Heroic pack carry Park to hard-fought victory

10:56am Monday 31st March 2008

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Bridgwater & Albion 7 Rosslyn Park 18

A heroic, disciplined performance by the Park pack - particularly in the second half - secured a valuable win in Somerset on Saturday.

A very strong wind, approaching gale force, blew rain horizontally straight down the pitch, Park starting with it at their backs.

They pitched straight into Bridgwater, immediately gaining an attacking scrum.

At the set piece, the pack showed a clear dominance over their West Country opponents but were penalised.

However, a penalty in their own 22 was scarcely an advantage to Bridgey, who were forced to run the ball.

Rapidly running out of passing options, and out-gunned in the maul, an attempted clearance kick brought a goalkeeping 'save' from centre Tony Paul, who loped in under the posts with less than three minutes on the clock. Richard Mahony's conversion made it 7-0.

The visiting pack were soon back at the opposition, and an impressive strength-sapping rolling maul of some 30m put them back in the 22.

Jon Underwood and Nick Harlock had good runs at the defence before another drive brought an attacking scrum.

Bridgwater were overwhelmed, conceding a penalty as the cheapest option, and up stepped Mahony to make it 10-0.

The first real home attack was not until the 18th minute, but they were soon closed down and penalised for not releasing.

Back came Park but committed and well-organised defending kept them out until the 27th minute, when another penalty saw Mahony kick the visitors to 13-0.

Bridgwater tried desperately to put something on the board before half-time but were generally well contained.

However, a Park clearance kick from the 22, aimed at the touchline just beyond halfway, was picked up by the wind, straightened, and deposited beyond the dead ball line for a scrum back to Bridgwater by the Park 22!

If Bridgwater were struggling to pose problems for Park, then the refereeing caused them plenty!

Having tolerated the home back row playing fast and loose with the binding laws and offside at the scrum all afternoon, two minutes before half-time the ref yellow-carded a bewildered, Dan Frazier, reducing Park to 14 men.

Roy Turner was withdrawn and Dewald Blom brought into the front row for safety.

Just as it seemed Park had weathered several minutes of injury time, the official then carded Michael Poppmeier for not rolling away, even though the ball had already gone.

Thus Park were forced to start the second half playing into the teeth of a gale and with 13 men. They were magnificent.

Bridgwater kicked off long, forcing Park to drop out.

The forwards got the ball and recycled it through phase after phase of strength sapping mauling.

Eventually they were penalised, but not before Frazier was able to return to the fray. Bridgwater missed the penalty, and 14-man Park, still without Poppmeier, drove back at them.

They took the attack to Bridgwater, were ludicrously penalised 25m out, but won the ball back again and, with Poppmeier now back in the fray, drove over the line.

That effort was disallowed as held up, but advantage was being played for a Park penalty.

This was kicked to touch, Poppmeier caught the throw and Underwood was driven over for 18-0.

Such was the wind that Mahony was unable to reach the posts with his otherwise accurate kick.

Bridgwater went hell for leather to try to get something back and tempers began to get a bit frayed as Park defended superbly.

The ref called the skippers together but, in truth, he had now lost control and had either side been particularly dirty, things could have got dangerous indeed.

Park lost Michael Poppmeier when a stray boot made contact near his eye but never lost concentration.

Bridgwater got a fortuitous - but probably deserved - consolation try in injury time when the ball appeared to squirt out of a melee into the Park in goal and the home flanker gratefully dived on it, the conversion making it 18-7, but despite fully eight minutes being added on, Park were home and dry.

Park: R Watkins; Turner (Blom, safety), Swords, Paul, Harlock (M Jackson); Mahony; Browne; Huggett, Ritchie, Frazier (Blom); Poppmeier (Charlton), Forster; Gates, Underwood (Rodman), Count.Park scorers: Paul (T), Underwood (T), Mahony (2P, C).