8:55am Monday 29th December 2008
By Damian Dolan
London Welsh ran in nine tries against Sedgley Park as they brought the 2008 curtain down on Old Deer Park in emphatic style.
From the moment Aled Thomas jinxed his way over for the bonus point score in the twenty-second minute, the Dragons were never in danger of slipping to a fifth straight loss, and a fourth on the bounce at Old Deer Park.
The Dragons needed just two minutes to cross for their opening score as Sedgley Park fell foul of carrying the ball back into their own 22 before finding touch on the full, gifting Welsh a platform which they were not about to pass up. Aled Thomas sidestepping his way inside the Tigers defence before finding prop Aaron Liffchak who did likewise before touching down under the posts. Full back Mark Harris added the simple conversion.
It was the perfect start for the home side given their recent poor run of results at home, and Harris’s snaking run nearly set up Tom Brown for try number two. But the Welsh support wouldn’t have too long to wait before they could again warm their hands on a bitterly cold Richmond day, as Peter Murchie crossed in the corner. Paul Sampson and Brown combining neatly down the right wing before Sampson released Murchie to saunter over the line. Harris converting well from the touchline.
All afternoon the Tigers would struggle to contain Welsh at the restart and soon back in Sedgley territory the Dragons were again troubling the scorers, this time from first phase ball. Jonathan Mills securing clean lineout possession before Paul Mackey cut through the Tigers and delivering a lovely floated pass that sent Sampson over in the corner.
The bonus point score was then secured as great work on the deck by Matt Corker earned Welsh a penalty and the boot of Aled Thomas took play up to the Tigers 22. Mike Powell made sure of possession for the home side before the Welsh fly half side stepped his way through the on rushing Sedgley defence and under the posts. Harris converted.
The Welsh full back then getting in on the act just two minutes later as Mills, Wame Lewaravu and Brown combined from the restart to take the Dragons back into the Tigers 22 before Harris held off a tackle to force his way over. Harris added the conversion and then slotted over a penalty from in front of the posts, although the Tigers had briefly threatened as Chris Wilkinson and Adam Newton combined only for Newton’s pass to brush the fingers of Lisiate Tafa, and the chance to go a begging.
The half time break would not quell Welsh’s thirst for tries as Tom Rock crossed within two minutes of the restart. Corker, making the switch from the second row to the back row, started the move as he intercepted a loose pass and charged into the Tigers 22. >From there Welsh built the phases before Harris and Sampson combined to put Rock in for a simple finish.
Harris would be wide of the mark with his conversion attempt but he would soon be presented with a further opportunity as Michael Tagicakibau got in on the try scoring act. Lewaravu gobbling up the restart before rampaging up field, and when Welsh spread the play wide his fellow Fijian international showed good strength to hold off the tackles before stretching for the line.
Harris added the extras but it would be a further 24 minutes before he would line up his next attempt as the game became loose and untidy – not aided by both sides ringing the changes with the result beyond doubt.
Welsh though would finish on a high note as Brown benefited from some generous tackling to cross for try number eight, with Harris converting, before good work by Ben Thomas nearly ended with Sampson adding his second after Rock had been hauled down just short of the line, only for the final pass to fail to go to hand.
Welsh though would not be denied; from the resulting scrum the Dragons forwards got the drive on and with the Tigers pack in disarray, referee Darren Gamage had no hesitation in making straight for the posts as he awarded the home side a penalty try.
London Welsh now travel to Bedford Blues on 3 January.
Post Match Reaction – Danny Wilson (London Welsh Head Coach) “Frustration had set in over the last two or three weeks but we knew that the hard work we’ve been putting in would eventually see results turn in our favour – and they turned today.
“More important than the 60 points we scored was keeping the opposition to nil, as we’ve been working very hard to improve our defence. We were a lot more aggressive in our defence today but we can still go up another level in terms of organisation.
“In the second half we went away from our game plan a little bit and what we need to do against sides like Bedford is stick to that game plan for longer periods. Today we blew Sedgley away very early but sometimes that can go against you as you can then get a bit over confident and try to force things, and that’s what we did. We won’t have that attitude against Bedford; we know we’ll have to work for every opportunity.”
London Welsh scorers: Tries: Liffchak, Murchie, Sampson, A Thomas, Harris, Rock, Tagicakibau, Brown, Penalty. Cons Harris (6). Pens: Harris.
London Welsh: M Harris, P Sampson, P Murchie, P Mackey (T Rock 26min), M Tagicakibau (E Lewis-Pratt 67min), A Thomas, A Chilten (N Runciman 58min), P Doran Jones (R Boot 69min), S Vuli (G O’Meara 58min), A Liffchak, W Lewaravu (B Thomas 62min), M Powell ©, M Corker, J Mills (T Audley 51min), T Brown.
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk