Not All Beer & Skittles at Burton

Burton survived a late Sandbach comeback in a scrappy end of season encounter, dominated by the referee Ryan Owens whistle. With both teams safe for another year of Regional Premier rugby, it was a rather dull, poor-quality error strewn game. Neither side seemed capable of stringing too many phases of play together, with the breakdown regularly resulting in an infringement of some description, but at least Burton had the excuse that they played most of the game with fourteen men. Sandbach did have a couple of chances at the death to steal the win, that they probably did not deserve, but imprecision and a couple of big referee decisions meant that it was not to be.
Sandbach kicked off with the breeze in their favour and had a couple of penalty chances early on to take the lead. The second one resulting in the home team’s big South African second row Khethani taking an early bath, for a neck roll tackle on Sandbach’s skipper for the day Ross Sutherland. Unfortunately, both Benny Elliot’s efforts drifted wide. The Brewers then made the visitors pay when they exposed some weak tackling to open the scoring after twenty minutes, as flanker Sturgess went under the posts. A regulation conversion from winger Simpson adding the extras. Sandbach replied soon after as Gareth Caen was driven over from a lineout and Elliot this time made no mistake to level the scores.
Sandbach were certainly not firing and conceding penalties particularly in the rucks and this resulted in them conceding territory. Burton eventually took advantage of this field position and again some indifferent defence, as centre Kent went over, with Simpson once more converting. The stop / start game continued, with little flowing rugby and though Sandbach were let off as Simpson missed a kickable penalty, it was the home team that held sway at the break 14 to 7.
The start of the second continued much as the first with Sandbach unable to develop any momentum, with Burton scoring their third try after a comedy of errors from Sandbach gifted them a score, with winger Oxley gratefully accepting the present. At this stage flanker Sutherland was replaced by Josh Longson and at least this resulted in some much-needed urgency from the Bradwall Road boys. Burton however extended their lead with a Simpson penalty before Sandbach hit back midway through the half. It was Longson who was the scorer as he peeled off a driving lineout and managed to rumble his way over. Benny Elliot adding the conversion.
Winger Joe Jepps was also now on the park for centre Georg Niehaus who picked up a knock, and it looked like he was going through to score. Regrettably, a pass went loose, and a fly hack half the length of the field resulted in another penalty to Burton, as Sandbach were penalised for holding on. Simpson again making no mistake. Burton understandably were beginning to tire and with fifteen to go Sandbach scored their third from a neat lineout move as Jack Seddon crashed over. Benny Elliot’s conversion reducing the deficit to just four points. It wasn’t to be as frustratingly they came up short. A couple of penalties at the end being kicked to the corner, but when the drive went down no penalty was forthcoming and a subsequent soft free kick for early engagement at the scrum also further angered the visiting support. Sandbach did have one final chance at the death, with another 5m lineout, but critically lost their only set piece of the match and with it the game.
Fortunately, Sandbach do have one more game next week, away to Sheffield to at least make sure they finish the season with a bit of a flourish and that the don’t end the campaign on this disappointing performance. Not all gloom though as elsewhere within the club, both the Saxons and Stormers made sure of promotion from their respective Halbro North West Leagues. The Sandbach second string securing their runners up spot with an emphatic 100 to 7 victory over their Division 1 visitors Kirby Lonsdale. Meanwhile the Stormers beat Newcastle 2’s to knock them off top spot and take the title, with a hard fought 5 to 20 victory at Lilleshall Road.