Dover 1st XV (41) Brighton (0)
Played on 14th October 2006
Dover produced an outstanding display in their league clash with Brighton.
The opening 15 minutes saw Dover in a rear guard action as Brighton
took the game to the Sharks. Countless penalties and a number of nervous
errors made work difficult, however the defence was solid and remained
so throughout the encounter. Dover took the lead after 17 minutes when
Martyn Beaumont slotted a penalty from 27 metres. From this point on
Dover dominated the passage of play with at times some breathtaking
running rugby. Brighton had their number 4 sent off after 27 minutes
for a deliberate stamp to Matt Emmerson’s head, which cost them
dearly. Dover increased their lead when Kirk Savage broke from a ruck,
popped to Beaumont who sprinted through the defence to touch down.
A conversion followed and Dover lead by 10 points at the interval.
The second half saw Dover exerting their influence from the start and
after only 3 minutes the quick thinking Ben Murray took a tap penalty
and passed to prop ‘Staggers’ Stanley, who wiped out 3
defenders as he crashed over after a run of 20 metres. The hefty pack
of the visitors did their utmost to redress the situation but had little
effect against their younger opponents. Young prop Shane Moore had
another satisfying day and locks Dale Tonks and Chris Lacey were steadfast.
There were some surging runs from the threes with some superb lines
and angles being created. Beaumont scored his second when he chased
and outrun a defender following an up and under from Murray. Further
pressure was applied and the next score was from a steal in a maul
by Wayne Matcham in the centre of the field. The ball was fed wide,
Jamie Townley made the break and Matt Emmerson was on hand to collect
and finish beautifully under the posts. Brighton were powerless at
this time and further points were added when Beaumont broke blind and
passed to the flying winger, Ricky Mackintosh to run the distance and
score.
Credit must go to Brighton for the spirit they showed. They ran everything
at Dover and tried their utmost to score, however the tackling was
nothing short of superb and Adam Wallace in particular put in two thunderous
hits. The work rate was excellent and the Sharks ensured that a clean
sheet would be kept. The last score of the day started from a scrum,
turned over by Dover. Savage broke and ran some 30 metres and Murray
was on hand in support to score and finish the day. Beaumont kicked
3 conversions in the second half.
Coach Graham Tonks commented, ‘There was some excellent rugby
seen here today. The pack were again dominant, the backs electric and
the defence was simply awesome. However we are still giving too much
away and our discipline, although improving, must be worked on even
further if we are to carry on the momentum against the better clubs’.
Team; Stanley, Savage, Moore, Lacey, Tonks D, Matcham, Emmerson, Collins, Murray, Beaumont, Tonks L, Townley, Mackintosh, Tolman, Close, Hewer, May, Wallace.
Report by: Richard Collins.
Posted 15/10/2006
