Warriors AASE team edged out in tight contest

Stourport High School, Warriors’ AASE team, battled valiantly before going down 19-13 to Bishop Burton College – their Yorkshire Carnegie counterparts – in their AASE League Plate match at Sixways.

Stourport started brightly with some huge defensive efforts, big tackles coming from Jack lewis and Cheick Kone which knocked Bishop Burton back.

The pressure forced Bishop Burton into making a handling error which gave Stourport an attacking scrum on the 22 from which Jack Lewis and Charlie Irish linked up cleverly on the right hand side to give Rio Bryan space. The wing used his pace and footwork to evade the covering tackles and beat the full back coming across to score out wide. Jai Crippin narrowly missing the conversion.

Bishop Burton responded with a flurry of attacks but Stourport held out and managed to work their way back into the Bishop Burton half. But a loose pass was pounced on by a Bishop Burton wing and he put Stourport under pressure, resulting in a penalty.

Bishop Burton kicked to the corner and they crossed for a converted try from a driving maul which proved to be the last score of the first half.

Stourport regained the lead early in the second half with a penalty from Tobi Wilson but from the restart a handling error gave Bishop Burton an attacking scrum from which they went over for a pick-and-go try which went unconverted.

Stourport responded throwing everything at the Bishop Burton defence, only for a wide pass to be intercepted by Bishop Burton who went the length to score a converted try.

The time on the clock was against Stourport, but they finished strongly with Sam Hayler bursting through for an unconverted try with seven minutes to go.

Further pressure went unrewarded for Stourport who will now play City of Oxford College – Wasps’ AASE team – in the play-offs at Shaftesbury Park in Bristol on Tuesday December 3 (kick-off 12.00pm).

 

 

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