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Plymouth Albion bounced back from their first defeat of the year in stylish fashion, scoring eight tries past Rams RFC. Buoyed by the festive atmosphere of the St. Luke’s Men’s Day Out, the bumper crowd at Brickfields were treated to a clinical display, as Albion secured a dominant 60-26 victory.
1st Half
Despite the dominance the final score suggests, it was the visitors that started the better of the two teams, getting on the scoreboard within the opening 3 minutes. A messy kick-off allowed the Rams to apply early pressure, utilising their forwardswith a series of powerful carries, before number eight Wilko Bicknell crashed over from close range to score the first try of the contest.
It didn’t take long for Albion to get themselves on the board, with back-to-back penalties slotted by Iwan Jenkins in the following ten minutes. Taking three points when on offer initially seemed as though it would be crucial come the end of the game, as both sides struggled to cope with the greasy conditions. Plymouth’s first try soon followed, as Jenkins put up a high ball, which was majestically claimed by full-back Harry Legg. From the ensuing ruck, Jack Oulton’s flat box kick caused further chaos in the Ram’s backline and Albion retained possession. Oulton then whipped a pass to Ben Moa, who was able to slip past two defenders and erase the away sides’ slender lead.
The response from the Berkshire outfit was immediate, as they pinned Albion back in search of a way to reclaim the lead. However, their momentum was repeatedly stifled by handling errors, with the string of costly drops allowing the home side to clear their lines more efficiently and alleviate the pressure. Instead, it was Plymouth who crossed the line next, as Albion’s forward provided a strong platform from a lineout before the ball went wide. A clinical miss pass from Jenkins stretched the defence, allowing the winger to break the line and draw the cover before flicking an inside ball to Noah Fenton to finish off. Jenkins once again split the uprights to extend Plymouth’s lead.
As the contest continued, Albion’s control over the game strengthened significantly. Yet another high ball was pumped into the grey abyss, this time caught by Rams fly-half Mike Cooke. Within a millisecond of securing the package, Cooke’s luck shattered, as he was folded like a deckchair by onrushing Harry Legg. The ref awarded a penalty to Plymouth for an infringement at the breakdown and the ball was sent into the corner. Rams once again managed to prevent the driving maul from crossing the line, but Huw Taylor managed to power his way over from the next phase to claim an all-important bonus point.
Rams finally clawed their way back onto the scoreboard just before the interval. A lapse in Albion’s discipline gifted the visitors a string of opportunities, which they eventually made count. From a midfield scrum, the ball was flicked out to Alex Kalling-Smith, who cut a sharp line infield, ghosting past the Albion cover to register the visitors’ first points since the third minute.
Halftime: 26-14.
It was Plymouth who started stronger after the break, scoring their fifth try of the encounter after four minutes. After a period of sustained pressure, the Rams finally broke, giving away a penalty five metres out which allowed Huw Taylor to push himself over from a quick tap and go for his second try of the match. Jenkins conversion attempt was successful. Another unforced error from the away side allowed Albion to showcase their expansive brand of rugby that has brought them so much success over ther the course of the campaign, as the loose ball was picked up and shipped along the line. Once recycled, Iwan Jenkins found Moa with a long pass, as the big 8 produced a moment of indifference brilliance, pirouetting through the first contact and slipping two more tackles before diving under the posts.
Albion almost had a third try within the opening 10 minutes of the second half, but an intentional knock-on from Rams’ Michael Cooke prevented further scoreboard damage. Cooke was therefore invited to spend 10 minutes contemplating his actions in the bin. Minutes later, man of the match Ben Moa completed his hat-trick, with Albion finally breaching the try line from a lineout drive. This was Moa’s final involvement in the game, as he was given a well-earned rest for his efforts.
Rams found success of their own after a very scrappy period of play. A testing grubber pressure Jenkins into a rushed clearance, after Harry Legg went down with cramp on his way to deal with the bouncing ball. Albion defended the spirited away side well initially, pushing them back outside the 22, until a panicked and speculated looping miss pass eventually opened a gap, before the pack methodically grinded their way towards the line before powering over under the sticks.
Albion bounced back with two more tries before the end of the high scoring game. The first occured after yet another line-out drive that was initially halted by the stubborn Rams. The ball was spread wide in an attempt to stretch the visitors, but the Rams’ defence proved remarkably recalcitrant. After a plethora of near misses, co-captain Jack Oulton broke the deadlock with a sharp pick-and-go to push the home side over 50 points.
Albion’s final score of the afternoon came after another handling error from the visitors. The loose ball was claimed and chipped over the top. The Rams winger decided to maintain a respectful distance from the high ball when attempting to claim it, giving opportunity for an onrushing Albion player to grab it instead. Substitute Gabe Mead was found infield, and he was able to out-pace all nearby defenders and get his name on the scoreboard.
Right at the death, the Rams managed to secure their 4-point bonus try point. After a spell of uninspired and largely unsuccessful forward play, Cooke produced an incredible moment of finesse, as his dainty chip to the corner was snatched by thewinger, who dotted down near the posts for the final act of the game. The conversion was missed, giving Albion a 60-26 win over Rams RFC
Elsewhere in the league:
In a heavyweight clash between 1st and 3rd today, Blackheath defeated Rotherham Titans 22-15. This game leaves Plymouth Albion 1-point off top of the league with four fixtured to go.
Coming up:
Next weekend, Albion travel up to Rotherham in the all-important top of the table clash. The team will then have two weeks off for Easter, before the penultimate home game of the season against Sedgley Park on the 11th of April.
Will Porter
50/50 Numbers 53952 – 52769
