Warriors ACE League team open season with last-gap win

Stourport High School and Sixth Form College, Warriors’ RFU ACE League team. Opened their season with a last-gasp 33-29 victory over Oakland College, their Saracens’ counterparts, at Sixways.

Full-back Billy Emerick (Upton on Severn) scored the winning try – his second of the match – after a long pass from Jack Condliffe (Luctonians).

“With the ACE League being postponed last year it was brilliant to see the lads out there again,” said Stourport coach Ryan Watkins.

“It was a real thrilling game for the neutral, with lots of attacking rugby on show. There’s a lot of potential in this team and I think the lads know already they can make big improvements from here.”

Stourport took the lead early on after Emerick kicked through a loose ball and sprinted in to bounce on it and score with Dan Chambers (Wolverhampton) adding the conversion.

Oaklands came back with a score of their own soon after, going through the phases to score out wide.

Stourport scored again after a flowing move gave Chambers space to offload to wing George Evans (Claverdon) who raced in untouched under the posts with Chambers converting again.

Oaklands pulled to within two points with a breakaway try that was converted but Stourport nudged further ahead just before the break after good pressure from the forwards led to a penalty advantage.

Scrum-half Jamie Heafield (Kings Norton) tapped quickly before passing to number eight Ben Godfrey (Birmingham & Solihull) who ploughed over with Chambers again converting.

Stourport started the second half well, with Condliffe sniping the line and making a break before scoring under the posts and converting his own try.

Oaklands hit back strongly and scored three tries in quick succession to go 29-28 up and set up the tense finale.

But Stourport piled on the pressure in the closing minutes with flanker Ethan Allen (Telford Hornets) making a big carry close to the line which led to a penalty advantage.

Reiss Price (Barkers’ Butts) tapped the penalty quickly and fed Condliffe who produced a brilliant 30 metres pass to find Emerick in space.

Stourport travel to Newcastle on Wednesday September 15 to face Gosforth Academy in their second match in the competition (kick-off 4.00pm).

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