Rugby union
Valiant Alcester lose to leaders

ALCESTER slipped to a 35-5 defeat in Saturday's rearranged Midlands Four West (South) encounter at leaders Old Wheatleyans, although the scoreline does not do justice to an impressive performance from the visitors.

The original fixture had been abandoned in December when finely poised when the referee was injured midway through the second half and Alcester were keen to prove they could push the Coventry outfit hard once again.

Despite the loss, Alcester coach Keith Beech was encouraged with how his depleted side played and cited the two performances in the games against the leaders as being the best so far during his short tenure in the role.

It was unfortunate for Alcester that their already injury-ravaged squad suffered further when winger Nick Grazier broke his wrist in the opening ten minutes, whilst skipper Stu Fletcher was also out having suffered broken ribs the previous weekend.

The match was played in very blustery conditions and the home side had all the advantages in the first half as they used the conditions to the full and scored within the first five minutes when their backs moved the ball quickly and their winger sprinted in to score.

It was in the next period of play that Grazier suffered his injury and he went off to hospital where the broken wrist was confirmed. He was replaced by Jack Sears.

The hosts ran in a total of four tries in the first half and their impressive kicker was successful with two conversions and a penalty to give his side an unassailable half time lead.

Alcester were not helped when full back Jack Green was sin-binned for holding on to the ball on the ground, which had followed a period where the visitors were persistently penalised throughout the first half for this and Green was the unlucky player to be singled out for the binning.

The second half was much better for Alcester as their impressive pack put pressure on the home side throughout and, playing a much tighter game plan, Alcester used the ruck and maul game really effectively.

Their try came in the first ten minutes of the half when stand-in skipper and prop Jack Horton stormed over for his fourth try of the season and his second against these opponents.

Clever kicking from fly half Tom Burgess kept the home side deep in their own territory for much of the half whilst the power of Brett Allard in the centre and guile of scrum half Robbie Parker threatened to breach the home defence.

The game briefly, and frustratingly for Alcester, reverted to passive scrums when the home side's prop was sin-binned for dangerous use of the boot.

The Old Wheats' defence was outstanding and managed to repel the best that Alcester could throw at them and in the final minutes the home side broke away from deep and ran in to score against the run of play for the last try of the game.

Pat Lamb, who moved to No 8 for part of the match to replace Fletcher, was named man of the match.

Eighth placed Alcester continue their quest for important points at the lower end of the table tomorrow when they visit Birmingham Civil Service, hoping to repeat the victory they managed over the same opponents in October.

Alcester 2nds 0 Barkers Butts Tanners 20

Warwickshire 2nd XV League Division Four

ALCESTER were outmuscled at a windy Kings Coughton against a bigger and wilier visiting side who scored two tries in each half.

Down the slope in the first half Barkers Butts crossed twice in the opening half hour without ever having their line seriously threatened by the hosts.

In the second half Alcester lost hooker Russ Morey to injury which saw the match revert to uncontested scrums, although this made little difference to the flow of the game and, despite a brave defensive effort by the home side, Tanners scored two further tries to complete the league double for the season over Alcester.

Alcester were pleased to welcome back Andy Smith for this game, making his first appearance for two years. Alongside him teenager George Green, in his first season of senior rugby, was central to the defensive effort.