ࡱ> %`  bjbj"x"x 82@@ $$$$ 0\)РԠԠԠԠ$h<zԠԠ(ԠԠԠĠ @5٤^$ÿ~0A.e8 m$=^o\)\)\)d;dd;\)\)\)d   1st XV Match Reports 2007/08 - - - Cheltenham Saracens Vs Kingswood So the end of another league season was sadly upon us as Kingswood travelled north to Cheltenham Saracens.Kingswood needed victory to secure 3rd spot in the league for a 2nd year running since gaining promotion at the end of the 05/06 season.Kingswood welcomed back Rob Lamb, who started on the bench.A Ben Phillips injury ruled him out of the game and so Dave Vince started at Scrum Half. Kingswood started well and dominated the opening proceedings as the forwards worked hard to gain the territorial advantage.A couple of penalties to Kingswood allowed them to secure a lineout deep in the Saracens half and after a excellent lineout move, a rolling maul was formed and Mark Oakley reacted quickly to a loose ball dropping out the back of the maul to get the ball down over the line to give Kingswood the lead with only 5 minutes on the clock.Ian Kirleys conversion was unsuccessful but Kingswood had the all important first try. 0-5 7 minutes later and Cheltenham Saracens were still being refused entry into Kingswoods half of the pitch which gave Kingswood an excellent advantage.An attacking move from Kingswood saw the ball land in the arms of Anthony Davies who used his jaw dropping speed and strength to resist several attempted tackles and power towards the try-line.Captain Paul Allen drove forward in support and the pair crashed over the line but the referee deemed the ball was held up and sadly Kingswood could not capitalise on the chance. With the half hour mark approaching, Kingswood were still firmly in control of the game and creating all the point scoring chances.Kingswoods next chance came from a rolling maul just inside the Saracens half.Scrum Half Dave Vince removed the ball from the maul and popped it inside to Stan Bailey who in turn fed the ball to Fly Half, Dean Stephens.Stephens spotted a gap behind the Saracens defence and chipped a cheeky little kick over the top.A lovely bounce meant the ball landed nicely into the hands of the advancing Paul Allen who made his way to the line and stretched out an arm mid-tackle to ground the ball over the line for Kingswood.Ian Kirley added the extra points from in front the posts and Kingswood were now looking comfortable at 0-12 With the game entering the final few minutes of the first half, Kingswood then suffered a setback against the run of play that allowed Saracens back into the game.Mark McGarrigle powered forward for Kingswood and looked like he was going to grab Kingswoods third try but he was thwarted by an excellent cover tackle and Kingswood were penalised for holding on.The kick downfield from Saracens didnt make touch and it was secured by Ian Kirley.Kirley ran the ball in-field before feeding the ball to Paul Allen who had little time to react as he was tackled by the Saracens forwards.With some of the Kingswood forwards still trying to track back to an onside position, the ball was turned over and Saracens No. 15 picked up the loose ball and ran in unchallenged across the line to pull back 5 points for Saracens.5-12 Half Time:Cheltenham Saracens 5-12 Kingswood Kingswood made one change at half time with Dave Vince coming off and Derek James coming on. After the setback before half time, Kingswood set out to extend their lead at the start of the 2nd half and all was going well as another strong rolling maul made its way towards the Saracens 22.Strangely though, Neil Ward dropped to the floor during the march and it was unclear what had happened. It later turned out that Alex Green, upon joining the maul, had bent Wards arm back which had cracked the bone at the base of his elbow.This brought Wards impressive game to an end and Kingswood were forced into another substitution as Rob Lamb came on in his place. There was then further setback for Kingswood when a quickly tapped penalty from Saracens was ran downfield and the referee shouted that the Kingswood players nearby were not allowed to challenge the player as they had not been the required 10 metres back.Rob Lamb was the next available player in line to make the tackle and made the challenge on the advancing forward.The referee decided though that he too was not back the required distance and Rob Lamb was shown a yellow card, minutes after joining the game. Kingswood then began to suffer a high penalty count which was allowing Saracens to take the ball forward and this meant the game developed into an excellent forwards battle, but with the extra man, Saracens were seeing the benefit in the scrums and played out the next 10 minutes in Kingswoods 22. Kingswood were managing to absorb the Saracens pressure well though and because of this, there was very little in the way of points scoring action for the remainder of the game. That was until the 75th minute when Kingswood carried the ball swiftly into the Saracens half before being awarded a penalty.A lineout was secured and a rolling formed before it was collapsed and a ruck formed.A quick backs move saw the ball fall to Paul Allen whose trademark sidestep sliced open the Saracens defence and he crossed line to grab Kingswoods 3rd try and his 18th try of the season to stroll to the accolade of Club Top Try Scorer.Ian Kirley added the two points and Kingswood had sewn up the game. 5-19 The game ended soon after and the result meant that it was another always a bridesmaid never a bride season again for Kingswood but two 3rd place finishes since being promoted should not be sniffed at, especially when you consider that the two promoted clubs from last year have returned straight back to Gloucester 3.Kingswood can also take some consolation from the fact that the two clubs promoted out of Gloucester 2 this season, were both defeated on their visits to the Big K. Well done to everyone who has contributed to another impressive season this year, hopefully next season we can get that promotion we most certainly deserve. Until next season folks Full Time: Cheltenham Saracens 5-19 Kingswood --- Kingswood Vs Old Cryptians The penultimate league game of the season saw Kingswood take on Old Cryptians at home in a crunch match for 3rd spot.The last meeting saw Kingswood lose out thanks to two late penalty kicks in a match played in terrible weather conditions.This was not the case this week as it was a glorious day for rugby, albeit slightly windy. Kingswood welcomed back Ian Kirley after his 4 month absence through injury but were without the services of Paul Bennett and Brad Whiston.It was however one of the strongest sides that Kingswood have fielded for most of the season.The Kingswood bench was strengthened by Dave Vince, James Thorne and Derek James who, with a combined age of 102, stood by ready for action. Both teams started slowly and it wasnt until the 10th minute that the game saw its first real scoring opportunity when Kingswoods Captain, Paul Allen, sliced open the Old Cryptians defence, unfortunately the good move came to nothing. Another slow 10 minutes passed and it was clear that both sets of forwards were battling hard to limit attacking opportunities.With 20 minutes on the clock however, Kingswood were penalised for going straight over the top of an Old Cryptians ruck and from the resulting penalty, Old Cryptians No. 10 slotted home the penalty kick and Kingswood found themselves 0-3 down. Kingswood were penalised two minutes later for offside which gave Old Cryptians a chance to double their lead, luckily for Kingswood the conversion attempt was missed and the scores remained the same. Kingswood responded well and just after the half hour mark, a rolling maul in Old Cryptians 22 was making good progress towards the try-line but it was quickly pulled down.The referee awarded Kingswood the penalty and Dean Stephens secured the lineout for Kingswood just metres from the line.A well worked lineout move saw Mike Oakley receive the ball at his No. 1 position which caught the Old Cryptians defence off guard and Oakley managed to power his way through an attempted tackle to get the ball down over the line and hand Kingswood the lead.Ben Phillips was unable to add the extra two points but in a game with very few opportunities, Kingswood had a vital lead 5-3 Kingswood should have been in 6 minutes later after a well executed backs move created an overlap out wide, agonisingly the opportunity was wasted and Kingswood had to settle for a slender two point lead going in to half time. Half Time:Kingswood 5-3 Old Cryptians Straight from the restart, Kingswood were penalised once again and once again Old Cryptians No. 10 went for the posts but the kick was put wide and Kingswood counted themselves lucky not to be behind.On the plus side, Kingswood were limiting Old Cryptians to penalty kick attempts thanks to their excellent defending, but this would only be valuable if Kingswood could hold on and try to extend their lead to a more comfortable score line. The missed penalty seemed to be the kick up the rear that Kingswood needed and they restarted the game with real purpose.A couple of quick penalties for Kingswood allowed them to set up camp in Old Cryptians 22 and it was vital that they came away with some points to put them in control.Kingswood were eventually awarded a scrum 5 metres out and Mark McGarrigle took the ball blind from his Number 8 position before releasing the ball to Steve Trevelyan. Trevelyan took the ball into the Cryptians defence and a loud cheer erupted from the sideline as Mark McGarrigle reclaimed the ball before crashing over the line.Ian Kirley took over kicking duties for Kingswood and slotted home a lovely long range effort to extended their lead to 12-3 With Old Cryptians creating very few opportunities and with Kingswood now holding a good lead and a lot of territory, Cryptians knew that penalty kicks would probably not be enough and that they would have to score a try to get back into the game.Kingswood had other ideas though and continue to play a tight forwards game.The frustration for Old Cryptians started to show and they were penalised for offside which Kingswood tapped quickly and ran forward before Old Cryptians were penalised once again for not being back the full 10 metres.Dean Stephens secured a lineout for Kingswood deep in Cryptians 22 and a rolling maul was formed. Cryptians were guilty off ill discipline once again and Kingswood were awarded a 3rd straight penalty in a matter of minutes.Before anyone knew what was happening, Mike Oakley spotted his opportunity and quickly tapped the penalty and ran towards the line.There was no stopping Oakley as he once again powered though a tackle and over the line to extend Kingswoods lead with only 6 minutes gone after their last try.Another excellent conversion from Ian Kirley now saw their score extend to 19-3 and it was difficult to see how Cryptians would come back from such a big margin. Kingswood were told not to let up in their pursuit for more points from Coach Rich Knight as they lined up for the restart so they set about to capitalise on their momentum.It was Old Cryptians discipline that was still causing them problems though and another penalty to Kingswood just after the hour mark was marched forward 10 metres by the referee and this allowed Kingswood to secure a lineout and eventually a rolling maul in Cryptians half of the pitch.The ball was released to the backs and Ian Kirley moved up from his Full-Back position to cut a lovely line through the Old Cryptians defence to carry Kingswood further down the field.The ball was moved quickly by Scrum Half Ben Phillips and this caught the Cryptians defence napping and Stan Bailey and Mark Oakley exchanged passes before Mark Oakley put in his brother Mike Oakley to leave him with an easy run-in over the line and grab his 3rd try of the game, his 2nd hat-trick in 7 days.Ian Kirley missed the resulting conversion but Kingswood were now out of sight with a 24-3 lead With the game in the bag for Kingswood they too were caught napping at the restart when the ball was knocked on which gifted Old Cryptians territory and more importantly, a put-in at the scrum.Cryptians moved the ball to the backs quickly and Kingswood allowed No. 13 to weave his way in and out of tackles to cross the line under the posts.No. 10 added the easy two points and Kingswood were reminded just how important it would be to not go to switch off again in the last 10 minutes of the game. 24-10 The last 10 minutes of the game however did not see a lot of rugby.Firstly, two injuries to Old Cryptians