Bournemouth RFC

Season 2008/2009

Bournemouth Lions sponsored by Wood of Bournemouth, BMW Dealers.

Bournemouth Lions v Cleve

Match sponsored by iimia Wealth Management

The English Clubs Rugby Union Championship – South-West 1

Saturday 27 September 2008, KO 3.00 p.m. at Chapel Gate

Result – Bournemouth v Cleve. Half-time – 3-5.

Attendance – 300 approximately.

Referee – Adam Friend, Devon. Referee’s Assessor – Jim Firth, Hampshire.

Touch Judges – Steve Buffery, Bournemouth. John Tasker, Cleve.

Bournemouth Team – 15: Domenick Davies; 14: Jamie Phillips (Andy Spikings 51); 13: Tim Gray; 12: Martyn Lever; 11: Mike Pope (1T, 2C, 3P); 10: Scott Chislett; 9: Sam Hardcastle (1T) (James Payne 49); 1: Tim Wareham; 2: Dan Cawley; 3: Alan Manning; 4: George Leyland (Matt Kiely 63); 5: Tim Seward; 6: Chris Hughes (c); 7: Iain Crombie; 8: Tomas Ford.

Scorers – Tries: Hardcastle 12; Pope 32. Cons: Pope 12, 32. Pens: Pope 8, 16, 65.

Debuts – Jamie Phillips (full), Martyn Lever (home).

Cleve Team – 15: Gareth May; 14: Dan Ajuwa (1T); 13: Jamie Tomblin; 12: Jonathan Pritchard; 11: Shack Ajuwa (1T); 10: Joe Hall (3C); 9: Nathan Huntley; 1: Dave Vivian; 2: Craig Lilley; 3: Andy O’Donnell; 4: Chris Yates; 5: Ian Thomas; 6: Dan Lear (1T); 7: Guy Mercer; 8: Sam Roach (c). Substitutes: Matt Parfitt, Alan Lowe, Luke Fletcher.

Scorers – Tries: Lear 24, Dan Ajuwa 54, Shack Ajuwa 73. Cons: Hall (24, 54, 73).

Yellow Cards – Yates 27-37m, Parfitt 56-65m.

Scoring Sequence – 8m: Pope pen 3-0; 12m: Hardcastle tey, Pope con 10-0; 16m: Pope pen 13-0; 24m: Cleve goal (Lear (6) try, Hall (10) con) 13-7; 32m: Pope try, Pope con 20-7; 40m: Half-time 20-3; 54m: Cleve goal (D Ajuwa (14) try, Hall con) 20-14; 65m: Pope pen 23-14; 73m: Cleve goal (S Ajuwa (11) try, Hall con) 2-21; 80m: Full-time 23-21.

Yet another perfect sunny day with the gentlest of easterly breezes blowing from end to end. The pitch looked marvellous in the bright September sunshine. Cleve kicked-off from right to left as viewed from the stand.

I was asked before the match ‘Who is going to win this afternoon?’ My answer was a perhaps trite ‘Either Bournemouth or Cleve.’ I had no idea. Despite Cleve having lost both their opening games they always remain a dangerous threat as we know from our own experience having won just one of our four league encounters. And so it proved in the match—the result in doubt until the very end.

A very lively Cleve put Bournemouth under early pressure made worse when they were able to return a couple of penalties that failed to find touch as they showed their attacking intentions by getting the ball wide and into the hands of the dangerous Ajuwa brothers on either wing. Their cause was not helped by conceding a number penalties and referee Adam Friend was obliged to give an early talk to the Cleve captain Roach. Martyn Lever found touch on the Cleve 10-metre line down the right-hand touch and the virtue of being able to control your own ball was immediately demonstrated as Bournemouth moved the ball left forcing Cleve into yet another misdemeanour as they tried to stem the attack. Mike Pope from the 10-metre line hit a low ball that didn’t seem to have anything like the ‘legs’, especially into that noticeable breeze, but crept over the bar to be acknowledged by the two two touch-judges as a score. Thus, rather surprisingly considering the lively Cleve start, Bournemouth found themselves in the lead after eight minutes. Despite Tomas Ford securing the restart, Cleve won the ball back and set up a dangerous attack going right. Bournemouth broke it up and countered themselves when the ball was worked left to put Mike Pope free. The quick youngster stretched his opposite number Shack Ajuwa but he did well to get to him. However the winger had the presence of mind to lob the ball back inside to the supporting Sam Hardcastle who was completely free and was able to run round under the posts for the former to stretch the lead to 10-0 after twelve minutes. With Bournemouth using long range kicks out of hand to push Cleve back, they were further rewarded as Cleve continued to infringe obliging referee Friend to speak once again to captain Sam Roach. This time it was in front of the posts and Pope again obliged and put his side 13-0 up after sixteen minutes. Almost from the restart Bournemouth were penalized when Tim Gray was ‘holding on’ but Joe Hall pulled his attempt across the face of the goal. Cleve remained dangerous and Tim Gray did well to tackle Shack Ajuwa just fifteen metres short of the Bournemouth line on the right. From the resulting scrum, Ford drove off the back and Bournemouth put in a long kick down field. This was returned with interest and when Bournemouth were penalized for ‘coming in at the side’, Cleve took a quick penalty and although the initial drive for the line was rebuffed, they retained possession and crabbed left. Eventually blindside-flanker Dan Lear was driven over near the posts and fly-half Joe Hall duly added the two points to reduce the deficit to just six points after twenty-four minutes. Scott Chislett’s restart failed go 10 metres and Bournemouth were forced to ‘scrum back’. However Cleve knocked the ball on and Bournemouth regained the initiative. Ford again drove off the back of the scrum and Hardcastle was able to drive Cleve back with a long ranging kick left. Cleve managed to clear helped by a mix-up in the Bournemouth defence but as they went left they were agained penalized and lock Chris Yates was shown the yellow card by Friend. Hardcastle found touch down the right but Bournemouth messed up the line-out to give Cleve the scrum. The two sides exchanged kicks eventually leaving Bournemouth with a thrown-in some thirty-five metres out on their right. Hardcastle put in a long kick down the right but as Cleve countered down their right, Bournemouth won the ball back and worked it wide to Pope. He went for the line and was collared just short of the line. When it seemed that Cleve had done enough, the winger wriggled free to stretch for the line to register a try. He then picked himself up and from wide out on the left kicked an excellent goal to cap a fine personal effort. Bournemouth was leading 20-7 after thirty-two minutes. From the restart, Chislett kicked the ball deep into Cleve territory. Then in a remarkable episode, the Cleve full-back knocked the ball on and in his frustration hacked at the ball. It was still in play but he was rescued by one of his fellow players who hacked the ball wide before Bournemouth could recover it and gain any advantage. Bournemouth put in a good drive at the resultant scrum and were awarded a penalty with the referee again talking to the two captains. Bournemouth chose to scrum the penalty but the ball unexpectedly ‘popped out’ from the back of the scrum and Cleve, in turn, were awarded a scrum. They did well to clear to touch despite being under severe pressure and referee Friend brought the first half proceedings to a close.

