Late rally Tigers hit back to claim draw thanks to Dan’s debut try
CHELTENHAM hit back from 29-15 down to snatch a 29-29 draw with Winscombe in their opening Regional 2 Severn league game of the season.
The game was switched to Newlands Park because of the ground conditions in Somerset following the dry spell of weather.
After 11 minutes, Craig Holder spotted an interception pass and raised away to score by the posts and added the extras to give Cheltenham a 7-0 lead.
Winscombe came back with a Tom Broom try, Sam Dearsley adding the extras, but Cheltenham took the lead again at 10-7 with a Holder penalty following a close quarter infringement.
Winscombe levelled the scores with a Dearsley penalty following another offence at the coal face.
Naps Koro then scored for Cheltenham, given space out wide and racing in for an unconverted try.
But with half-time approaching, following good support play number 8 Will Thomas crossed for the visitors with Dearsley adding the extras to put them 17-15 up at the break.
The 2nd half was a game of two quarters. A poor Cheltenham clearance kick on 44 minutes gave Winscombe player -coach Owen Howell space, and, after two missed tackles, the winger scored out wide to make it 22-15.
Worse was to follow for Cheltenham when sloppy defence allowed fly-half Dearsley room to score by the posts and with his conversion, Cheltenham were 29-15 down.
However, Cheltenham had not given up hope, and took the game to the visitors.
On 58 minutes a rolling maul from 35 metres out was brought to an abrupt halt 10 metres from the line by second row Stuart Warren who was shown a yellow card as he got to his feet. Worse was to follow for Winscombe, as talisman kicker Dearsley was sinbinned for a technical offence five minutes later, reducing the visitors to 13.
Cheltenham, already having their tails up went to work. After good work from the forwards, Jake Leonard, who had an excellent game, crossed for a try, with Holder adding the extras to cut the gap to 29-22.
With the visitors back to full strength, Cheltenham continued to press and debutant Dan Smith took the ball from a ruck situation seven metres from the line - and there was no stopping him.
The prop forward was not to be denied, hitting the try line with three would-be tacklers hanging off him for a wonderful score.
Holder calmly slotted the conversion to level the scores at 29-29.
The last 10 minutes saw Cheltenham camped in the Winscombe half, but a score wouldn’t come.
The closest they came was when Holder shaved the outside of the clubhouse end posts with a penalty from 30 metres out with three minutes to go, but it finished all square.
Also in Regional 2 Severn, Chosen Hill FP were beaten 31-19 at Thornbury.
Stow-on-the-wold continued where they left off last season as they shut out Swindon 29-0 in the Regional 2 South Central league.
The first try came from Zeb Waite in the 11th minute off a well taken tap penalty by scrum-half Jamie Gibbs and excellent timing on the final pass from Charlie Slatter.
The try was converted by Ollie Clements, and the second try, five minutes later, was scored by Harry Jeavons after sustained pressure and up tempo rugby.
Further tries from Gus Hayward, Waite and Toby Stayt (converted by Clements) followed in the second half.
In Counties 1 Western North, Longlevens ran in nine tries as they overwhelmed Cheltenham North 61-17.
Brad Wilkins, Jake Fox (two), Oli Deacon, Sam Oliver (two), Josh Stratton, Jack Cuthbert and Jed Holman Jones went over, with Wilkins adding eight conversions.
Smiths Rugby started the Counties 2 Gloucestershire North season with a 62 -7 win over Cheltenham Saracens.
Duncan Spurrier led the romp with four tries as James Aherne added two.
Sam Wilson, Pete Reed, Matt Dean and Olly Bennett took their try tally to 10, with James Singer converting four and Tom Wardell two.
Saracens’ points came from a Connor Mcdaid try, converted by James Stanlake.
Aaron Morris, Kurtis Herbert and Si Vono scored Brockworth’s tries in their 24-7 win at Old Cryptians.
Herbert converted all three and added a penalty, with Rob Trigg crossing for Crypts, Dan Tyler converting.
The Ross-on-wye v Cirencester game was called off due to pitch conditions at both clubs and will be rearranged on a league-free weekend in the calendar.
Chosen Hill FP II’S 24-7 win over Fairford in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North was marred by an injury to veteran fly-half Neil Craggs, who suffered a broken leg in a double tackle by the posts.
While he was being treated, the game was moved to the narrower second team pitch, and Fairford’s decision to kick to the corner eventually paid off.
Strong work in the tight from Ants Little, Keelan Little and Greg Jones gave platform for O’leary to feed Harri Cummings who jinked over for the try before also added the conversion.
Just before half time the host scored out wide after winger Joseph Tuitoga attempted to keep a penalty kick in play.
An unlucky bounce saw Chosen score to narrow the gap to 7-5 at half time.
The second half saw the home team put pressure on Fairford from the getgo, and they added three more tries.
Two Tewkesbury youngsters scored on their first-team debuts as they opened with a 34-12 win over Cheltenham Civil Service.
Alex Rolfe and Brendan Llewellyn scored tries alongside one each for James Watkins and Curtis O’keefe, and two for Chris Prinsloo.
Watkins kicked two conversions with Oliver Wilton and Ross Ruck scoring tries for Service, one of which was converted by Rhys Ruck.
There were two walkover wins with Minchinhampton and Widden Old Boys being handed victories over Norton and Bredon Star respectively.