RUGBY: Rugby Welsh go top of the table with win at Redditch

Midlands 5 West (South)

Redditch 12 Rugby Welsh 22

Welsh showed true grit and determination to successfully gain another impressive away victory against a well-drilled Redditch outfit.

With the big pitch holding up well considering all the recent rain Welsh were faced with another large pack that, with an experienced scrum half, carried the ball well.

However the Welsh defence was strong and with Redditch down to 14 men following a deserved sinbinning they took the lead with a Glenn Bond penalty.

Roche and Colledge began to make some impression with some powerful forward runs and the experience of Reed and Bond at half back ensured Welsh nullified the opposition attacking threat.

Midway through the half Welsh increased their lead when Jack Taylor squeezed over in the corner following good interlinking play and Bond converted well from the touchline.

Robin Tyerman was outstanding at centre all afternoon, both in attack and defence and with the final play of the half spotted a great line and raced in under the posts for a try again converted by Bond.

To Redditch’s credit they responded well in the second half and Welsh struggled to gain quality possession. Redditch’s large forwards aided by a hard running centre made Welsh defend for long periods but the team responded well.

Matty Richards put in some great hits, particularly form restarts whilst Gavin Daniels and Andy Higham were at the heart of the defence in the back row. Redditch narrowed the gap with two tries, one of which was converted, with five minutes left. However Welsh regrouped and with some great defence forced their opposition to try and attack from deep inside their own half.

They spilled the ball in midfield and a couple of quick passes enabled Jack Taylor to race down the touchline to score a try to seal a satisfying team victory and put Welsh top of a highly competitive league.

Please check website for details of any game this Saturday as scheduled opponents Trinity Guild have withdrawn from the league.