FT 31-38 HT 26-17
Attendance – 1,760
Referee – Jack Sargentina
STAR PLAYER – BEN PENFOLD
Bury St Edmund’s came away from Grantchester Road with their first ever win in National One – and the local bragging rights to boot – as they turned a 26-17 half time deficit into a hard-fought victory.
Matt Hema’s break on his return to Cambridge saw Dylan Coetzee over for the opening try – Ben Penfold converted as he enjoyed a peerless return to Ellgia Fields. But Cambridge scored three times without reply before the visitors troubled the scoreboard again, hooker Ben Alexander dotting down before Jake McCay and Ted Warner stretched the lead.
Penfold then converted George Grigg-Pettitt’s touch down and added a penalty before the power of Cambridge’s pack presented Alexander with his second of the afternoon. Luke Bouchier failed to add the extras for the bonus point try.
With the game nicely poised and the wind behind them, James Shanahan’s side redoubled their efforts and it wasn’t until Ethan Thorne’s late score set up a grand finale that Cambridge wrestled anything from the second half.
Ruaraidh Williams, Euan Rees and Tim Martin all broke the Cambridge line -Penfold was peerless off the tee again – and Shanahan’s men reaped the benefits of momentum from last season’s winning run as they stormed to the National Two title.
Craig Newby’s side, still winless as a club in 27 games, have much to do to steady the ship and point it back in the right direction. Five tries and two points in each of their first two games is a start.
Scrum half Ruaridh Dawson summed it up, saying “We have to start focusing on what we’re good at individually and what we can do for the team individually. We can’t just rely on the likes of Billy Walker winning us scrum penalties, Nilewinning us line outs, and us just pulling rabbits out of hats. I think we need to come with a bit of accountability come Tuesday and Thursday, when we go back to training and put our heads where it hurts. It is a long old season.
“Ben Adams was telling me the other day that when we act,ually went up from National One to the Champ, we lost the first five games and we went on to win every other game and get promoted. So it’s a long season. I know it stings now. I know it’s a local derby. But we’ve just we’ve just got to come every Tuesday and Thursday wanting to work, now, and really bring that accountability to get better and grow as a team. We can’t just hide, because we’ve got 20 more games and there’re still so many points out there for us to get back up and running.”
Teams
Cambridge
Gibson, Caven, Milner, Sorrell, Thorne, Bouchier, Dawson; T Petty, Alexander, Walker, McCay, Tonga’uiha, Dacres, Mills, Adams (C)
Bench – Wood, J Petty, Carr, Warner, Ritson
Bury St Edmund’s
Rees, Loose, Hema, Kharbouch, Andrew, Penfold, Coettzee; Robinson, Hicks, Cooper CC), Russell, Sams, Grigg-Pettitt (CC), Riches, Williams
Bench – Beford, Hill, Cilia, Reid, Jones
Scorers
Cambridge
Tries – Alexander 10, 40 McCay 18, Warner 35
Cons – Bouchier 11, 19, 36
Bury St Edmunds
Tries – Coetzee 4, Grigg-Pettitt 32, Rees 57, Williams 61, Andrew 66
Cons – Penfold 5,33,58,62,67
Pens – Penfold 39