University Of Gloucestershire All-Golds 12
London Skolars 36
Skolars produced their best performance of the season scoring seven tries and more crucially only conceding two tries against the fourth place All-Golds.
Skolars had an early chance to go ahead when Mufaro Mvududu took the ball forward at a restart after a penalty, he broke the defence, but the pass out to Dennis Tuffour went forward.
However, the centre made amends soon afterwards when he took a quick pass from Will Lovell on the right, Lovell doing well to take a high pass from Danny Yates. Skolars squandered possession for the next quarter of an hour, conceding three penalties and allowing the All-Golds to gain territory, Casey Canterbury touching down with Phil Cowburn converting to give the home side the lead.
The All-Golds’ lead lasted three minutes, Lovell’s break setting up Yates. Half-time came two minutes prematurely following a communication problem between the referee and the timekeepers.
Skolars started the second half brightly, with a John Paxton breaking being continued to the line by Mvududu. Three minutes later Skolars went further ahead. Mike Bishay’s kick to the corner was fumbled by the defence and Iliess Macani only needed to put a fingertip onto the ball to score.
Despite some good defence under sustained pressure, the All-Golds narrowed the margin to 8 points after Casey Canterbury was first to a grubber kick into the in-goal area. But three tries in five minutes ensured Skolars’ win.
First Mike Bishay picked up a Craig Cook kick that had ricocheted off a Skolars’ player, racing 65 metres to the line. Skolars’ next set was interrupted by a stoppage for an injury. Olly Purslow caught the opposition napping when the game restarted, slipping past the defence to score.
A short restart kick was palmed back to Iliess Macani who weaved through on his own 30 metre line before racing to the tryline for his second score of the day. With Mike Bishay off the field, Sam Druce added the conversion.
Skolars’ defence held for the remainder of the game for the win, whilst also denting the All-Golds play-off chances.
ALL-GOLDS
1 Phil Cowburn
2 Jarrod Ward
3 Jamie Crowther
17 Sam Te’o
5 Scott Claridge
13 Brendan Smith
7 Casey Canterbury
10 Izaak Duffy
19 Craig Cook
18 Chris Vitalini
11 Daniel Spencer-Tonks
12 Connor Nolan
15 Miles Fairbank
Subs (all used)
9 Steve Parry
6 Mark Barlow
16 Joe McClean
4 Ash Haynes
Tries: Canterbury (31), Cowburn (53)
Goals: Cowburn 2/2
LONDON SKOLARS
1 John Paxton
2 Iliess Macani
11 Anthony Cox
4 Mufaro Mvududu
5 Dennis Tuffour
7 Danny Yates
6 Mike Bishay
20 Tely Pelo
9 Martyn Smith
8 Michael Sykes
10 Lamont Bryan
12 Will Lovell
21 Olly Purslow
Subs (all used)
16 Sam Druce
17 Kazeem Fatouri-Edwards
22 Sam Wellings
13 Louis Robinson
Tries: Mvududu (15,42), Yates (34), Macani (45,73), Bishay (68), Purslow (71)
Goals: Bishay3/6, Druce 1/1
Penalty count: 4-7
Half-time: 6-10
Referee: Sam Ansell
Attendance: 108
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 6-10, 6-16, 6-20, 12-20, 12-24, 12-30, 12-36
