Old Elizabethans v Stroud RFC
6th December 2025

Following the heavy defeat last week Es were looking to bounce back quickly in this mid table clash with Stroud RFC.

1st XV SQUAD:: Callum McCarthy, Jack Houlder, Connor McGrath, Ben Charlton, Tom Bendall, Matt Bailey, Herbie Gale, Jakob Harding, Sam Hygate, Monty Nash, Ollie Brown, Alex Potts, Sam Brewer, Pat Dore, Arthur Mills, Fergus Blyth, James Brooke, Ollie Lunt

MATCH REPORT:
Fortress Hallen welcomed Stroud RFC on what was a blustery but dry & coldish day with the wind blowing end to end towards the clubhouse. Es kicked off facing the clubhouse and early scrums were secure before Stroud were penalised and Es popped the ball into touch for a 10m lineout which was successfully taken and the immediate forwards drive was joined by a number of the backs to the point where Ben Charlton went over the whitewash for a good opening try then well converted by Sam Hygate (7-0).

Es continued to look good with good possession and good tackling with a great Pottsy steal to set up a good 3/4’s move which should have ended up with Es doubling the score but Pottsy this time was adjudged to have not grounded the ball, maybe a dubious decision but nonetheless a decision by the Ref which stood. Moments later a good move by Stroud from deep in their own half and then Es switched off at a penalty and Stroud took it quickly stealing in for a converted try levelling the score at (7-7).

Undeterred Es got stuck in again and a good ball steal by Herbie Gale gave Es the chance to plant the ball into the Stroud 22 for a 20m lineout which they lost but a Stroud three quarters move saw them pass the ball into touch to give Es a 12m lineout, a loose ball being well scooped up by Conner McGrath for Jakob Harding to then bundle his way over the line for a try converted by Sam Hygate (14-7).

Matt Bailey was commanding the restarts with two good successive catches which gave Es a good base to counterattack. Another well rehearsed move by Es and it looked as if Ollie Brown would score but a good last ditch tackle by Stroud kept Es out. Stroud then started to see a lot of the ball and Es conceded a number of penalties through high tackles and gave away a number of knock ons. In the next play Jack Boulder took one for the team and was shown a Yellow Card by the referee, Stroud sensed a way back into the game and indeed were awarded a penalty 2m which they chose to kick and duly converted the penalty

Half Time score (Old Elizabethans 14 – 10 Stroud).

With Stroud now having the wind at their backs and Es initially being down to ten men at the start of this second half, they were possibly favourites to win the second half and following some good pressure from Stroud they won an important scrum and despite good Es defence managed to create a second try of their own, not converted (14-15).

Both teams then suffered from knock ons before a Stroud player was shown a Yellow Card and Es commanded their own scrum 5m out and scrum half Hygate jinked his way in across the line for an excellent try, not converted (19-15).

Stroud looked as if they would bounce back immediately and indeed would have done so had it not been for a try saving tackle by Arthur Mills, followed by a good steal by Ollie Brown which set up Es for a good raid into the Stroud half led by Skipper Pat Dore who passed to Arthur Mills but he was well tackled by the Stroud defence 10m short of the try line. However, the ball was quickly recycled and shipped to the other wing where Ollie Brown was waiting to score a good Es bonus point try. Not converted (24-15).

Fergus Blyth on. Es tried a cross field kick from their own half but against the wind the ball didn’t travel and they were nearly punished the ball landed in a Stroud basket, but Stroud’s kick through went dead.

At the next Stroud attack Es again escaped when Stroud were penalised on the Es try line allowing Es to clear to the 22m line. But Es lost the lineout again and put pressure on themselves but a good tackle from Jakob Harding, who was having an outstanding game, stopped Stroud in their tracks. From an Es scrum in the Stroud half a class move by Es backs saw Skipper Pat Dore score under the posts and Sam.H converted (31-15).

Stroud were not about to give up though Es defended well through good tackles from Tom Bendall and Alex Potts and an audacious steal by Ollie Lunt before a good running line by Fergus Blyth took Es out of danger, to mention but a few of Es positives in this final 20 minutes.

Es then stole a Stroud lineout to set up an excellent move by Ollie Lunt down the right wing but he was caught and tackled by a Stroud defender but a low level pop up by Ollie was well picked up by Arthur Mills for him to run in and further extend Es lead with a Sam Hygate conversion taking the score to (38-15).

Stroud attacked again but were then penalised by the referee and then subsequently marched back twice for a total of 20m and time was up and Es popped the ball into touch to bring the game to an end.

A much improved performance by Es in what to some extent was a defining victory that put Es up to a well placed 6th in the league. Next Saturday Es welcome Dursley RFC to Hallen and we call upon your support for another mid table clash.

FINAL SCORE: Old Elizabethans 38 – 15 Stroud

SCORERS:
Tries: Ben Charlton, Jakob Harding, Sam Hygate, Ollie Brown, Pat Dore, Arthur Mills
Conversions: Sam Hygate (4)

Man of the Match: Tom Bendall

Spectators Man of the Match: Jakob Harding

Full League Table and Fixture List below

Report by: Paul ‘Blakey’ Barrington

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