Powergen Midlands 2 East

Midlands Division 2 East

Paviors RFC 8 Kettering Blues 27

‘Blues win Championship and Promotion!'

Kettering Blues are the Champions of Midlands Division 2 East and will play their rugby next season in the top Midlands Division after this efficient, if not totally convincing win at Paviors. With a fantastic amount of support travelling to Nottingham rather than to Twickenham with the Saints the side were unremarkably very nervous as Paviors have proved a good side on the own patch against the Blues over the past two seasons and like to play a similar game. Nobody wanted the season to go to a ‘winner takes all' game next week against Hinckley, although the Blues were guaranteed at least the play offs, so this was the ‘big game' and everybody in the Kettering camp knew how important it was to get the right result!

Kettering kicked off in beautiful rugby conditions on a good playing surface, but it was their hosts who started the brighter as the Blues contrived to make mistakes everytime they touched the ball as nerves seemed to take hold, and it was no real surprise as Paviors took the lead with a penalty after just two minutes. The Blues although still not firing on all cylinders were starting to put some phases together and after Tim Jones had missed a penalty they took the lead with a typical try, from the drop out Kettering quickly recycled the ball and great work from Tom Bridgeman and Rory Keir allowed Nathan Satala to loop round for the pass and he was over in the corner in typical style.

Paviors are a formidably young side on their own ground and with their vociferous support were not going to let Kettering have it all there own way and after thirty two minutes regained the lead, after some surprisingly poor first time tackling allowed them to get behind the Blues defence for a clear run to the line and they duly made no mistake, This score stung the Blues into action and with half time approaching they created a decisive score, kicking a penalty to the corner they first tried to maul the ball over the line, it dragged in Paviors backs and Darren Etheridge quickly let the ball go to Tom Bridgeman, he spotted the gap and although the cover got to him he was strong enough to get over for the try, Tim Jones converted with a good kick from out wide.

Half Time: Paviors 8 Kettering Blues 12

Kettering's defence came into its own on the restart as their hosts looked to use their lively set of backs, but the Blues looked even more dangerous when they ran the ball and some good powerful pressure from both forwards and backs was rewarded as Paviors could only kill the ball in front of their own posts and Tim Jones kicked the penalty.

The Blues now looked to step it up and finish the game off, but were then not helped as a poor referee allowed a mass punch up to develop and in the aftermath decided to just send off Joey Hamilton when a dozen other were more at fault. Reduced to fourteen men though seemed to have a wake up effect on the side and they were in no trouble in defence and with five minutes to go showed their class with two totally different scores to confirm themselves as worthy champions.

Forward power created the first as the Blues pressure resulted in penalties which were kicked to the corner and from the second a catch and drive was set up and Chris Davis was driven over by the pack, Tim Jones again converting from wide out, and Kettering had one foot in Midlands 1. Then the best was saved till last as deep into injury time and Paviors trying for the final score, Kettering turned over their ball and decided to run out of their own twenty two to run down the clock, first Paul Gibson powered up the left hand touchline taking players with him as he powered into the Paviors half, as he was stopped the ball was quickly released by the backs and Nathan Satala received the ball on the right hand touchline on the Paviors twenty two and in what seemed like slow motion he danced his way past the defenders to score another amazing try to add to his tally for the season.

Within seconds the referee blew for time and it was time for the team and their large band of supporters to start celebrating the championship and to start looking forward to next season. Before that all happens though they have one more duty to perform as they look to revenge their last defeat, way back in November as their victors on that day Hinckley come to Waverley Road on Saturday, themselves looking for the win that will give them the runners up spot, if they lose though Syston could sneak in for the Play Off position. With a big party planned before and after the game next week Waverley Road will be the place to be, and the Blues game against Hinckley will follow the Final of the East Midlands Colts Championship as Kettering Colts entertain Old Northamptonians Colts.

Final Score: Paviors 8 Kettering Blues 27

The Raj Restaurant ‘Man of the Match' – Tom Bridgeman

 

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