The chasing Pope did well to charge down the Cleve’s full-back attempt to clear the restart for a Cleve line-out ten metres out on their right. Bournemouth won the line-out and went right but the ball failed to go to hand in mid-field. Bournemouth again drove the Cleve scrum back but were penalized. Cleve attacked down the right and Hardcastle was forced to find touch on the left just outside the 22-metre line. Inside-centre Martyn Lever made a half-break and again the ball was moved right for Pope coming off his own wing to make fifteen or so metres down the right. The supporting Bournemouth pack drove for the line but again referee Friend spoke to Cleve. Bournemouth scrummed but Hardcastle knocked-on when tackled as he made a characteristic dart and was forced to retire with a blow to the eye. Hardcastle was replaced at scrum-half by Pope who, in turn, was replaced on the wing by James Payne. Cleve were able to clear with a long kick to left and Bournemouth were again forced to make changes when right-wing Jamie Phillips suffered a broken toe. This also forced wider changes than a simple replacement. Andy Spikings came on as hooker and Dan Cawley was obliged to demonstrate his undoubted extra football skills by moving out to the right-wing. Cleve from the restart again attacked dangerously but fly-half Scott Chislett broke up the attack with a deft interception and countered. Cleve, however, maintained their hard-won territorial advantage and when Bournemouth were penalized, Hall found touch on the Bournemouth 5-metre line down his left. Cleve drove for the line but were forced wide. As they went left, a neat pass back inside to Dan Ajuwa saw the winger over in a trice. Hall again added the points to peg Bournemouth back again at 20-14 just fourteen minutes into the half. Cleve knocked-on at the restart and despite a good Bournemouth scrum Cleve were able to kick long but an excellent kick by full-back Domenick Davies found touch down the left on the Cleve 22-metre line. Hughes and Crombie went down for attention but both were able to continue. From the line-out, Cleve conceded a scrum and Ford again drove off the back of the scrum but the ball was lost. Bournemouth recovered the ball and Chislett regathered his chip ahead but the vital pass to Lever in space was forward and play was brought back. At this point Matt Kiely came on for the substituted George Leyland resulting in another minor reshuffle as the former went to No-8 and Ford went to join Tim Seward at lock. Bournemouth continued left and won a penalty after a well-controlled drive. Pope, from just inside the 22-metre line and wide out kicked another fine goal. Bournemouth at last, after twenty-five minutes, had registered their first score in this second half but were crucially ‘two scores’ ahead at 23-14! Straight from the restart, front row replacement Matt Parfitt upended Seward while he was in the air and was promptly shown a yellow card. Chislett gratefully banged the ball in to touch on the right. But with a very lively Cleve side offering a constant threat especially through the two Ajuwa brothers and, at times, as a result of some indifferent Bournemouth tackling, they won a line-out down their right. Matt Kiely did very well to cut out another threat when he knocked down the ball-receiver off the back of the line-out and pounced on the loose ball. Cleve were not to be denied as again they attacked brushing aside some less than effective Bournemouth tackling which put left-winger Shack Ajuwa free and he scored wide out on the left. Hall did well to convert from the touch-line to reduce the deficit to just two points with some seven minutes to go. Bournemouth were forced to defend desperately but Pope had another crack at goal when Cleve were penalized wide out on the Bournemouth right. Pope missed a kick for the first time and Cleve ran the ball out from deep. That left some four minutes of some frantic play as Cleve tried to shake off the shackles and Bournemouth were equally determined not to concede their advantage.

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