This week sees the return of a fixture well known to both clubs, one that has been battled for many years now. Both teams have clashed a grand total of 38 times, both teams coming off victor 18 times a piece with two fixtures ending in a draw. This shows just how closely contested these fixtures can be. Only 2 points separate us in this new league we find ourselves in. The start has been tough for Brackley, starting out with a convincing win over Bedford Queens but failing to back it up on the next 4 occasions. Although a win hasn't been achieved since September, the lads have picked up a habit of collecting bonus points off top sides allowing the tally to continue ticking over which could prove vital come the business end of the season.
Having two teams out against the same opposition is a rare occurrence especially at Brackley. This just shows all the hard work that has been going on behind the scenes, securing valuable assets to the club such as 2 trained sports therapists, Veo camera for analysis and even custom built ice baths for recovery.
First team captain Christian Mann had this to say about the weekend
“We have had a tough start to the season in the new league but we hit this week fresh after a well earned week off. Anyone from Brackley will know how big the Brackley vs Swifts games are, and this is no exception. We are hungry for this one and look forward to seeing what Saturday brings!”
The 2s picked up their first complete 80 minutes against a strong Long Buckby 2’s which saw a few first teamers thrown in for good measure. The game started against Brackleys favor conceding 2 tries before really getting going, after about the 20 minute mark Dan Rolfe struck into action scoring after fast thinking from Christian Mann to attack the blind side, noticing that Long Buckbys defense had over folded around the corner. This brought Brackley into a more comfortable decision being one try behind, Long Buckby reacted quickly with pressure into Brackley’s 22 seeing strong carries making the gainline every time. An offside penalty leading to an attempt at a quick tap was foiled by a questioning referee who brought the home side back to the mark but that didn't stop Long Buckby from crashing over a few seconds later.
The half ended with Long Buckby being ahead. The second half showed a battle of attrition as both sides saw an even amount of ball but Long Buckby came out ahead winning the game 39-22. This wasn't without valor as Dan Rolfe picked up all 4 tries and a special mention to normal back rower turned outside center Will Cooper who narrowly missed putting some points on the board as a conversion from the 5 meter line made contact with the cross bar.
If you are making the journey over to Bedford then its a 3PM kick off for both games at International Athletics Stadium, Bedford, MK41 9SB
If you are interested in playing rugby whether seniors or Colts (16+) please contact Dickie Clem on dickie.clements@brackleyrufc.com or join us for training every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30PM.
