Army 29 Albion 14

With the fixture moved from Brickfields to Aldershot due to water on the pitch the weather was not good to the sides. With the rain hammering down as it had been all day and the wind on Albion's backs it was never going to be an easy match. Albion were lacking in their support and arrived late for kick off so they had to settle down quickly to be ready for the slightly delayed start.

Whilst this was billed as an full Albion side they only 50 starts between them this season. With flanker, Isoa Damudamu, from Newbury from Saturdays match so he would have been aware of the Albion way.

The Army started well and scored a try in the first 3 minutes catching Albion still in the blocks.  They broke through in the centre to score a converted try. 7-0. A second try came when Albion committed numbers in the centre before the ball was played out wide to score in the corner. 14-0

Albion got into the game working their way up field to form a 10 man driving maul with Jake Childs at the bottom with his hands on the ball. Jake has scored 9 tries for Warriors, equal top try scorer with James Owen, this season. David Delaney was handed the kicking duties out wide on the right which he kicked. 14-7

The Army had another converted try into the wind before the turn around to bring the scores to 21 - 7.

The Army started the second half as they had the first with an early try but this time unconverted. 26  - 7. A harsh decision for offside at a maul gave them a kickable chance at goal which they took. 29 - 7

Albion pulled some teamwork together and made their way up to the Army 22 before kicking for the corner and a driving maul was formed.  Not for the first time in the match it was pulled down short of the line. This time the referee ran to the posts to award a penalty try. David Delaney had no problems in adding the extras. 29 -14

Albion had pulled back the deficit to 15 points but it was too little too late and although they played well for the last 25 minutes they were not allowed to get close enough to the Army line to add any more points.

With Mike Hayes coming off half way through the first half with a knock to the knee Chairman of Rugby Graham took up his position on the front row.

Important news Albion from the match is that the team came away virtually injury free and both Tom Arscott and Wihan Neethling survived a full 80 minutes.

Team: Wihan Neethling, Tom Arscott, Arran Cruickshanks, Ross Allen, Sila Va'Enuku, David Delaney, Matt Newman, Mike Hayes, James Owen, James Tichias, Frazer Clilverd, Bryn Jenkins, Brett Stroud, Ben Rowntree (c), Jake Childs Replacements: Graham Dawe(used), Harry Spencer(used), Rob Boles, Darren Ritchie, Will Gingwell, Gareth Evans(used)

Scorers :- Tries Jake Childs Penalty Try Conversions 2x David Delaney

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