players saw more than 6 minutes go out the window before the high tension in the game came to ahead and a minor scuffle erupted in the later stages.The referee decided that enough was enough and ended the game that saw Kingswood deservedly take the two points and leap frog Cryptians into 3rd place in the league. Sadly the end of the season is nearly upon us and Kingswood take the long journey to Cheltenham next week to play Cheltenham Saracens to hopefully secure 3rd spot in the league for two years running. Full Time: Kingswood 24-10 Old Cryptians --- Kingswood Vs BAC Kingswood were at home this week as they entertained BAC in a fixture that was originally arranged for the 3rd week of the season.Kingswood played BAC just over a month ago in a game they won comfortably so they were looking for the same result in this weeks game. Props Rob Lamb and Damien Croswell were unavailable due to Mr Lambs wedding and Flanker Gareth Pond was also out along with Winger Brad Whiston.There was a welcome return for James Dicks who slipped back in the front row along with Mike Oakley who returned from injury.Dave Vince was also drafted in to strengthen the bench. A strong wind blowing straight down the pitch was to the benefit of BAC in the first half so Kingswood looked to keep things tight in the forwards.BAC started off with some early pressure that placed Kingswood in their 22 but Kingswood managed to steal possession and the ball was fed to Adam Morris on the wing who blasted his way up the pitch before being bundled into touch in BACs 22.The lineout for BAC was over thrown which cause a knock-on at the back of the line and Kingswood were awarded a scrum. The scrum was secured and the ball found its way to Paul Allen who powered through the BAC forward line before being tackled 8 metres out.Mark McGarrigle picked the ball from the floor before passing to Neil Ward who setup a rolling maul and the Kingswood forwards drove forward with ease before Mark Oakley got the ball down over the line.Ben Phillips couldnt add the two extra points but Kingswood had the lead with only 6 minutes on the clock. 5-0 Kingswood were nearly in again on the quarter of an hour mark but the final pass in the backs move fell at Adam Morriss feet and he unfortunately knocked the ball on 5 metres from the try-line. Kingswood did mange to grab another try 3 minutes later however when another good run by Adam Morris took Kingswood into BACs 22 once again.The BAC lineout was once again spilt and Alex Green was this time on hand to setup the rolling maul and again it moved with ease and Mike Oakley this time got the ball down for Kingswood.Ben Phillips kick just drifted wide of the uprights but Kingswood had doubled their lead. 10-0 Just approaching half time, Kingswood had another scoring opportunity after some strong running by Neil Ward allowed Kingswood to create an overlap but agonisingly the chance was knocked on again. 2 minutes later and BAC then had their first points scoring chance of the game when they were awarded a penalty for holding on.No. 10s kick had the distance but not the accuracy and Kingswood went into half time with the lead and a clean sheet. Half Time:Kingswood 10-0 BAC Kingswood made two substitutions at half time with Lewis Voisey replaced on the wing by Anthony Davies and Scrum Half Ben Phillips came off with a wrist injury to be replaced by Dave Vince. Now playing with the wind, it only took Kingswood 3 minutes in the second half to increase their lead further.Dean Stephens was instrumental in the try as his pace broke the BAC line and carried the ball into BACs half.A pass out wide by Stephens was knocked on by an attempted BAC block and Kingswood were awarded a scrum in BACs 22.Mark McGarrigle ran the ball blind from the resulting scrum before feeding the ball to Dean Stephens who drew the winger in field before passing the ball out to Anthony Davies on the wing, gifting him an easy run in across the line.Dean Stephens took over kicking duties but was unable to add the two points from out wide.15-0 5 minutes later and Kingswood were still controlling the game and went on to score once again with a beautifully worked try.A ruck in BACs half was picked up quickly by Steve Trevelyan who ran the ball blind and then gave it out to Mike Oakley.Oakley moved the ball out to Anthony Davies before running outside him to receive the ball back and cross line for his 2nd try of the game.Again the conversion was unsuccessful but Kingswood were now looking comfortable with a 20-0 lead With 55 minutes on the clock, Kingswood once again found themselves in BACs 22.A lineout for Kingswood was lost but Steve Trevelyan reacted first to secure the loose ball.A rolling maul was formed and once again it carried the ball over the BAC try-line and Mike Oakley got the ball down for his hat-trick.Dean Stephens sent a lovely kick through the uprights and Kingswood now led 27-0 With Kingswood cruising towards a comfortable victory and a clean sheet, there was then a commentators kiss of death from the Kingswood linesman, Steve Woods.You know what, this will be 3 games now without conceding any points.Almost instantly the sun went in and the sky began to darken and it was clear Steve had upset a higher power.Straight away a Kingswood scrum was taken wide by Mark McGarrigle and an attempted clearance up the wing was charged down by BACs No. 14 and his pace on the counter attack left him with an unchallenged run in.No. 10s conversion was unsuccessful and the score now stood at 27-5 Kingswood then made their 3rd substitution as Mike Oakley made way for James Dicks With only 2 minutes gone after the last try, Kingswood were guilty of some slack passing and the ball ran loose and No. 18 picked up the ball and had a free run-in under the posts.No. 10 converted and the score was now amazingly 27-12 Steve Woods was now banned from speaking for the rest of the game and from the restart a BAC attack was turned over by Kingswood and Adam Morris once again took Kingswood downfield with a strong run before being tackled into touch 5m from the try-line.BACs lineout was knocked back into the try area and Steve Trevelyan reacted first once again to dive on the loose ball to further increase Kingswoods lead.The conversion was missed and Kingswood led 32-12 With only 8 minutes left in the game, there was time for one more try and it went the way of BAC.Some strong rucking from BAC carried them into Kingswoods half before the ball was given to the backs and Kingswood missed a few tackles as No. 11 slipped through over the line and under the posts.No. 10 converted and Kingswood were pegged back to 32-19 Despite a lapse of concentration late in the 2nd half, Kingswoods first 60 minutes sealed the game for them and they finished the game comfortable winners.The result now leaves them 1 point behind Old Cryptians who they play next week in a crunch match for 3rd spot. Full Time: Kingswood 32-19 BAC --- Smiths (Ind) Vs Kingswood Kingswood took the long journey north this week to face bottom of the league Smiths Industries.The weather was absolutely shocking with near gale force winds and heavy persistent rain.Kingswood were without Mike Oakley, Brad Whiston and Ian Kirley but still fielded a strong team. Lewis Vosiey was also called up for his first team debut. With Kingswood playing with the wind in the first half, they started the stronger of the two teams and within minutes they were controlling possession within Smiths 22.Kingswoods penalty count in the last few phases was restricting them from scoring some early points but fortunately for Kingswood, Smiths were unable to clear the ball due to the wind which allowed Kingswood to hold on to the territory. Kingswood then appeared to have grabbed their first try as Mark Oakley dived for the line following a rolling maul.Despite clear grounding, the referee said the ball was held up and a scrum was awarded 5 metres out, more bizarrely though, the put-in was awarded to Smiths. Kingswood continued to dominate proceedings though and finally on the half hour mark they made their breakthrough.A Kingswood scrum 8 metres out led to Mark McGarrigle picking the ball up and taking it into the Smiths defence.A rolling maul was formed and it eased towards the line and it was 2nd time lucky for Mark Oakley as he stretched downwards with the ball to give Kingswood their first points.The wind made the conversion attempt difficult and Ben Phillips could not add the extra two points. 0-5 Kingswood then suffered two injuries in key positions as first Derek James at outside centre hobbled off with a knee injury and shortly after, Captain Paul Allen at inside centre also came off with a leg injury.Forwards Neil Ward and James Thorne came on as replacements and Kingswood had to move Hooker and try scorer, Mark Oakley, into the centre along with Flanker Gareth Pond. The injury to Paul Allen stopped the game for a few minutes and before the game restarted, Smiths No. 21 was sin binned.Kingswood were awarded a penalty for the incident and Ben Phillips slotted home the kick to increase Kingswoods lead to 0-8 With the injuries and constant stops in play, the game was creeping in to the 10th minute of injury time.A Smiths scrum 5 metres from their try-line was played back to their Fly Half to be cleared.Knowing that kicking into the wind wasnt an option, he elected to try and run the ball clear, however Alex Green and Damien Crosswell were on hand to put in excellent tackles that resulted in Kingswood being awarded a scrum 5 metres out. From the resulting scrum, Mark McGarrigle secured the ball in his No. 8 position and ran the ball blind before drawing in the winger and passing the ball out wide to Adam Morris who dived over the line in the corner to score with the last move of the first half.Ben Phillips couldnt make the tricky conversion but Kingswood now led 0-13 Half Time:Smiths (Ind) 0-13 Kingswood With the wind very much against them in the 2nd half, Kingswoods game tactics changed as they knew that any lost possession would result in a kick downfield from Smiths, placing them under a lot of pressure, so it was decided that a 10 man game of rugby was the best option.It was one thing having a plan, but the way it was implemented by Kingswood showed their professional attitude towards the game. Kingswood controlled the opening 10 minutes but progress was slow due to the conditions.Scrum Half Ben Phillips was extremely regimental in his control of the breakdowns and at each ruck selected the next forward to crash into the Smiths defence.Neil Ward stunned the sideline on a couple of occasions as he used his hand off and power to great effect and gain Kingswood much needed ground. It wasnt about points scoring in the 2nd half for Kingswood but merely about ball retention, so as not to allow Smiths the chance of a quick counter attack.On the odd occasion that Smiths did manage to get the ball in hand, the kicks downfield were carried by the wind and across the dead ball line, allowing Kingswood to retain possession from the resulting scrums. It wasnt until the 70th minute that the game saw more points.With Kingswood retaining the ball well, Smiths frustration grew and this resulted in No. 8 receiving a yellow card and 10 minutes off the pitch.The resulting kick in front the posts only highlighted how strong the wind was as the ball sailed towards the posts from the boot of Ben Phillips before being taken straight into the air and back towards Phillips. Luckily the ball fell the right side of the bar and Kingswood had extended their lead to 0-16 It was an impressive display by Kingswood that despite the wind, they were managing to play the majority of the 2nd half in the Smiths half of the pitch.The forwards continued their assault on the Smiths defence, drawing in more defenders each time and on 77 minutes and after several crash balls, Mark Oakley received the ball in the backs and cut a beautiful line through the Smiths defence which took him deep into the 22 and left him with a one on one.Oakley broke right before sending the ball back in field to Steve Trevelyan who at full pace was never going to be stopped and he placed the ball under the posts for Kingswoods 3rd try of the game to cap off an excellent Kingswood performance.Ben Phillips added the extra two points from in front the posts and give Kingswood a 0-23 lead Kingswood then made another change as Anthony Davies came on for Alex Green. Kingswood continued to control the remainder of the game and eventually the referee blew his whistle to secure an excellent victory for Kingswood.They now look forward to a home fixture against BAC next weekend. Full Time: Smiths (Ind) 0-23 Kingswood --- Kingswood Vs Bristol Combination XV This weekend, Kingswood RFC were proud to host the Bristol Combination XV (hereafter called Bristol) as part of their charity event for Jamie Cooper & the Help For Heroes campaign.The match was played in front of a 300+ crowd, despite the cold and muddy conditions.Bristol looked extremely impressive during their warm-up which is not surprising given that their team was made up from players in Gloucester Premier and above! It only took Bristol 4 minutes before they grabbed their first points of the game.Its not often that Kingswood have their put-in at the scrum overturned but such was the impressive pack in the Combination team that this is exactly what happened.Bristols Scrum Half released the backs and despite the boggy pitch, there was incredible pace in the centre that seized upon the smallest of openings in the Kingswood defence and good support lead to No. 10 going over. The drop kick conversion was missed. 