Tabard start 2011 with home defeat

London League 1 North

Tabard 20 Woodford 26

TABARD’S new year got off to the worst possible start on Saturday when, despite some superb rugby in the second half, they never overcame a lax start and ended up the losers to Woodford by 26 points to 20.

It was only three minutes into the game when Woodford opened the scoring with a try which could not have been easier.

The Woodford scrum-half, Lloyd, ran a short penalty close in and went over for the score unmolested to put his side five points up.

Tabard then rallied and a brief period of pressure saw scrum half Chris Van der Vlugt convert a penalty for the Woodford tackler not releasing, to put Tabard back into the game.

The next 20 minutes or so saw Tabard have a really good period in the Woodford half but once again they could not convert pressure, either from the forward drives or the three-quarters attacks, into points.

Van der Vlugt did make a searing break through the cover defence which deserved more than the attack subsequently breaking down.

Then, attacking from their own scrum, Tabard had a pass intercepted and the Woodford centre ran half the length of the pitch to score under the posts giving Lloyd an easy conversion.

Van der Vlugt pulled Tabard back with another penalty, this time for Woodford playing the ball off their feet, before a Woodford attack, just before half time, saw their centre Miller going over for a try, which Lloyd converted, to put the half time score at 19 points to six in Woodford’s favour.

After the restart Tabard were not quite re-organised up front after an injury substitution and Woodford were able to score after some pressure near the Tabard line and their number 8 drove over from close for the try which Lloyd again converted.

Tabard then had their resurgence and showed that they could put considerable pressure on their opponents but again the tries did not come although both centre Henry Mitchell and fullback Keiran Murphy had some penetrative runs, it was forward pressure that finally brought the score. As the forwards drove for the line the maul was pulled down and the referee awarded a penalty try, which Van der Vlugt converted.

Tabard kept the pressure on and were rewarded with another great try. This time stand off Tryfan Edwards made the ground after Tabard got good scrum ball. Just short of the line he unselfishly passed to centre Mike Thomas in support and he was over for the try which Van der Vlugt converted but it was all too late and Woodford went away with the honours by 26 points to 20.

Next week Tabard travel to Chingford for another league fixture Kick off 2.15 pm.

Tabard: Murphy, Davis, Mitchell, Edwards, Roberts, Van der Vlugt, Gough ( Thomas 40m), Lake B. Hart, Lake W. (Collette 40m), O’Connor, Kidd, Calnan (O’Neill 62m), Stingu, Stoba.