Grove pull ahead at top of league

Grove pulled 3 points ahead of the field at the top of Southern Counties (North) yesterday with a great win over league leadership rivals Swindon. Given Grove and Swindon were in 1st and 2nd place respectively and were both undefeated and on maximum points, this was always going to be a tough game and so it proved.
Grove started the match with a big attack but Swindon withstood the pressure winning a penalty which their fly half converted to put them 0 : 3 ahead after just 5 minutes. It was not long before the scores were even however when scrum half Roger Sevier put over a long range penalty kick. Swindon then went ahead again when their half backs executed a sweet manoeuvre which allowed the outside centre to score a super try between the posts. The successful conversion taking the score to 3 : 10. Swindon kept up the pressure playing superb flowing rugby but the Grove defence was solid. It was then Grove who attacked and they were rewarded when full back Chris Clare went over for a try in the corner which with Sevier’s terrific touchline conversion again had the scores level at 10 : 10. The excitement continued when centre Tom Clipsham launched into a solo run feeding Tom Harrington only for the winger to be tackled into touch. Grove then lost the opportunity to go in front for the first time when Sevier missed a relatively straightforward penalty attempt losing his footing as he kicked the ball. Grove’s hooker Steve Dixey was having a great game, hustling and bustling and charging into Swindon at every opportunity. Swindon were then dealt a blow when their talented scrum half was yellow carded for persistent offside. Grove were very unlucky not to go ahead when a lovely move, started with a forwards drive and finished with a great attack from the backs which sent wing Harry Carr over the line, was pulled back for a forward pass. It was the home side who went ahead however when Sevier converted another long range penalty and the score moved to 13 : 10. It didn’t take long for Swindon to go back in front when a missed tackle from Grove allowed the Swindon No. 8 to score between the posts. The successful conversion put Swindon up 13 : 17 and that became the half time score.

At this stage the final result was impossible to predict with both sides having played tremendous rugby both in attack, defence and counter attack but the difference was to become the beautifully accurate long range place kicking of Roger Sevier. Early in the half Steve Dixey had to leave the field with an eye injury to be replaced by Jon North but then Swindon conceded a penalty near the half way line. From this distance, with an angle and against the wind Sevier put the ball right through the middle of the posts to bring the score to 16 : 17 in Swindon’s favour. Swindon piled on the pressure but Sevier then put over another two superb penalty kicks both from virtually the same spot as previously and Grove were back in front 22 : 17. This was followed by a great interception try from Tom Clipsham and with Sevier’s conversion the score moved to 29 : 17. Grove now seemed to be in the driving seat and would have gone further ahead but for Tom Harrington dropping the ball with the line at his mercy following another great run from Chris Clare. Swindon immediately counter attacked and scored a tremendous try through their fly half with a move that started on their own try line. Converted the score moved to 29 : 24. Grove hit back with strong driving from fly half Nick Sevier and prop Richard Keen and play moved back to the Swindon try line where Grove were awarded another penalty which Roger Sevier wasted no time converting to take the score to 32 : 24. Jamie Burns then came on for Grove in the centre with Ben Nicholl moving to the back row to replace Jamie Fredericks and Burns along with Harry Carr immediately sprang an attack on Swindon which ended with Burns scoring a super try between the posts. The conversion taking the score to 39 : 24. At this point Rob Weaving came on for Jon Chapman. Grove were finally denied the opportunity to score a bonus point try when the referee ended the match having awarded a penalty to Grove which he incorrectly didn’t allow them to take.

This had been a tremendous match which fully lived up to expectations and which means Grove are now the only unbeaten team in the division.