0-5 5 minutes later and there was another score for Bristol as No. 13 cut a lovely line next to a secured ruck which left him with a one on one with Kingswoods Full Back, Paul Bennett.There was nothing Bennett could do as the pass made its way out to No. 15 in support who had an unchallenged run in over the line.No. 15 added the conversion as well and Kingswood now trailed 0-12 With Kingswood trailing and looking somewhat overwhelmed by the talent that stood opposite them, they then put in an impressive 10 minutes that not only restricted the play of Bristol, but also led to their first scoring opportunity.With Bristol controlling a rolling maul in their own 22, the Kingswood forwards managed to turn over the ball and counter attack with their own rolling maul that incredibly moved forward with ease towards the try-line.Damien Crosswell was on hand to dive over the line with the ball but the referee deemed it was held up.Nevertheless it was a morale boosting attack from Kingswood who were now taking the game to Bristol well. There was then an excellent piece of Kingswood defending as Bristols No. 11 broke through with incredible pace and looked certain to score, that was until Brad Whiston showed his blistering pace as well to get back and put in an excellent tap tackle near the Kingswood try-line which sent No. 11 crashing to the floor.It wasnt clear from the sideline whether the ball was placed down in the try area but Kingswood didnt need to worry as fortunately the referee suffered a pulled arse muscle in his attempt to catch the two wingers and he restarted the game with a scrum on the 5m line for Bristol. The injury to the referee meant an early substitution in the game as he and his assistant swapped places! Kingswood battled during the resulting scrum but the boggy conditions were making hard to resist the Bristol drive and a quick move ended with No. 10 once again slipping through.No. 15 added the kick and Kingswood now trailed 0-19 There was one further try in the half for the Bristol just after the half hour mark as Kingswood were guilty of missed tackles after a Bristol penalty and No. 6 made it over the line.0-24 Half Time:Kingswood 0-24 Bristol Combination XV Kingswood started the 2nd half playing the better rugby of the two teams and controlled the first 10 minutes by playing the game in Bristols half.On 53 minutes, their possession and persistence paid off as several crash balls saw them creep closer to the line and Steve Trevelyan was next in line for Kingswood as he crashed over the line for a well earned try.Ben Phillips missed the drop kick conversion but Kingswood had their first points to make the score 5-24 Kingswood then made four substitutions as Ben Phillips, Derek James, Brad Whiston and Adam Morris made way for Dave Vince, Lewis Voisey, Anthony Davies and Rob Edwards Kingswood then conceded another try in the 66th minute as they lost possession of a ruck and Bristols quick counter attack saw No. 21 go over in the corner. The resulting conversion was missed and Kingswood now trailed 5-29 Sam Massey then made an appearance as he replaced Stan Bailey for Kingswood. Despite the score line, Kingswood continued to battle up until the final whistle and prevented Bristol from scoring anymore points.The referee ended the game and Kingswood had drawn the 2nd half 5 all which is a credit to them given the opposition. The result was not the important factor for the day however, what mattered was an excellent turn out and a good game of rugby for the spectators meant that the clubhouse was full to bursting afterwards which lead to a lot of money being raised on the day.In fact, so far a total just short of 3,000 has been counted and this figure is still rising! A big well done to everyone involved! A big thank you as well to Alan McAteer who photographed the match and kindly donated the pictures for free. Full Time: Kingswood 5-29 Bristol Combination XV --- Kingswood Vs Westbury-O-S Kingswood faced Westbury On Severn this week as the home side looked to continue their unbeaten run.Only a few minor injuries for Kingswood to contend with, as Mike Oakley and Ian Kirley were still unavailable.Despite these absentees, Kingswood started with a near full strength team and started with a bench with a combined age of 105 as Dave Vince, James Thorne and Derek James stood by ready to be called upon. It was not the best weather for a game of rugby with persistent rain and strong winds throughout the game which was going to make it that little bit more tricky. Kingswood nearly fell behind with only 3 minutes on the clock as Adam Morris was adjudged to have been offside from Dean Stephenss downfield kick, fortunately Westbury's No. 10 put the ball wide. There was then a huge setback for Kingswood as Neil Ward was given a straight red card for violent conduct and Kingswood now faced a full 67 minutes with only 14 men. Kingswood controlled proceedings and played the majority of the game in Westburys half but it was fair to say that they were suffering an unfair penalty count against them and as a result neither side could generate any point scoring opportunities and the first half amazingly finished 0-0 Half Time:Kingswood 0-0 Westbury-O-S At half time Kingswood made their first substitution as Dave Vince came on for an injured Ben Phillips. Kingswood had their first real points scoring opportunity of the game when on 47 minutes they were awarded a penalty in front the posts which Dave Vince elected to take.Somehow Vince managed a spectacular miss to put the ball low and wide and the scores stayed the same. With Kingswood still suffering from an unbelievably high penalty count it wasnt until the hour mark that the first points of the game were scored.With Kingswood still holding the territory, they placed Westbury on the back foot and an attempted clearance from their 22 failed to make any ground and Gareth Pond was on hand to secure the high ball in the centre of the park.A quick ball to Paul Allen allowed Kingswoods Captain to use his quick pace to break the Westbury defensive line and create space before he fed the ball wide to Brad Whiston, whose pace ensured he would never be caught and he dived over line to grab Kingswoods first try.Dean Stephens was unable to add the 2 extra points but Kingswood finally held the lead and it looked as though it was theirs to keep. 5-0 With the rain still pouring and penalties being awarded every 3 minutes, the game died a death and it didnt look as though any more points were coming. That was until the 80th minute when a Kingswood scrum was secured 10m out and Mark McGarrigle broke with the ball and put in a strong run despite numerous players hanging off of him.McGarrigle made it to the line and placed the ball on the post protector, not at the base of it, but half way up.Kingswood should have been surprised at the try being awarded but none of the decisions were coming as shocks anymore and Kingswood were awarded the try.McGarrigle took the drop kick but put the ball wide. 10-0 The referee thankfully bought the game to an end soon after and despite the score-line, Kingswood played well when they were allowed to and secured another win in the league. Kingswood have a break this Saturday as they prepare for Sundays game against a select Bristol Combination side in aid of Jamie Cooper and the charity Help For Heroes Full Time: Kingswood 10-0 Westbury-O-S --- Bristol Harlequins 2's Vs Kingswood Kingswood had a break from league action this week as they faced Bristol Harlequins 2nds away from home.Bristol Harlequins 1st XV didnt have a fixture so Kingswood didnt know what sort of side they would face, but after last weeks excellent victory against Cheltenham Civil Service in the league they were ready for anything. The game was surprisingly quiet for the first 25 minutes as neither side created any real chances and it was hard to see where a try was going to come from.That was until Harlequins found a little hole in the Kingswood defence and a break away attack was finished off by No. 7.No. 10 added the conversion and Kingswood found themselves 0-7 down. This seemed to be what the game needed and from the restart Kingswood hit back with some excellent rugby.A kick downfield was secured by Harlequins No. 13 but he was instantly tackled and some strong rucking meant the ball arrived on Kingswoods side and the ball was quickly released whilst the Harlequins defence was still trying to reorganise itself.Paul Allen broke with the ball then fed it to Gareth Pond who then released Anthony Davies and the young winger sprinted into the opposition try area to grab Kingswood their first try. Dean Stephens was unable to add the conversion but Kingswood were now back to 7-5 These two tries proved to be the only action of the first half as both defences ultimately controlled the game. Half Time:Bristol Harlequins 2's 7-5 Kingswood Kingswood were awarded an early penalty at the start of the 2nd half for over use of the boot in the rucks but Dean Stephens was unable to add the 3 points. A minute later and Kingswood were attacking well in the Harlequins half and were awarded with a penalty advantage. Kingswood continued to press and a lovely cross-field kick caught the Harlequins defence off guard and an equally impressive bounce saw the ball fall right into the hands of Adam Morris with just metres left to the line. However the referee for some unknown reason deemed this to be of no advantage and handed Kingswood a penalty from the earlier infringement. The annoyance at the decision was short lived though as from the resulting penalty lineout, Kingswood put together a lovely lineout move that saw Mike Oakley break for the line unchallenged to go over for his 3rd try in 2 games and grab Kingswood the lead 7-10 8 minutes later and Kingswood were now in control of the game and were striving forward with real purpose.The Kingswood forwards were dominating in the scrums and turned over the Harlequins put-in before Steve Trevelyan broke with the ball towards the line. Trevelyan was tackled but a lovely pop from the floor to the advancing Mark Oakley saw him get within inches of the line. Im now supposed to write that Mark Oakley then went over after a strong and forceful shove from Scrum Half Dave Vince (although this is widely refuted throughout the team) 7-15 Kingswood then made a substitution as Mark Oakley came off (No doubt injured from Dave Vinces helpful shove) and Derek James came on. Bristol Harlequins then started to fight back and had Kingswood pinned deep in their 22 for the next 10 minutes but Kingswood were solid and managed to escape without conceding any more points. The referee ended the game and Kingswood had secured their first back to back victories for the first time since November last year.Kingswood now face BAC away next weekend which is their first meeting this season. Full Time: Bristol Harlequins 2's 7-15 Kingswood --- Kingswood Vs Cheltenham CS After last weeks heavy defeat to Ashley Down, Kingswood faced another challenging fixture this week as they entertained the league leaders, Cheltenham Civil Service. Some good news for Kingswood though was that they welcomed back 5 players missing from last weeks game.Captain Paul Allen, Steve Trevelyan, Ben Phillips, Mike Oakley & Damien Crosswell all made a return to the team which meant that Kingswood started with one of their strongest sides since the start of the season. With last weeks heavy defeat in the back of their minds, Kingswood set their stall out from the beginning and