Final whistle comes just too soon for Bears

WARWICKSHIRE produced a rousing second-half fightback, only to fall just short in their second match in this year’s Bill Beaumont County Championship.

The Bears had trailed reigning champions Oxfordshire 31-10 at the Butts Park Arena before storming back with three secondhalf tries before running out of time to go down 36-32.

It means the Division Three Pool One title will be decided when Oxfordshire entertain Notts Lincs & Derby on Saturday, with a home win leaving them first.

Bears manager Carl Adams saluted the way a raft of half-time replacements turned the contest, with Old Laurentians scrum-half Nick Potgieter providing some wily control and Earlsdon hooker Jack Serjeant and Nuneaton second-rower Tom Aherne firing up the engine room.

“Oxfordshire were strong in the first half and Warwickshire were strong in the second half,” said Adams.

“The set-piece battle was won by Warwickshire, definitely in the second half, but in terms of running rugby, Oxfordshire were in control for much of the first half and the first ten minutes of the second half.

“We made some changes at half-time and they had a big impact and we managed to get three tries. Oxfordshire were on the ropes but we just didn’t have enough time to get that winning score.”

Adams hopes the exploits of the squad in the annual end-of-season tournament will be carried into the next campaign.

“If we can keep a positive relationship with the clubs in the county and keep them involved, then it’s only going to get stronger,” he added.

Meanwhile, Warwickshire Women made it two wins from two after they recorded a 24-19 victory against East Midlands in the first of the double-header matches at the Butts.

The Bears girls now tackle Eastern Counties tomorrow afternoon, again at the Butts (2pm), in a title decider in the Gill Burns Women’s County Championship Division Two. Both teams have nine points but Eastern Counties have a considerably better points difference.

Coventry Welsh pair Thea Hayden and Jorja Jones and Old Leamingtonians forward Scarlett Robertson were the the star players in last weekend’s hardfought success.