Turner try seals ugly win
Aylesford Bulls Tonbridge Juddians
Aylesford Bulls won ugly on Saturday, wearing down a solid Park House side on the road to claim an 18-11 success in London 3 South East.
The hosts were the first off the marks, making the most of the heavy pitch and pinning Bulls in the corner early on.
They pummelled the ball forwards until eventually burrowing their way over out wide.
The try was unconverted but they would soon add three more points through the boot of their hot-stepping 10.
A quick tap and go penalty saw scrum-half Ben Ridout dive over, with the boot of Chester Clough cutting the home side’s lead to just a point.
Park soon hit back with another penalty to make the score 11-7 at half-time.
The second half was, if anything, more cagey. Bulls’ own ill-discipline was soon surpassed by Park’s and Clough kicked two more to push the visitors into the lead for the first time.
The only try of the half came courtesy of Ben Turner after a strong scrum won the ball against the head allowing the number eight to crash over from five metres out.
The score was unconverted and Bulls spent the rest of the match battling wave after wave of attacks from a Park side who were by now down to 13 men. Bulls may have made hard work of it but four minutes of constant defending on their try line will be a big positive going forward for the coaching team.
Fifth-place Bulls welcome seventh-place Vigo to the Jack Williams Ground on Saturday as they seek to avenge a narrow loss to the Villagers when the two last met.
Aylesford 2nd XV beat local rivals Medway 6-0 in an attritional affair at the Jack Williams Ground.
The 3rd XV made it three wins from three for Bulls, toppling Canterbury 25-20 on the road.
Tonbridge Juddians got their National 2 League South promotion hopes back on track withaneasywin.
Judds, beaten 20-5 by Taunton Titans last time out, have a one-point lead over this weekend’s opponents,
Henley, at the top after a 41-14 thrashing of Worthing.
They were given an early scare when the visitors broke through in the centre for what looked like the opening score. However Finlay CoxonSmith, an ex-Worthing player, splendidly chased back and tackled.
Instead, Judds got the first try when Toby May intercepted a pass well inside his own half and set off for the try line, finding wing Hugo Watson alongside to take the ball and go on to score.
Tonbridge stretched their lead with fly-half Will Robinson’s penalty and Robinson was on hand again, this time with the conversion, after the pacy Rob White crossed the whitewash. Worthing showed some resistance with the first try of the second half, the conversion reducing the deficit to eight points, but TJs responded well, and when they turned the ball over at the ruck lock forward Rory McHugh strode away on the counter with Robinson adding the extras.
Watson’s second try, after the ball was recycled out to the left, increased the advantage and Robinson, with some fancy footwork, darted through to score close to the posts and then converted his own try.
Two minutes later, Tom Chapman broke through a tackle and, well supported by Robinson and flanker Mark Davey, took play deep into Worthing’s 22 where the ball was taken on by scrum-half Charlie Edwards for TJs’ sixth try which Robinson converted. The visitors had the final say after a two-on-one overlap was exploited, but Tonbridge now visit Henley with their confidence restored.