controlled the opening proceedings. With only 6 minutes gone, Adam Morris was at full speed and attacking the Cheltenham defence but was tackled illegally around the neck.Kingswood were awarded a penalty but Ben Phillips was unable to add the 3 points. With 17 minutes on the clock, Kingswood were still seeing the majority of the possession and a great penalty kick from Dean Stephens secured a lineout 5m from Cheltenhams try-line.The lineout was taken well by Alex Green but it was instantly sacked by the Cheltenham forwards.The ball was recycled from the ruck quickly and upon reaching Dean Stephens, he sent a cheeky little grubber kick through the defensive line and into the try area.It was a race for the ball as both Stephens and the Cheltenham Centre gave chase but despite Stephens appearing to have his hands on the ball first, the referee was not in clear view and awarded a 22 drop out from which Cheltenham cleared the danger. Despite the bright start, Kingswood spirits were soon dampened as a few minutes later, Cheltenham attacked strongly through the forwards with several crash balls and Kingswood were guilty of missed tackles as No. 10 crashed over the line and Kingswood somewhat unfairly fell behind.0-5 Kingswood then fell foul of an odd refereeing decision from the resulting restart.Ben Phillips kick hovered above the 10m line and a Cheltenham forward jumped and played the ball, despite this, the referee awarded Cheltenham a scrum on the half way line and Kingswood were sleeping as Cheltenhams No. 8 took the ball blind then a few tackle avoiding passes up field left No. 12 with an easy run in. No. 10 added the conversion and Kingswood had that sinking feeling from last week as they found themselves 0-12 down. Kingswood did pick their heads up however and strung some nice attacking moves together at the end of the half, but none of the attacks could be converted into points. Half Time:Kingswood 0-12 Cheltenham CS Kingswood made a change at half time with James Thorne coming off and Damien Crosswell coming on. Kingswood knew at the start of the 2nd half that the score line was an unfair reflection of how the first half panned out and set out to put it right, and it only took 6 minutes of the 2nd half to get the ball rolling.Kingswood put together an excellent running rugby move in the backs and Adam Morris burst up the wing to take Kingswood into the Cheltenham 22 before Mike Oakley took over control of the ball.A ruck eventually formed and Steve Trevelyan was on hand to receive the quick ball and a strong run took him over the line to grab Kingswoods first points of the game.Ben Phillips added the 2 extra points from the boot and Kingswood had pulled their way back to 7-12 7 minutes later and a penalty for Kingswood was kicked to touch and the lineout secured before Kingswood were eventually awarded a scrum. The ball made its way to Paul Allen in the centre who took the ball into the Cheltenham defence and a rolling maul was formed. The rolling maul steamrolled its way towards the Cheltenham line before Steve Trevelyan broke from the back and once again crossed the Cheltenham line to grab Kingswoods 2nd try of the game.A very unsporting cough from a Cheltenham player during Ben Phillips run up didnt help matters during the conversion, which was missed, and only a quick speaking to rather than a retake was dished out by the referee and the scores were tied at 12-12 but Kingswood were now in full swing. 7 minutes after the try Kingswood were still dominating the game and looked certain to take the lead as Cheltenham looked shell shocked.A lineout in Cheltenhams 22 was excellently taken by Alex Green once again and Kingswood formed another rolling maul.Cheltenham had no answer to the rolling mauls and as it trundled towards the line, Mike Oakley broke free and powered his way over in the corner to give Kingswood the lead for the first time in the game.There was then an unbelievable kick from the touch line by Dean Stephens which made its way over the bar and Kingswood now held a 19-12 lead A few minutes later and Cheltenham appeared to have grabbed a try back as they broke through the Kingswood defence, strangely though, a few passes were made which appeared unnecessary and the Kingswood defence were able to get back and snuff out the attack. Kingswood then made their 2nd substitution as an injured Ben Phillips came off and Dave Vince came on. Cheltenham continued to press forward in search of an equaliser and almost grabbed it when a scrum 5m out was taken towards the line by their Scrum Half and despite Neil Ward being on his knees, he managed to lock his arms round the No. 9 and pull him back from the line. Kingswoods hearts were eventually placed in their mouths after Cheltenhams sustained pressure finally paid off and No. 10 made his way over the line.But there was a huge sigh of relief when the resulting conversion was put wide and Kingswood held on to their lead with the narrowest of margins. 19-17. With the game now in injury time, all Kingswood had to do was keep possession and put the ball out, but they went one better and grabbed the final try in the game.From the restart, Cheltenham knocked on and despite the advantage from which they could have ended the game, Kingswood pressed forward with some excellent rucking and crashing ball near the break down helped inch them closer and closer to the line. Mike Oakley was next in line to receive the quick ball and upon breaking the first challenge, powered his way through the other attempts to reach out over the line and make the game safe for Kingswood. Dean Stephens once again made a difficult conversion look easy and as soon as the ball made its way over the posts, the referee ended the game to give Kingswood their first win in 2008 from the unlikeliest of games. 26-17 The result just shows how impressive a near strength Kingswood team can be and although there chances of promotion this year are looking slim, they have proven that if they can avoid the terrible injury problems they have sustained this season, then Gloucester 1 is an easily achievable target. Full Time: Kingswood 26-17 Cheltenham CS --- Ashley Down Vs Kingswood Probably the hardest match report Ive had to write in recent seasons but it wouldnt be cricket, well rugby, if I ignored the result from Saturdays game. Kingswoods issues with absentees in 2008 showed no signs of letting up with 7 first team players missing. Damien Crosswell, Mike Oakley & Steve Trevelyan were missing from the Forwards but it was in the Backs where Kingswood struggled as Captain Paul Allen, Ben Phillips, Steve Ridgeway & Paul Bennett were all unavailable.Ian Kirley was brought back from injury early to strengthen the bench alongside Bramwell Beecroft.Kingswood still fielded a strong squad but numerous players were out of position and of course, with this many players missing, the last thing you need is an away trip to 2nd place Ashley Down, but this is what Kingswood faced. The opening 10 minutes of the game was a territorial battle as both Fly Halfs exchanged kicks up and down the park.It was in the 12th minute though that the game saw its first points.Derek James sent a lovely kick downfield for Kingswood but the bounce just found the line and Kingswood faced a scrum back in their own half.Ashley Down secured the scrum and the ball found there No. 15 and despite what looked like a clear case of crossing this allowed 15 to slip through the confused Kingswood defence before releasing No. 18 who found his way over the line in the corner. 5-0 Kingswoods forwards were functioning well and a series of rolling mauls and penalties meant that for the next 10 minutes Kingswood played the game in Ashley Downs half.Kingswoods defence was called into action soon after however when No. 12 broke free and appeared to be heading over the line but there was an excellent cover tackle in the centre by Winger Brad Whiston. It wasnt until a quarter of the way through the match that the game saw more points.A penalty to Ashley Down was kicked to touch deep in the Kingswood half and a rolling maul made its way to the line before No. 9 broke from the back to creep over the line 10-0 Kingswood continued to retaliate though and on 25 minutes a scrum in Ashley Downs half was rewarded with a penalty due to Ashley Down breaking their bind.Dean Stephens slotted home the kick in front the posts and Kingswood had brought the scores closer at 10-3 Kingswood then made it over the line on 37 minutes which appeared to have brought them within a conversion of the draw, but the referee said the ball was held up and Kingswood had to settle for a scrum 5m out but sadly it came to nothing.Kingswood were still managing to create overlaps in attack but the final pass was not quite up to scratch and Kingswood could not capitalise. Kingswood appeared to be heading into half time only 7 points behind but Ashley Down were awarded a penalty and a quick tap and go, combined with some fast hands and a sleeping Kingswood defence meant the ball was fed wide to the wing and No. 18 made his way over the line once again. An impressive kick from the fly half meant that Kingswood went into the 2nd half 17-3 down. Half Time:Ashley Down 17-3 Kingswood Right at the start of the 2nd half was when the game changed for Kingswood.With there scrums functioning well and turning over a couple of put ins on occasions, they then lost the services of Neil Ward who suffered a hand injury.Bramwell Beecroft came on as his replacement but Kingswood had suddenly lost an extra 8 stone in the scrums. Ashley Down then had a morale destroying 6 minute spell starting on the 44th minute in which they ran in 3 tries.Ashley Downs Backs were now becoming the main difference between the two teams as they ran in the tries taking the score to 36-3 There was then a small piece of consolation for Kingswood as two penalties gave Kingswood a lineout in the Ashley Down 22 and Matthew Davies broke from the back of the rolling maul and crashed over the line. 36-8 Ashley Down now had Kingswood all ends up in the scrums and were forcing them back at pace which was eradicating Kingswoods attacking options. 4 minutes after Kingswoods try, Ashley Down were back on the score sheet as No. 10 sent a long kick over the top of the Kingswood defence and No. 13s pace saw him reach the ball first and with a little kick through, fell on the ball to make the score 43-8 Kingswood then made their 2nd substitution as Derek James came off and Ian Kirley came on in his place for his first game back since December last year. Ashley Down ran in a further 2 tries before the end of the game and the score finished at 55-8 The final whistle sounded and Kingswood had crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season which all but ended there promotion hopes for the season.Kingswood should hopefully see the return of Captain and top try scorer Paul Allen next week, as well as Steve Trevelyan and Mike Oakley, but it doesnt get easier for Kingswood just yet, as they face a visit from the top team in the league, Cheltenham Civil Service. Full Time: Ashley Down 55-8 Kingswood --- Kingswood Vs Chipping Sodbury This week Kingswood faced Gloucester 1 opposition in the way of Chipping Sodbury in the Combination Cup, however, a stag-do combined with several injuries meant Kingswood were missing 11 players from their normal selection.Rob Lamb (Prop), Damien Crosswell (Hooker/Prop), Captain Paul Allen (Centre), Steve Trevelyan (Flanker), Mike Oakley (Prop), Ian Kirley (Centre/Wing), Paul Bennett (Full Back), Ben Phillips (Scrum Half), Steve Ridgeway (Scrum Half) and Derek James (Centre) were all unavailable for the match.As a result, Kingswood were forced to start with 3 Hookers in the front row and there were several call-ups from the 2nd XV. Despite the numerous changes to the team, Kingswood started the game brightly and were solid in the scrums and impressive in the lineouts.Kingswood had an early helping hand when Chipping Sodburys No. 7 was sin-binned on 9 minutes after a trip on Dean Stephens after he attempted a kick through the defence.Chipping Sodbury were also marched back 10 and this gave Dean Stephens a chance to kick for the posts. Unfortunately the muddy conditions made the conversion attempt difficult and despite a ball steadying hand from Neil Ward, the conversion attempt drifted wide. There was then more bad news for Kingswood as Anthony Davies was forced to leave the field with a shoulder injury but Bramwell Beecroft was on hand to fill his shoes. Possession during the game switched during the opening 30 minutes