Crewe & Nantwich’s winning streak was brought to an abrupt end at League leaders Bridgnorth, when they were beaten by five tries to one.
Bridgnorth, who are on roll in the Shropshire Cup and in Midlands 1 West, looked every bit like potential champions as their well drilled and balanced side overcame a spirited Crewe outfit.
On a soft pitch and in front of a big crowd, the visitors adapted well and scored the first try after the hosts took an earl 3-0 lead through a penalty kick.
From a scrum on the Bridgnorth 10 metre line, No 8 Dan Hull picked up at the base and powered forward, handing off his opposite number.
Scrum-half Charlie Hutchings acted as a decoy which allowed Hull to brush off three more tackles to score a great individual try.
The first half was very even with both teams probing but Crewe’s defensive line was broken on 30 minutes.
An inside ball from their talented fly-half allowed the big centre to power through to score near the posts for a 10-5 half-time lead.
After the break, the hosts mounted pressure in the Crewe 22 and a turning point was a yellow card issued to a Crewe back under the posts for a ruck infringement.
No 8 Hull was moved to centre, leaving Crewe with only seven forwards and the result was a formality with Bridgnorth scoring a pushover try.
This changed the whole momentum and the Bridgnorth pack were boosted as Crewe were unable to achieve the dominance of the first half.
The hosts Bridgnorth went on to score three more tries, two as a result of Crewe errors late in the game.
However, the Vagrants side can take positives including the try from Hull, the performance of young MMU student Toby Russell-Vick on the wing and the spirit when one man down.
Crewe & Nantwich RUFC director of rugby Andy Brown said: “This was a real step up on previous games and Bridgnorth were probably the best team we have played so far this season.
“On another day, the score would have been much closer and it did not really reflect the general run of the game. However, Bridgnorth were worthy winners and we must applaud their progress over the last two seasons.”
Next Saturday (January 30), Crewe welcome Burton at home who are currently one place above in the League, kick off 2.15pm.
Recent Comments