having picked up at a scrum on half way and passing to his fellow back rows and then getting the ball back again before eventually putting Paul Gibson in under the post for the try to which again Jones added the extra points.

In what was though O.N.’s first real concerted attack after thirty minutes they reduced the deficit as from a lineout they caught and drove and eventually worked their way to the Kettering line for an unconverted try. Kettering went straight back on the attack from the restart and right in front of their own posts the visitors lost a player to the sin bin and Tim Jones kicked the resulting penalty. The pressure now was intense on the O.N.’s defence and again it cracked right on half time after some great handling from forwards and backs Tom Coles scored his second try of the match, Jones again converting.

Half Time: Kettering Blues 31 O.N.’s 5

Kettering started the second half looking for more points and they were rewarded nearly immediately although it did look as though they were to miss out, following a great run from Ryan James another O.N.’s player sin binned, the Blues ran the penalty only seemingly to be denied by a poor decision when a try beckoned, but from the resulting O.N.’s scrum the Blues turned over the ball and James and Gibson combined to put Tom Bridgeman in under the posts for the try giving Jones an easy conversion.

It wa all one way traffic and Kettering scored again as this time the forwards controlled a line out with a perfect catch and drive which the visitors just held, but when the ball was released their defence was in disarray and Tom Bridgeman seized the chance to put Tim Jones in for the try under the posts which he converted himself. O.N.’s though had some consolation straight from the kick off as they took advantage of some Kettering disorganisation as the home side attempted to get their replacements on and in the resulting confusion the visitors were gifted five points that they really didn’t deserve.

But the Blues were not to be denied another score and from their own half a quick tap penalty by Darren Etheridge put Stephen Duncan into space and he found replacement Patrick Brown in support who galloped away to the line, Tim Jones converted to make it seven out of seven conversions and it had been a good day at the office for the Blues and all thoughts of the previous weeks defeat had been eroded from the mind.

Next week the Blues travel to Leicester to take on so far unbeaten Syston Rugby Club who gained promotion to Midlands 2 last season, they have supposedly recruited well over the summer so should prove a good test for Kettering’s aspirations, but if the boys from Waverley Road get their act together both in preparation for the game and in the game itself then they should fear nobody in this league.

Final Score: Kettering 52 O.N.’s 10

Other Scores:

O. N.’s 2nd XV 26 Kettering 2nd XV 40

East Midlands League

Scorers: Tom McGoldrick (3); Nathan Satala (2); Jake ‘the’ Pegg plus 5 conversions from George Chudley.

The seconds get their East Midlands League season off to a winning start, new Fijian recruit Nathan Satala scores twice on his club debut and the clubs new Australian second row Jake Pegg also makes a scoring debut, while young Tom McGoldrick has hit a rich vein of scoring as he makes it five tries from two games in the number nine shirt.

Kettering 3rd XV 15 O.N.’s 3rd XV 12

East Midlands League

Scorers: Simon Bartley (2) plus the boot of Andrew Jackson who kicked 1 conversion and 1 penalty.

Third team make it three in a row as they score the winning try with the last move of a terrific game.

O.N.’s 4th XV 41 Kettering 5th XV 5

Scorer: Lee Holmes

B.B.O.B. Colts 19 Kettering Colts 18

National Colts Cup – 1st round

Kettering Colts had beaten this same opposition quite comfortably in a league game the previous week, but with unavailability’s and numerous team changes B.B.O.B. turned the tables in the Colts National Cup, so the Colts will now play in this seasons National Colts Plate competition, certainly in which they should make some progress.

Scorers: Joe Monahan; George Wissen plus 1 conversion and 2 penalties from Bruce Keir.

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