with Chipping Sodbury attacking well to begin with and then Kingswood retaliating with some lovely play to get deep in the Sodbury half.Both defences were playing well though and the game remained scoreless. Just after the half hour mark the game suddenly turned and saw its first points.Sam Massey finally fell out of favour with the referee and earned himself 10 minutes in the bin and from the resulting penalty, Sodbury put together a clever little move that seemed to confuse the Kingswood defence and No. 7 broke through the line to be left with a simple try under the posts.No. 12 converted and Chipping Sodbury now held a 0-7 lead. Despite the set back, Kingswood continued to battle on well which saw them control the remainder of the half but they could not turn their possession into points and the half ended with Kingswood trailing. Half Time:Kingswood 0-7 Chipping Sodbury Kingswood started the 2nd half as they finished the first and were rewarded with 2 penalties in Sodburys 22 but again they were unable to convert this into points. There was a brief rest bite for Sodbury before Kingswood attacked once again and this time a further string of penalties meant they contained Sodbury in their 22 but agonisingly for Kingswood Sodburys defence were holding firm and they could not find a way though. The only substitution for Kingswood in the 2nd half was when Rob Edwards, who wandered up from the 2nd team game, was utilised by replacing an injured Gareth Pond. The remainder of the half was an uneventful affair as both teams battled well and despite Kingswood deserving an equaliser, it sadly didnt come and Kingswood exited the cup upon the final whistle. Despite the result though, Kingswood can take a boost from their performance given the circumstances.Kingswood now face their most crucial game of the season as they prepare for 2nd placed Ashley Down on Saturday.A win is paramount if they wish to continue their push to gain promotion into Gloucester 1. Full Time: Kingswood 0-7 Chipping Sodbury Quote of the week: Ive Seen Lots Of People Who Arent Here Today A Beautiful Piece Of Insight From Adam Morris --- Old Elizabethans Vs Kingswood With last weeks disappointing defeat behind them, Kingswood travelled to Hallen to face Old Elizabethans, a team they have already played and beaten twice this season.Kingswoods absentee list increased this week with Mike Oakley missing from the front row and Ian Kirley, Paul Bennett and Derek James missing from the backs.Kingswood started with 2nd Row & Prop Replacement, Mark Oakley, in the Centre and Scrum Half, Dave Vince, at Full Back. Playing with the wind in the first half, Kingswood made an excellent start to the game with some good early pressure, although their penalty count was slightly high and this allowed the impressive boot of Old Elizabethans Fly Half to clear any danger. Despite the early pressure, it was a Kingswood mistake that lead to the first points of the game.A lineout in Old Elizabethans half was spilt by Kingswood and Es No. 10, who I dont believe played in the previous two games this season, was on hand to pick up the loose ball and weave in and out of some attempted tackles before setting off downfield.Whenever an attempted tackle was made, Es sent a quick pass to the support and the move ended with No. 7 crossing the line. No. 10 added the two points and Old Elizabethans held an early 7-0 lead Kingswood came back stronger from the restart and played the next 15 minutes in the Old Elizabethans half but the finishing was not quite there and Old Elizabethans managed to protect their line. There was an early set back for Kingswood as well when a recurring back problem meant that Ben Phillips had to come off and it was an early introduction for young Anthony Davies. The game then became a midfield battle but Dean Stephens boot was giving Kingswood occasional attacking opportunities which included an excellent kick to touch from the half way line which secured a lineout for Kingswood 5m out. Kingswood then suffered another setback when just after the half hour mark, some strong referring lead to Kingswood being march back twice which allowed No. 10 to convert the penalty kick and give Old Elizabethans a 10-0 lead And things went from bad to worse as Kingswood were adjudged to have been offside from the restart and from the resulting scrum, another Old Elizabethans break downfield resulted in a deft little kick through before No. 12 got down on the ball to give Old Elizabethans a 15-0 lead Right on the stroke of half time, Kingswood were awarded a penalty and Dean Stephens grabbed their first points of the game from the boot and Kingswood went into half time 15-3 down Half Time:Old Elizabethans 15-3 Kingswood Kingswood started the 2nd half the brighter of the two teams and showed their intent with an excellent rolling maul which was clearly pulled down but the referee didnt see anything wrong and Old Elizabethans escaped. An injured Alex Green then made way for Neil Ward With 12 minutes gone of the 2nd half, Kingswood were awarded another penalty and despite now kicking into the wind, Dean Stephens added the 3 points and Kingswood had clawed their way back to 15-6 Old Elizabethans were starting to show signs of tiredness which was allowing Kingswood to create more attacking opportunities.Dean Stephens this time with a lovely downfield run and despite appearing to ground the ball, the referee strangely awarded a 22 drop out to Old Elizabethans. Kingswood were now making good inroads and a try looked on the cards, more importantly for Kingswood, Old Elizabethans, even with the wind, were appearing to struggle to get out of their half. There was then more confusion for Kingswood as 4 attacks in the Old Elizabethans 22 ended in penalties but no penalty try, fortunately for Kingswood however, Old Elizabethans resistance was broken down just after the hour. Another Kingswood scrum 5m out was picked up by Mark McGarrigle who sent a quick pass out to Steve Ridgeway who in turn fed Anthony Davies on the wing and his strong running took him over the line to grab Kingswoods first try of the game. Dean Stephens was unable to add the conversion but Kingswood were now only 15-11 behind. Kingswood continued to control the game and once again crossed the Old Elizabethans try-line but again the referee determined the ball was held up, much to the disbelief of the Kingswood players. With the final few minutes approaching, Kingswood found themselves once more deep in the Old Elizabethans 22.A few more penalties got them to within a matter of feet of the try line before Steve Ridgeway took the quick tap penalty and gave the ball to Dean Stephens who rounded off his man of the match performance by slipping through the Old Elizabethans defence to grab Kingswood the lead for the first time in the game right at the death. Stephenss conversion was good and Kingswood now held a 15-18 lead with one minute left on the clock. Just when everyone on the side line thought the twists and turns in the game were over, there was once more to be had.Old Elizabethans placed Kingswood deep in their half with the restart but Kingswood managed to secure the ball.A few phases of crash ball edged Kingswood closer to the half way line and more importantly, over the 80 minute mark.But agonisingly for Kingswood, the referee deemed the manner in which the ball was sent out of play was illegal and Old Elizabethans were awarded a penalty.Kingswood thought they had escaped when Old Es decided to tap and run the penalty, but worse for Kingswood was when the referee decided they had not retreated the full 10 and awarded Old Elizabethans another penalty much closer to the posts.No. 10 stepped up and sent the ball through the uprights to bring the scores level at 18-18 just as the referee sounded the final whistle. So despite deserving the win, especially on the 2nd half performance, this result makes it no wins and two draws in the last 3 games for Kingswood.With Chipping Sodbury in the cup next Saturday and then a crucial league match away at Ashley Down the week after, Kingswood are hoping that their poor run of luck is over for the season. Full Time: Old Elizabethans 18-18 Kingswood --- Kingswood Vs Tetbury Kingswood faced Tetbury on Saturday in a game played in the worst conditions I have ever seen, so much so that this match report will be brief as my notes had completely disintegrated by the end of the game.No one knew if the game would go ahead but the referee decided 15 minutes before kick off that the game would be played but advised Kingswood that they should have a change of shirts ready for half time. With Mike Oakley, Ian Kirley and Derek James missing from action, there were call ups for Anthony Davies and Neil Ward with Paul Bennett also making a return. Tetbury started the stronger side and kept Kingswood pinned in their 22 with a series of cheeky kicks over the top into the Kingswood try area.The kicks over the top of the defence were not threatening to the score as Mark McGarrigle was always on hand at Full-Back to secure the 22 drop out, but the boggy conditions meant that the restarts could not clear Kingswood out of their half with the ball sticking in the mud. Despite the early pressure though, it was Kingswood that grabbed the lead with 9 minutes on the clock.A lovely breaking run by Paul Allen sent him deepdown field and before reaching the full-back, he sent a pass out wide to Mark McGarrigle who had a clear run in over the line.Despite an excellent kick, Ben Phillips conversion just drifted wide but Kingswood held a 5-0 lead The weather was proving to be a real leveller for both teams and it wasnt long before the sides became indistinguishable. Tetbury then managed to pull a try back on 19 minutes after a slippery rolling maul made its way over the line as difficult footing underground made it hard for Kingswood to halt the momentum.Agonisingly for Kingswood, Number 10s conversion was good and Tetbury now held the lead at 5-7 With Tetbury using the kicks over the top to keep Kingswood pinned back, the remainder of the half was a complete wash out and at some stages decisions were given incorrectly as neither team could be told apart. Half Time:Kingswood 5-7 Tetbury Kingswood changed shirts at half time but within 10 minutes this again had become totally worthless.Kingswood did start the 2nd half the better side and had a string of scrums 5m out but neither one could be capitalised on due to the conditions. With Kingswood seeing a lot more of the possession, it was ironically this that led to their downfall as the weather and pitch conditions meant that most attacks came to nothing. In fact, 3 consecutive Kingswood attacks ended with knock-ons which allowed Tetbury to clear their lines from the boot. Kingswood made 3 second half substitutions with Neil Ward, Anthony Davies and Dave Vince coming on and James Thorne, Steve Ridgeway and ? coming off. By now the game was pretty much farcical, with handling errors galore. The referee decided though that the game should go through to the full 80 minutes.With neither side being able to string any real chances together it meant that Tetburys conversion was enough to steal the game and it meant that Kingswood slipped to their first home defeat of the season. This now makes the top of the table close once again as 3 teams look like battling it out for the 2nd promotion spot behind Cheltenham Civil Service.Kingswood now travel to Old Elizabethans on Saturday where they hope to get their promotion push back on track. Full Time: Kingswood 5-7 Tetbury --- Thornbury Vs Kingswood With the absence of league fixtures, it has been exactly a month since Kingswoods first XV played their last competitive game. Saturdays trip to Thornbury brought the whole team back together in a match that they knew was going to be tricky.Upon arrival, Kingswood were asked if the game could be treated as a trials match so that Thornbury could rotate through the surplus players they had available from all their sides. Kingswood sportingly agreed despite only having 2 substitutes on the bench to use for the whole 80 minutes.Kingswood fielded almost a full strength team but one glaring change was the use of Prop Mike Oakley on the wing!Kingswood started the half playing down the sloping Thornbury pitch. The first quarter was a scoreless affair but it was nonetheless very entertaining as both teams tried various inroads to grab the lead but both defences were equal to any attacks.It was clear from the opening proceedings however that Kingswood were going to see a lot of ball coming