Tor XV Match Reports

Ivel II 15 - 56 Tor II, Sat 21st Jan 2012.

Dry, fast but very windy conditions met TOR united as they arrived at Ivel for this keenly anticipated league fixture. Also the same referee from the previous 2 weeks in the shape of Andrew NIXON. Tor lost the toss and played with the wind in their faces. This called for some well chosen and accurate kicking to touch by fly half Matt Coley.

Sadly TOR were finding touch quite easily but then for the resulting lineout, although Jamie Payne and Will Mc Gilvery were competing well, they were failing to compete effectively. This starved the TOR back line of much ball to work with for the first 20 minutes. Ivel had quite a few old heads in their forwards and along with some good tactical kicking and silly infringements meant TOR were living off of scraps. Tor were spilling high ball under the impending assault from rampaging forwards. Some fairly non committed tackling was also adding to their woes. Within 10 minutes the Ivel backs had scored under the posts after breaking TOR's line then a lack of concentration in a lineout 5m out saw the forwards also score an unconverted Try.

TOR were now 15 points down and looking in line for a real afternoon of despair. Wisely Skipper Kris Ackroyd changed the tactics and decided to play the game with ball in hand. The forwards needed this incentive to put their efforts into ball retention. Flanker Tony Lock, Prop Dumiso Ncube, Payne and Mc Gilvery and No 8 Liam Weeks were key in driving the forwards on probing runs. The resultant drives sucked in the ivel backs and when TOR released their backs they were punching holes in a disorganised Ivel Back line. Matt Harkin on the right wing, Jordan Hunt and James Allin at Centre finding room to run and well timed passes were releasing men into space. The second quarter started going TOR's way with Coley and Hunt both scoring under the posts. Coley kicked both which put TOR a point behind at half time. Ackroyd then made some changes, bringing on speedster Dan Lawford anticipating an easier time with the wind behind their backs.

Tor started well but were soon met by an Ivel side adopting the TOR tactics in the first half. TOR resorted to kicking ball away and using the wind to making plenty of ground but still could not secure the resultant lineout. IVEL forwards then decided not to let the opposition have the ball and launched their own attacks which, some hard tackling did well to repel. A bit of indiscipline crept into both sides but TOR benefitted from quick Taps and good support to score 2 further tries, by Prop Tom Brookin-stamp and centre Allin. Coley kicked both. Further changes saw Aaron Nichols come on in the centre and a Carthorse Malcolm Dykes returning after a long injury at Lock. The last 20 minutes saw TOR return to running rugby and the flood gates opening, with some devastating running from Weeks and Brooking-Stamp particularly. Hunt scored 1 more and ALLIN scored a further 3 tries. Most impressive of all was Coley kicking every conversion on an afternoon when the washing lines needed double pegging. An impressive win for TOR with a mostly young side. Some of these boys must be threatening the first team for their positions. A friendly next week away to Cheddar.