Blues fall short in the downpour
Newbury Blues fell short in Saturday’s downpour to lose 25:16 to visitors Witney.
Neither side had a great time in the sloshy, rain-battered conditions that never let up. There was a fair amount of “oopsy-daisy” in the throwing of both sides. It produced a ho-hum game, with no great “zip” or demonstrable energy (though, doubtless, both teams will have been exhausted). Witney was that fraction more assured and ground out the extra points.
The first points – to the Blues – weren’t long in coming. Two minutes into the first half, Wing Robin Swann put 5 points on the board for the Blues. Witney replied at 8 minutes and edged ahead when Flanker Gareth Jenkin’s try was converted by Fly Half Charlie Dunbar.
Halfway through the first half, the Blues’ Fly Half Dan Thorne sensibly kicked a penalty to restore a slim Blues’ lead. Witney replied in exactly the same way to reassert their modest lead, only for both teams to add another penalty each in the last 10 minutes before half-time. While the Blues came ever so close to scoring a try on 40 minutes, the sides went in 13:11 to Witney.
If nothing too dramatic happened in the first half, arguably even less happened in the second. It was fully 15 minutes before Witney scored a try and another 10 or so before Newbury replied. In the last minute, Witney’s Hooker, Ryan Harris, scored a converted final try to settle the score at 25:16 in Witney’s favour.
The Blues still have stuff to work on – once again, the line-outs lacked accuracy – and their run of losses, after the first four whopper matches against the league leaders and two sides just relegated from the tier above, will feel miserable. But the team was a good opponent in difficult conditions.
The Newbury Blues are away at Old Centralians on 31st October and back home on 14th November to face Keynsham. Come on you Blues!