from the scrums as their pack pushed Thornbury back on the opening exchanges. Just after the start of the 2nd quarter, Kingswood made a few minor adjustments with their 2 substitutes as Matt Davies made way for Gareth Pond and there was a first team debut for Anthony Davies who replaced Mike Oakley on the wing. There was still very little action approaching the half hour mark as again both teams cancelled each other out, but just when it seemed as though the half time score would be scoreless, Kingswood then went and grabbed the lead.Kingswood were attacking well and were awarded a lineout deep in Thornburys 22. The lineout was secured and a rolling maul steamrolled towards the line with terrific momentum as Thornbury struggled to contain it.The maul crashed over the line and despite Ben Phillips telling the ref that it was over, the referee deemed it was held up and gave Kingswood a scrum 5m out.Kingswood secured the scrum but despite the attempted pushover, the Thornbury pack refused to budge, so Ben Phillips quickly released the ball to the backs.Dean Stephens received the ball before sending a miss pass over the top of Mark McGarrigle to Derek James, who had the simplest of opportunities as he dove over the line.Ben Phillips was unable to grab the extras but Kingswood held a 0-5 lead just before half time. Half Time:Thornbury 0-5 Kingswood With more changes for Thornbury at half time and with Kingswood now playing up the slope, it didnt take too long before Thornbury had pulled the scores level.Thornbury were seeing a high number of penalties coming their way and with this aiding their movement into the Kingswood half, they secured a lineout in the Kingswood 22.A rolling maul was setup and despite Kingswood holding it in place, No. 8 broke from the back and slipped through to dive over the line in the corner. No. 10 was unable to grab the extra points and the scores were tied at 5-5 With Thornburys fresh legs on the field, they were seeing a lot more chances being created but Kingswood were holding firm and this was causing obvious frustration to Thornbury as the game began to turn slightly sour with a few off the ball incidents occurring. With less than a minute till the end of the 3rd quarter, Kingswood found themselves on the back foot defending their lines, however a strong tackle in the Kingswood 22 caused a spillage and Mark McGarrigle was on hand to scoop up the loose ball and run clear of the 22 before feeding the ball to Paul Allen who released the ball early to Brad Whiston on the wing.Still in his own half, Whiston set off up field and with his incredible pace it wasnt long before he was one on one with the Full Back.A lovely side step infield gave Whiston the clear run in and he got the ball over the line to complete an excellent counter attack from Kingswood.Ben Phillips was again unable to add the 2 points but the referee blew the whistle straight after the kick and Kingswood went into the final quarter 5-10 up The final quarter was probably the most impressive from Kingswood, despite Thornbury bringing the scores level again on 66 minutes.Kingswood were attacking but Thornbury managed to steal the ball and strong together a lovely counter-attacking move which was finished off with No. 19 getting the ball over the line.No. 10s conversion attempt struck the post which meant the scores were tied once again at 10-10 Despite this however, Kingswood pretty much dominated the last quarter of an hour, with lots of possession and territory and their scrummaging was also impressive as it continued to move the Thornbury pack back up hill. Kingswood should have stolen the win in the final 10 minutes as they attacked once again and Captain Paul Allen broke through a gap in the Thornbury defence and wove his way through several attempted tackles to bring the ball within feet of the line.However, with recent slatings for not passing the ball ringing in his ears, Allen unselfishly tried to offload the ball but it was agonisingly spilt and Thornbury managed to clear their lines. The last plays in the game were all Kingswoods and they were rewarded with a penalty in the Thornbury half with the last action of the game.Kingswood decided that they would go for the lineout and try and grab the victory via a forward move but a comical misunderstanding meant that their kick to touch actually ended the game.Kingswoods disappointment didnt last too long though as they soon realised that even a draw was an excellent result given the circumstances. Kingswood now look forward to returning to league action as they host Tetbury in another must win encounter. Full Time: Thornbury 10-10 Kingswood --- Kingswood Vs Cainscross Kingswood returned to their promotion campaign this week as they hosted bottom of the league Cainscross.It appeared during the week that Kingswood would field one of their strongest line-ups this season, however Kingswood unfortunately lost the services of Stan Bailey and Mike Oakley from the forwards come Saturday but they did welcome back into the centre Club Captain and top try scorer, Paul Allen.It was a bitterly cold afternoon and the pitch was showing signs of stress after the recent deluges of rain which was going to make things heavy underfoot. Kingswood started the stronger team and held the majority of the possession but despite some sustained pressure, they were unable to find a way through the Cainscross defence.Kingswood did however take a 3-0 lead in the 12th minute when Cainscross were penalised for not rolling away and Ben Phillips slotted home the kick. Kingswood continued to hold all the possession and the majority of the game was being played out in the Cainscross half of the pitch.It wasnt until the half hour mark however that Kingswood increased their lead.Cainscross were in possession of the ball but possession was lost during some impressive Kingswood rush defence play and the loose ball was gathered and a counter attack ensued before Rich Francis put in a lovely down field kick into the try area and Paul Allen marked his return by flinging himself through the air and securing the ball to grab his 12th try of the season. Ben Phillips missed the conversion and Kingswood now held an 8-0 lead. There were large periods of the first half that were uneventful, thanks mainly to the pitch conditions and the high number of penalties that were awarded, the majority going to Cainscross. Just before half time whistle sounded, Kingswoods pressure was still relentless and they were awarded a scrum 5m from the Cainscross try-line after a knock on.Kingswood secured the ball and a lovely switch run by Dean Stephens saw him take the ball blindside before passing the ball out wide to Ian Kirley who dived over in the corner. Ben Phillips was unable to add the two points and Kingswood went into the 2nd half 13-0 to the good. Half Time:Kingswood 13-0 Cainscross It only took Kingswood 2 minutes of the 2nd half before they increased their lead.A well worked lineout saw Steve Trevelyan break free before passing the ball to an advancing Dean Stephens who sliced open the Cainscross defence before popping the ball to a full paced Paul Allen who sold a lovely dummy pass to the full back before placing the ball under the posts for his 2nd try of the game.Ben Phillips added the two points and Kingswood now held a comfortable 20-0 lead One of Kingswoods main problems on the afternoon was the high number of penalties they were conceding which was allowing Cainscross to see more possession than perhaps they should have.On 54 minutes and with Kingswood pressing well, they conceded another penalty and Cainscross tapped quickly and broke up field. No. 11 set of on a long run before sending a high kick over the Kingswood defence and the ball landed nicely in Kingswood try area and No. 11 got down on the ball to grab the first points of the game for Cainscross. 20-5 3 minutes later, Kingswood made their only substitution of the game when Derek James made way for Brad Whiston, who was also making his return after a couple of weeks off. Kingswood then crazily let their comfortable lead slip further away on 69 minutes when an attempted long pass in the backs missed its intended target and No. 11 grabbed the opportunity to kick and run the ball all the way into Kingswood try area before getting the ball down for his, and Cainscrosss 2nd try of the game to make the score 20-10 Despite the lapses in concentration, Kingswood finished the stronger side and on 73 minutes, a Kingswood penalty was taken quickly and the ball fed through the hands of the backs before the ball found its way to Brad Whiston on the wing and his blistering pace easily allowed him to bypass two attempted tackles before getting the ball down over the line.Ben Phillips was able to add the extra points and Kingswood had increased their lead further to 27-10. The game was brought to an end and Kingswood had secured another league victory.The victory keeps Kingswood in 4th place for now and with all the top teams still to play each other, Kingswood are still on course for a promotion placed finish. Full Time: Kingswood 27-10 Cainscross --- Old Cryptians Vs Kingswood What was described as Kingswoods biggest game of the season so far saw them take a trip to last years Gloucester 1 relegation sufferers, Old Cryptians.The weather on the long journey north was shocking, with several sharp downpours of rain.Kingswood still without a few first team regulars did welcome back Damien Crosswell after recovering from his hand injury, but there were call ups for Dave Vince, J.P. Toffi, Rob Edwards, Dan Nicholls and James Thorne. The rain held off for the first half but the pitch was saturated with water and Kingswood knew that a 10 man game of rugby was likely to develop.Playing up the slope in the first half, Kingswood were lucky not to go behind with only 1 minute on the clock as a young referee stamped his authority on the game and awarded a penalty to Old Cryptians for Kingswood holding on. Luckily though, No. 10s conversion attempt was missed. Kingswood hit back straight away and with only 5 minutes on the clock they put together a lovely flowing move to grab the lead. Playing in the backs rather than his usual forwards position, Gareth Pond was influential in the move after he ripped the ball from Old Cryptians before releasing the ball to Derek James in the centre. A lovely dummy pass by James gave him a small amount of space to work with before releasing the ball to Ian Kirley who broke up the wing before feeding the ball back inside to Mark Oakley. Oakley powered up field but was tackled near the Cryptians try line.A ruck was secured less than 5m out on the left and some quick hands along the line in the backs finally saw Mark McGarrigle dive over to grab the first points of the game.Ben Phillips converted the kick despite having to place the ball on a training cone and Kingswood held an early 0-7 lead. 4 minutes after the try, Kingswood were penalised once again, this time for breaking the bind in the scrum and Old Cryptians once again kicked for the posts, but again No. 10 was unable to convert and Kingswood still held their lead. Old Cryptians then had a flurry of penalties awarded to them and this allowed them to utilise the excellent boot of their Fly Half to keep Kingswood pinned in their 22.Another penalty for Old Cryptians this time for Kingswood apparently interfering with the lineout jumper allowed Old Cryptians to kick to touch further down the pitch from which they setup a rolling maul before No. 1 drove over the line.No. 10s kicking was still not on form and he missed the conversion attempt and Kingswood held a much slimmer lead of 5-7 With the pitch cutting up badly all over the park, Kingswood were suffering in what is usually their key weapon, the scrums.Kingswood were being sent back on numerous occasions thanks to the work of the impressive Cryptians Props however Kingswoods rolling mauls were still on top form.Kingswood resisted the Cryptians pressure well and as the half time whistle sounded, Kingswood held on to their 5-7 lead Half Time:Old Cryptians 5-7 Kingswood There was a change for Kingswood at half time as they welcomed back Damien Crosswell into the fold when he replaced the always solid James Thorne in the front row.Kingswood were then however forced to make another substitution straight after as an injured Ben Phillips was forced to leave the field due to a back injury.Replacement Scrum Half Dave Vince was on hand though to replace him. With the pitch still not doing both teams any favours, the ball literally became bogged down