Frustrating season ends on a big high

Peterborough RUFC scored six second-half tries as they finished a frustrating Regional Midlands East 2 season on a high.

Borough won their final fixture at bottom club Towcestrians 57-24 after taking full advantage of a gale force wind at their backs after the break.

The result ensured an eighth-placed finish for a side bedevilled by injuries and availability issues. Borough lost 15 of their 22 league games and shipped 100 points in a game for the first time in the club’s history after sending a depleted squad to eventual champions Nuneaton.

Borough will have a different coaching structure next season with long-serving player Sam Crooks replacing Shane Manning who will now concentrate on his director of rugby role at Fengate.

Recruitment for next season has already started.

“There will be some players moving on and we need to recruit well to replace them,” Manning said. “We have some of our Colts stepping up to senior rugby next season which is great, but we will need more.

"We have begun conversations with some players who we believe can come in and make a difference to the first team.

"it was a really good performance to end a very frus

trating season though. The blueprint of how the lads should play is there and when they follow the game plan and stick to our attacking structure we look really good.”

Borough trailed 17-15 at the break in Towcester despite tries from Ryan Morris and Lawrence Teague.

But with the elements in their favour in the secondhalf they ran amok with fly half and captain Aram Jones and scrum-half Alec Barradell claiming two tries

apiece.

Morris also grabbed his second try and wing Tom Downer also crossed, while Byron Van Uden kicked seven of eight conversion attempts and added a penalty.

JUNIORS

Harry Bennett helped himself to a hat-trick of tries and a conversion as PRUFC under 14s celebrated a hardfought 33-29 victory at Market Harborough.

Osker Stocks also touched down twice with three conversions

successfully kicked by Dexter Johnson.

ROUND-UP

Thorney will finish second in Division One North West of the Eastern Counties League if they win one of their final two games.

The villagers romped to a 48-5 win at Mildenhall Red Lodge last weekend with Michael Croucher using great footwork and sheer speed to bag a hat-trick of tries.

Marcus Bradshaw barrelled over for two tries with

Leo Shreeve-Peacock, Aidan Tipton and Damien King also crossing. Owen Davies kicked the rest of the points.

Thorney host struggling Haverhill at the Ron Jacobs Playing Fields on Saturday.

Peterborough Lions went down 16-5 at home to Old Laurentians and are 10th of 12 teams in the Counties One Midlands East Division.

Stamford finished third and Bourne fourth after lastgame wins over Long Buckby (17-15) and Spalding (24-15) respectively.

Ross Chamberlain, who is now retiring, played well for Borough at Towcestrians. Photo David Lowndes.