A Positive Game - A Negative Result

This weeks game was a rematch against Birmingham to hopefully get revenge on Birmingham for the narrow loss in the first game of the season. Unfortunately it was not to be.

The game began with WURL choosing to switch ends to have the sun in our eyes for the first half and after 20 minutes Birmingham were 12-0, although not without trouble as yours truly dropped the ball over line and failing to score. However not long after, WURL fought hard to make metres and after an excellent repeat set (a rarity for WURL this season), they found their way over with spectacular play to find Ewan Mills in space out-wide to cross over for WURL's first points of the half. With valiant defending and hard work from the pack throughout the half by the WURL, Birmingham were contained to 12-4 by the end of the first half.

Ends were swapped and the second half kicked off with WURL receiving the ball and although there was some gutsy defence on our part, our own errors with the ball and some missed tackles gave Birmingham the chance to score and the undefeated side capitalised, scoring twice with one conversion to take the score to 22-4. However after some heroic drives up the middle (and a couple of penalties to help) WURL gained some decent field position and managed to cross over again with some beautiful passing play. However, for our second try scorer, Billy Stanhope, it was not enough to score in the corner and he decided to try and get closer to the sticks, by trying to take on 3 Birmingham defenders. The result was nearly disastrous as the 3 held him up until he managed to squirm his way to the ground to score with a conversion from Brad to take the scores to 22-10. Birmingham again threatened the WURL line when your truly got himself sinbinned with a very late tackle, probably an apt punishment. Birmingham crossed over twice more to take the score to 30-10. WURL pulled one back with Aaron Powell crossing over after a gorgeous switch play with Brad to take the final score to 30-14 in Birmingham's favour.

Overall an excellent performance off which WURL can continue to build with both defence and attack improving week by week. Hopefully culminating in some points being put on the league table and avoiding relegation.

WURL XIII

1. Ewan Mills

2. Riki Dizer

3. Alex Harridine

4. Jacob Hewson (C)

5. Billy Stanhope

6. Tom Dessington

7. Brad Sherridan

8. Ben McCormack

9. Ben Macintyre

10. Aaron Powell

11. James Taylor

12. Tim Vos

13. Danial Ariff

14. James McHenry

15. Jamie Sly

16. James Hingston