London Skolars 38 West Wales Raiders 36
Skolars returned to action after almost fourteen months without a game with a narrow win against fellow League 1 side West Wales in the first of two pre-season friendlies.
With such a long lay-off, Skolars’ coach Jermaine Coleman gave most of his squad a run-out with 27 different players being used, including three players on loan from Broncos.
New signing hooker Tom Firth opened the scoring in the second minute, slipping out of a couple of tackles before touching down. After Raiders Joe Burke had been shown a yellow card for a cannonball tackle, he added a second try, the defence falling for a dummy a foot from the line, with Omari Caro adding his second conversion.
They should have increased their lead had Mike Greenhalgh not obstructed his twin Judd. Raiders were without new signing Gavin Henson, but their other high profile newcomer former England scrum-half Rangi Chase helped get his side into a good position with a
quick tap penalty, before Dai Evans took a high kick from Fraser Stroud before passing to Stroud to touchdown on the right.
Evans then helped narrow the deficit to two points when he opened a gap on the right for Emosi Nadaubale to cross the line out wide, the winger managing to get the ball down under the sticks for an easy conversion for Will Ramsey.
Another Skolars’ debutante scored their third try when Jonah Varela took advantage of an error from a kick was pounced on by an . went further ahead after a long pass from Chase found Leighton Ball who raced 75 metres to touchdown. Lamont Bryan’s try from close range saw Skolars go in 28-10 up at the break, with Neil Thorman having taken over the kicking duties.
The visitors scored early in the second half with Evans capitalising on a Skolars’ mistake from a Ramsey bomb. Mike Greenhalgh scored from dummy half for the home side before a quick passing move saw Evans go over for his second try.
After Iliess Macani had lost possession from a high kick, Ieuan Badham put his side six points behind with thirteen minutes to go. Macani made amends, trading passes with Kam Pearce-Paul for his side’s seventh try.
Chase’s good short pass to the left saw Charley Bodman go over on the right, but Ramsey’s kick was wide, leaving Raiders eight points adrift. A Chase grubber saw Evans go over in the last minute but with time already up, the conversion could only reduce the defeat to two points.
LONDON SKOLARS
1 Omari Caro
2 Alfie Edwards
3 Kam Pearce-Paul
4 Charles Hammond
5 Jerome Yates
6 Iliess Macani
7 Jacob Thomas
8 Judd Greenhalgh
9 Tom Firth
10 Eddie Mbaraga
11 Adam Vranos
12 Michael Greenhalgh
13 Christian Gale
Subs (all used)
14 Malikhi Lloyd-Jones
15 Neil Thorman
16 Leighton Ball
17 Errol Carter
18 Jonah Varela
19 Abevia McDonald
20 Phil Lyon
21 Rian Horsman
22 Josh Dalton
23 Ryan Cane
24 Lamont Bryan
25 Marcus Hockey
26 Rob Oakley
27 James Tyas
Tries: Firth (1,15), Varela (32), Ball (34), Bryan (38), M Geeenhalgh (47), Macani (72)
Goals: Caro 2/4 Thorman 3/3
RAIDERS
31 William Ramsey
22 Michael Holden
20 Ryan Shallish
4 Marcus Webb
5 David Evans
23 Fraser Stroud
7 Rangi Chase
16 Sam Herron
15 Ashley Bateman
8 Tom Morgan
18 Charley Bodman
25 Jamie Laing
12 Joe Burke
Subs (all used)
1 Phil Cowburn
30 Callum Milkeen
2 Urala Naulusala
3 Emosi Nadaubale
34 Ewan Badham
32 Ieuan Badham
14 Scott Gibson
10 Harry Boots
28 Eparama Boginisolo
21 Sam Martin
19 Alan Pope
Tries: Stroud (21), Nadaubale (26), Evans (48,63,80), I Badham (67)
Goals: Ramsey 3/6, Chase 1/1
Sin-bin: Joe Burke – cannonball tackle (12)
Penalty count: 4-5
Half-time: 28-10
Referee: Tom Crashley
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-4, 12-10, 16-10, 22-10, 28-10; 28-16-24, 32-16, 32-20, 32-26, 38-26, 38-30, 38-36
