Old Albanian happy to make hay while the wind blows with another bonus-point win
Ashley Illston was one of the Old Albanian try-scorers against Old Redcliffians. Picture: DANNY LOO - Credit: DANNY LOO
Old Albanian have now twice come from behind to record bonus-point victories since the turn of the year – the latest a 33-3 success over Old Redcliffians.
The result leaves them 10th in the National Two South table but with 13 games still to go in the campaign, they will enjoy the current windfall they are enjoying.
And wind there was certainly plenty of wind at Woollams on Saturday.
It's not often a match is affected by weather as was this one but the strong southerly breeze that blew all afternoon got stronger as time elapsed.
It turned out Old Reds, who had first use of the elements, took little advantage from it and all the points were scored at the same end.
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An innocuous collision just shy of the middle point of the first half saw Albanian second-row forward Tim Bond suffered a serious leg injury and stretchered from the field.
Shortly after, Reds fly-half Ashley Grove notched a penalty which was the only thing to trouble the scoreboard in the first period.
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However, Albanian had demonstrated decent line-out technique and ominously for the visitors a strong tight scrum.
After the interval matters favoured the hosts from start to finish as Morgan Thompson and Roddy Giles, a tenacious half-back combination, used the gale for constant positional advantage.
Then the scrum took over, breaching the Bristol-based visitors' valiant defence five times.
The back row of OAs ensured that any scrap of possession that escaped the clutches of the outside defence was swiftly turned over and the back-line was solid throughout.
Ethan Benson, Tom Webb, Ashley Illston, Nick Defeo and Harry Samuel bagged themselves tries with Thompson landing the conversions on four of them.
The seaside beckons on Saturday for Old Albanian's first foray to Bournemouth.