in the middle of the park as both teams struggled to create any running rugby. The referee continued his strict command on the game as Kingswood were penalised for coming into the ruck off their feet.Verbal frustration at the decision then meant Kingswood were sent back 10 which allowed No. 10 a kick at the posts.Incredibly No. 10s unfortunate kicking continued as he missed his 4th kick of the game which meant Kingswood remained 5-7 in the lead. Kingswood were, rightly or wrongly, not seeing any of the penalty decisions coming their way which would have allowed them to increase their lead and ease the pressure.With an hour of the game gone and the rain now back to its usual torrential self, Kingswood were penalised for diving in and Old Cryptians were given another chance at the posts.No. 10 handed the kicking duties over to someone without a number on his shirt and unfortunately for Kingswood it done the trick and the penalty was successful and Kingswood were behind for the first time in the game 8-7 Kingswood were struggling to see much ball action as their disappointing scrummaging forced them to move the ball quickly which meant they were not allowed time to secure territory from the boot of their Fly Half, Dean Stephens. There was then further disappointment for Kingswood when with literally the last kick of the game, Old Cryptains were given a penalty for an alleged Kingswood offside and Number Unknown secured the win for Old Cryptians by converting in front the posts 11-7 The referee then ended the game which meant Kingswood were unable to inflict a first home defeat on Old Cryptians as they fell to their 2nd defeat of the season, placing them back down into 4th place.Kingswood now have a break from league action as they travel to Pilning in the Combination Cup, a team they havent played since their Gloucester 3 days back in the 05/06 season. Full Time: Old Cryptians 11-7 Kingswood --- Kingswood Vs Cheltenham Saracens Kingswood were back in league action this week with a visit from Cheltenham Saracens.Kingswoods list of absentees grew larger this week and with 6 first team regulars now missing, there were several calls-ups including 2nd XV captain Sam Massey and a place on the wing for John Comber who last played for the 1st XV four years ago. Kingswood started the game well and pressurised the Cheltenham defence from the kick off and within 5 minutes they had grabbed their first points. Cheltenham were penalised for coming in at the side and Ben Phillips knocked over the conversion attempt to give Kingswood a 3-0 lead 7 minutes later and Cheltenham had the opportunity to bring the scores level when they were rewarded a penalty for Kingswood not releasing.However, No. 13s conversion attempt was unsuccessful and the scores remained the same. In the 22nd minute and after some sustained pressure, Cheltenham Saracens then took the lead when they were awarded a penalty deep in the Kingswood half and the resulting lineout was secured before a rolling maul made its way towards the Kingswood try-line and No. 2 finished off the move to grab Cheltenhams first try of the game. 3-5 4 minutes later, Kingswood were pressuring deep in the Cheltenham half and looked as though they were going to grab their first try, however a kick over the top was charged down and Cheltenham put together a counter attack involving one long pass out wide to the wing which left No. 11 with a easy run in to incredibly increase Cheltenhams lead to 3-12 Just after the half hour mark Kingswood were awarded a penalty and Dean Stephens secured a lineout 5m from Cheltenhams try-line.The catch and drive was powerful and Mike Oakley was on hand to break from the back to get the ball down over the line. The conversion attempt from Ben Phillips was unsuccessful and Kingswood had pulled the scores back to 8-12 Cheltenham then had another opportunity to increase their lead when they once again charged down a Kingswood kick and the ball was lofted up field from the floor, the bouncing ball was chased by Saracens No. 13 who only needed to pick the ball up for an unchallenged run-in but fortunately for Kingswood the ball was knocked on instead and Kingswood secured the resulting scrum and cleared their lines. The last action of the first half went to Kingswood who spoilt a Saracens lineout and Mark Oakley was on hand to gather the loose ball and charge into the Cheltenham 22 before popping a lovely one handed pass behind him to the advancing Rob Lamb.A ruck was formed and the ball fed to Steve Trevelyan who powered his way over the line to grab Kingswood their 2nd try. Ben Phillips added the 2 extra points and Kingswood had grabbed the lead on the stroke of half time. 15-12 Half Time:Kingswood 15-12 Cheltenham Saracens Kingswood started strongly in the 2nd half and it only took them 4 minutes to capitalise on the pressure.Kingswood were awarded a penalty in the Saracens 22 and a quick tap by Ben Phillips saw him break towards the Saracens try-line before being tackled just short.A ruck was formed and the ball was released to the backs and John Comber celebrated his 1st XV call-up with a try in the far corner 20-12 Kingswood then made their first substitution as an injured Ben Phillips came off and Sam Massey came on. Shortly after, Matt Davies made way for James Thorne. With the hour mark approaching, Kingswoods forwards were beginning to dominate in the scrums and rolling mauls, making great ground with each one.Kingswood were awarded a scrum 5m out and the pack edged towards the Saracens try-line before Mark McGarrigle broke from the back and went over the line, however the referee deemed that the ball was held up.Kingswood tried again and Mark McGarrigle again broke for the line and this time to referee awarded the try.Ian Kirley took over kicking duties but could not make the long kick. 25-12 There was more of the same from Kingswood 8 minutes later as they put pressure on the Saracens defence and several crash balls took them closer to the Saracens try-line. The ball was fed to Dean Stephens who spotted a gap in the defence and broke through to come within inches of the line before being held up. Mark Oakley was on hand however to receive the offload and crash over the line to grab Kingswoods 5th try of the game. Ian Kirley missed the conversion attempt but Kingswood now held a 30-12 lead Kingswood were now controlling proceedings and the majority of the action was being played out in the Cheltenham half.With 72 minutes on the clock, Kingswood secured a lineout which moved with ease towards the Saracens line.Kingswood were handed the advantage after the rolling maul was collapsed by Saracens and when the penalty was eventually awarded, Mark McGarrigle took the quick tap and flung himself over some attempted tackles to slam dunk the ball over the line. Ian Kirley was again unable to add the conversion 35-12 Due to the late kick-off the light was poor and the referee ended the game a few minutes early to make it 7 wins out of 8 for Kingswood and push them up into 3rd place.Kingswood play their game in hand next week at a tricky fixture away at Old Cryptians. Victory next Saturday would see them leapfrog Ashley Down into 2nd place. Full Time: Kingswood 35-12 Cheltenham Saracens --- Midsomer Norton 2's Vs Kingswood Kingswood had a break from the pressures of the league this week and were drawn against Midsomer Norton 2nds in a friendly match.Midsomer Norton appeared to be sporting a few of their Somerset Premier players and with Kingswood missing 3 first team regulars, it had all the hallmarks of a great match. Despite Kingswood not having a warm up and two players arriving 5 minutes before kick off, they made a great start to the game when they grabbed a try within the first 2 minutes.A Norton penalty kick didnt find touch and the ball was skilfully caught by Mark McGarrigle who went on a surging run infield.It was then the turn of Mike Oakley to power up the centre of the park as a powerful run made great yards before the ball was released to Rich Francis.Francis skilfully let the ball bounce in front of him before sending a lovely little kick through which could not be secured by Norton and there was a mass of bodies on the floor before Rich Francis gratefully chased up his own kick to pick up the ball and dive over the line.Ben Phillips could not make the difficult conversion. 0-5 Kingswood were then caught napping as straight from the restart, Norton put together several phases of play and it ended with No. 7 going over.Norton also missed their conversion attempt and the score was now 5-5 with only 6 minutes on the clock. Kingswood had the chance to retake the lead 5 minutes later when they were awarded a penalty for Norton killing the ball. Ben Phillips conversion attempt had the accuracy but the ball seemed to scrape the wrong side of the crossbar and Norton secured the loose ball to clear their lines and keep the scores the same. Another 5 minutes went by and Kingswood finally managed to turn their pressure into points.A Norton scrum 5m from their try area was turned over by the impressive Kingswood pack and the scrum edged its way to the Norton try-line.It looked as though Mark McGarrigle would have the honour of grabbing the try but a Norton player had different ideas and ran around the scrum to kick the ball away.The referee had no option but to award Kingswood the penalty try.Ben Phillips had an easy conversion to make right under the posts and he did to make the score 5-12 4 minutes later and Norton then equalised again as they secured a lineout 5m from Kingswood line and some excellent hands in the backs found No. 13 who slipped through a gap in the Kingswood defence to grab a try under the posts. No. 16 added the conversion and the scores were level at 12-12 with 20 minutes on the clock. Just after the half hour mark, a Kingswood lineout missed its intended target and the ball ran loose to Nortons No. 8 who picked up the bouncing ball and ran over the line to hand Norton the lead for the first time in the game. 19-12 Norton were continuing to see a lot of possession and on the stroke of half time they increased their lead further when Kingswood defended an attack close to their line but the ball was popped off the floor to No. 11 who had space in front of him to dive over the line and give Midsomer Norton a first half lead. 24-12 Half Time:Midsomer Norton 2's 24-12 Kingswood It took only Kingswood 7 minutes of the 2nd half to pull some points back.Kingswood were pressuring well and Mike Oakley once again exploited some space in the Norton defence and burst through to give Kingswood the upper hand.The ball was played wide as the attack made its way down the pitch before reaching Ian Kirley who beautifully side stepped two Norton defenders to get the ball down over the line and secure the try and an easier kicking position.Ben Phillips added the 2 points with an excellent kick and the score was now 24-19 The possession in the game then kept switching for the next 15 minutes as both teams searched for that all important next try.Unfortunately for Kingswood it went the way of Norton as in a repeat of his first half try, No. 13 slipped through a gap in the Kingswood defence after a lineout and Norton now held a 31-19 lead Rich Francis then made way for Ben Nicholls. The game then turned a bit sour as No. 4 placed an elbow into the face of Gareth Pond during an attempted tackle and the game was halted as players from both teams showed their dissatisfaction.The referees 20th blast of the whistle finally worked as both teams settled down before No. 4 and Pond were both sinned for 10 minutes. From the resulting Kingswood penalty a lineout was secured and a nice catch and drive marched towards the Norton line before Mike Oakley dived over the line to grab Kingswoods 4th try of the game. Ben Phillips added the conversion and Kingswood now found themselves within a converted try of the lead. 31-26 With the final few minutes approaching, Kingswood then had the chance to grab the win as Mike Oakley once again broke through several tackles to be faced with a one on one with the Norton Full-Back.The tackle on Oakley was made but the offload agonisingly went forward and the chance had gone begging for Kingswood. The referee then ended what was an excellent game for the spectators and Midsomer Norton had grabbed the victory.Kingswood now prepare for an important league fixture against winless Cheltenham Saracens at home on Saturday. Full Time: Midsomer Norton 2's 31-26 Kingswood --- Cainscross Vs Kingswood Kingswood travelled to bottom of the league