College get the Drift

From the archive, first published Tuesday 25th Oct 2005.

SWINDON College ended their losing run with a dogged 22-14 victory over Drifters in their Berks/Bucks/Oxon Premier encounter.

The result was made even sweeter as President and founder of the club Malcolm Lewis was in attendance after travelling from Dunedin New Zealand to be at the game.

Old Boys were the first to put points on the board as an early penalty gave fly half Greig O'Brien an easy kicking opportunity. Drifters quickly replied with three points from a penalty just two minutes later.

The visitors then scored a well taken try in the corner to put them 8-3 ahead after just 10 minutes.

Drifters were the better team for the majority of the first half pinning the College side in their own half with good attacking play. The Old Boys set play let them down as they failed to win their own ball in the lineout and struggled in the scrum.

They defended well however but at the end of the first half gave away a penalty which the Drifters kicker converted. But this was immediately cancelled out as from the kick off the College forwards rucked and mauled their way upfield until scrum half Tony Norman span the ball out to his back line who duly sliced a gap in the Drifters defence allowing centre Neil White to crash over for his first try of the season.

O'Brien took the extra two points bringing the home side back to within one point at 10-11 at the half time whistle.

Captain John Godsell's usual half time talk raised Old Boys game as three minutes into the second half winger Kevin Mangell was on the end of a well worked attack to place the ball over the line. O'Brien added the conversion from a very acute angle to put the College back in command.

The next 30 minutes of play could have gone either way with both teams attacking and defending with equal vigor and missing a couple of chances.

Old Boys lost No.8 Matt Mckee to a pulled hamstring which resulted in centre Luke Wills being brought into the back row and Mark Williams coming on to his normal position of fly half.

The game kept the crowd enthrawled until the bitter end when Greig O'Brien crashed through the Drifters defence and despite some juggling and two defenders he managed to ground the ball to give the College a two score lead at 22-14 and a well deserved win.

Archive Home