Rugby Union
Bromsgrove continue improved run of form

Buy photos » Steve Blackburn makes a break at Finstall Park. Picture by Peter Jepson.

Bromsgrove 25 Dudley Kingswinford 3

National Two North

BROMSGROVE picked up an important victory over old rivals Dudley on Saturday which should instill further confidence into a side who are just beginning to show their potential.

It has been a difficult year for Bromsgrove so far but two wins and a draw in their last three matches has got them moving in the right direction and they will hope to carry that on when travelling to bottom of the table Huddersfield on their next outing on December 8.

Conditions were extremely difficult at Finstall Park and not conducive to running rugby but Town ignored that to launch a flowing attack that ended with new signing Jack Wardle crossing the whitewash.

Bar Bartlett missed the conversion on a day that was to prove difficult for kickers with only one successful effort going through the posts all day, that of Dudley stand off Gareth Brown on the stroke of half time.

That was also the only other score of the first half as both sides struggled not to make handling errors, perhaps inevitably in the slippery conditions.

It soon became apparent in the second half that Bromsgrove were determined not to see the ball go much further than replacement scrum half Dave Brazier and it was going to be up to the forwards to keep driving the opposition back.

They followed their plan to great effect and when Dudley did get their hands on the ball, they were soon stopped by some hefty tackles.

The visitors held out until the 57th minute when Dave Hughes was driven over for the score. If a reminder as to how effective nine man rugby can be in these conditions was needed, that score did it and for the next ten minutes Town were ruthless with man of the match Chris MacGregor scoring an extraordinary hat-trick, all from driving mauls, which put the game beyond the visitors.

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