Cainscross this week in search of their 6th league win of the season.Kingswood had a few selection issues to contend with, top try scorer Paul Allen was unavailable along with pack regulars Damien Crosswell and Stan Bailey who were also out.Kingswood had heard rumours about the Cainscross sloping pitch and it didnt disappoint, and with a few divots chucked in for good measure, it was going to make the game unpredictable in certain phases meaning Kingswood would have to be on the ball. Playing with the slope in the first half, Kingswood showed their intent from the start with everyone committing 100% from the kick off which drove Cainscross instantly back into their 22.Kingswood made a few attempts to break the Cainscross defence but with 6 minutes on the clock, Kingswood settled for 3 points when Cainscross were penalised for holding on and Ben Phillips kicked the conversion to give Kingswood a 0-3 lead For the next 10 minutes, Cainscross battled back and had a good spell of pressure but Kingswoods defence was equal to it.Kingswood then showed their awesome potential with a lovely breakaway try covering all of 60 yards as Mark Oakley, Ian Kirley and Rich Francis broke free on a counter attack and with devastating passing took the Cainscross defence apart and Rich Francis finished off the slick move to score Kingswoods first try. Ben Phillips was unable to add the conversion and Kingswood now held a 0-8 lead There was more of the same 8 minutes later when two solid Kingswood scrums turned over Cainscross put-ins and from the latter some fast hands lead to a break by Ian Kirley who was tackled just short of the line.In their haste to defend the Kingswood attack, Cainscross were penalised for offside and Kingswood opted for the safety of 3 more points and Ben Phillips again kicked the penalty conversion, giving Kingswood a 0-11 lead Cainscross then had the chance to pull 3 points back from a penalty but No. 15s penalty kick struck the upright and some quick thinking from Kingswood saw Rich Francis secure the loose ball and clear Kingswoods lines. Kingswood continued to pressurise for the remainder of the half and made several damaging runs but the slope seemed to make the pace of the game a bit too quick at times and Kingswood were guilty of missed final passes and handling errors and the score remained 0-11 at half time. Half Time:Cainscross 0-11 Kingswood Cainscross started a lot brighter in the 2nd half and with the slope now in their favour, they moved with a lot of momentum and Kingswood were forced to give everything to defend their try-line. Kingswood made an early 2nd half substitution with Alex Green coming off and Dan Nicholls coming on. With 50 minutes on the clock, Cainscross then got their first points of the game after Kingswood were adjudged to have strayed offside and No. 15 converted to make the score 3-11 It only took Kingswood 4 minutes to respond to the Cainscross points when they were awarded a penalty in the Cainscross half. Dean Stephens kicked to touch and Kingswood secured the resulting lineout.A rolling maul drove its way up hill before Mark Oakley broke from the back to dive over the line and increase Kingswood lead. Ben Phillips was unable to add the extra 2 points and Kingswood now led 3-16 With the slope, Cainscross were able to gain more territorial advantage than the first half but Kingswoods defence was still resisting any attacks well and as a result, Cainscross rarely threatened to grab a try.On 59 minutes, Cainscross were however awarded another penalty for offside and despite the tricky cross field wind, No. 15 sent a lovely kick through the posts to pull the score back to 6-16 In a repeat of the first Cainscross penalty, Kingswood hit back straight from the restart.An up field kick by Kingswood gave Cainscross a lineout deep in their half.Kingswood competed well against the Cainscross lineout which had not been functioning well all game and it paid off as the ball was spilt onto the Cainscross side.A quick pass attempt to clear the spillage was missed and the ball ran loose from which Kingswood managed to secure the loose ball and form a ruck. Steve Trevelyan was on hand to scoop the ball up and despite two Cainscross defenders holding him up, Trevelyan managed to power his way over the line before elegantly spinning around and sitting down on the floor and placing the ball in-between his legs to grab Kingswoods 3rd try. 6-21 Kingswood then brought on James Thorne in place of Rob Lamb The game then turned into a scrummaging session for both teams as numerous scrums were awarded in the centre of the park.Kingswood had another chance to increase their lead as flowing backs move found Rich Francis out wide and a dummy pass took him to within inches of the Cainscross line but a strong tackle meant he could not quite get the ball over the line and Cainscross stayed firm to keep the scores the same. Kingswood also managed to resist any Cainscross attacks well and Mike Oakley emphasised this well with two crunching tackles in the centre of the park. Kingswood saw out the rest of the game in the Cainscross half but could not capitalise on their possession and the game ended with the score at 6-21.The result sees Kingswood remain 4th in the league but with a game in hand that could see them go 2nd and in to that crucial 2nd promotion place. Full Time: Cainscross 6-21 Kingswood --- Tetbury Vs Kingswood Kingswood's 6th league game of the season saw them take a visit northbound to old rivals Tetbury.Kingswood had a few injuries to contend with but a few call-ups meant Kingswood fielded a relatively strong team.The weather was blustery with frequent rain which was going to make handling very difficult for both teams. Kingswood made a perfect start to the game when a solid scrum drove Tetbury back which spoilt the oppositions put-in and Steve Trevelyan was on hand to scoop up the loose ball and make a break up the slope towards the Tetbury 22.Trevelyan was tackled but Mark McGarrigle was on hand to secure the ruck for Kingswood before the ball was fed through the hands of the backs out wide and Captain Paul Allen continued his impressive scoring form as he crossed the line with only 2 minutes on the clock. Ian Kirley took over kicking duties for an injured Ben Phillips but could not make the tricky conversion. 0-5 Kingswood continued to dominate Tetbury in the scrums and despite driving up hill, Kingswood had the Tetbury pack marching back at a fast pace. Tetbury had the chance to pull 3 points back when they were awarded a penalty on the 10 minute mark, however the conversion attempt was unsuccessful and the score remained the same. 4 minutes later and Kingswood were controlling the ball well despite the tricky conditions and were rewarded with a penalty in the Tetbury half.Dean Stephens secured the lineout with a kick to touch and a powerful catch and drive steamrolled towards the Tetbury line and Steve Trevelyan was on hand to get the ball down in the corner to give Kingswood their 2nd try in quarter of an hour.Ian Kirley stepped up for another conversion attempt out wide but this time his kick sailed between the uprights. 0-12 With the intensity of the rain increasing, both teams were guilty of unforced handling errors which was making the game very stop start.Tetbury then started using the slope to their advantage by keeping Kingswood in their own half but it wasn't until the 40th minute that Tetbury managed to get into Kingswood's 22.Kingswood's defence remained solid though and saw out the half strong to keep the score the same going into half time. Half Time:Tetbury 0-12 Kingswood Kingswood started strong in the 2nd half and were forcefully competing at the breakdowns, so much so that at one stage the Kingswood forwards managed to turn over what was a secured Tetbury ruck.The Kingswood backs were also doing their bit, most notably with 2 great downfield breaks by Paul Allen and Rob Edwards who both took the ball within a matter of feet of the Tetbury tryline. With the Kingswood scrum still dominating and being faced with a put-in 5m from the Tetbury whitewash, the game then changed as an injury forced Tetbury to go uncontested which meant Kingswood now had to change their style of play to counter this. Prop Rob Lamb then made way for Flanker Gareth Pond. Kingswood continued to dominate despite the uncontested scrums and on 50 minutes they were awarded a penalty and Ian Kirley converted well to make the score 0-15 Kingswood then made another change as Stan Bailey made way for Dan Nicholls. On the hour mark Kingswood were awarded a scrum which they obviously secured and the ball was sent to the backs.Paul Allen fed the ball to Ian Kirley who took a sly little side step before popping the ball to his left back to Paul Allen who ran a great line to break deep into the Tetbury 22.With the Tetbury winger facing a 2 on 1, Paul Allen managed a quick side step to free some space to run into and bag Kingswood's 3rd try. Ian Kirley once again converted from a long distance and Kingswood now held a 0-22 lead. With the scrums now uncontested, Tetbury were able to see a lot more possession in the areas that counted.On 68 minutes, Tetbury used a scrum in the Kingswood half to take the ball forward before they were awarded a penalty just short of the Kingswood try line. A quick tap penalty was taken and the ball sent out wide to No. 17 who dived over the line to give Tetbury their first points of the game. 5-22 The rest of the game was then a bit of a rain soaked wash out as both teams struggled to put together any real flowing moves thanks to the weather.Kingswood did however see the game out in control and at the final whistle had bagged another two points to secure 3rd spot in the league. Full Time: Tetbury 5-22 Kingswood Quote of the Week: "I've seen quicker things come out of apples" - Club President Chris Cooper comments on some slow Kingswood ball. --- Kingswood Vs Old Elizabethans After only a month since they last met, Kingswood had a visit from their Bristol rivals, Old Elizabethans, this time in a Gloucester 2 league fixture. The last time the two teams met, a late Kingswood collapse made the score line a lot closer than it should have been and Kingswood were determined to not let that happen again this week. The game started off quite slowly with neither team creating any real point scoring opportunities as both teams exchanged kicks to gain the all important territorial advantage.The possession exchanged hands as first Kingswood put Old Elizabethans under pressure before they went off the boil and were placed on the back foot. With very little happening in the first 15 minutes, the sideline was then woken as Gareth Pond broke through the Old Es defence on course to grab his first try for the club, however he was tackled just short of the line and Kingswood were eventually penalised for holding on. Kingswood were now getting into their stride after the slow start and in the 21st minute they grabbed the lead as they were awarded a penalty and Ben Phillips slotted home the kick. 3-0 Lifted from the score, Kingswood continued to assert pressure for the next 5 minutes with a series of crash balls which made hard yards up the field.The ball was finally sent back to Dean Stephens who sent a lovely cross field kick over to the far side of the pitch, Ian Kirley got to the ball first and with a deft little kick into the try area, he rounded his opposite number to dive on the ball and give Kingswood their first try of the game. Ben Phillips was unable to convert the tricky touchline conversion. 8-0 This was to be the last real action of the first half as Kingswood found themselves on the receiving end of some harsh decisions which meant they could not capitalise on their forward momentum as a flowing game was not allowed to develop. Half Time:Kingswood 8-0 Old Elizabethans 9 minutes into the 2nd half, Kingswood were forced into a change as an injured Alex Green was replaced by Mark McGarrigle.McGarrigles first action on the field was a scrum from which he picked up the ball from his Number 8 position and set off on a powerful run, aided by Steve Trevelyan who was close in support. The two players exchanged passes brilliantly as they took the ball deep into the Old Es 22. A ruck was formed and the ball was sent out to the backs where Paul Allen received the ball and with a lovely dummy, created space in the Old Es defence to dive through and grab Kingswoods 2nd try. Ben Phillips could not add the extra 2 points. 13-0 There was then a double substitution for Kingswood as Ben Lambert made way on the wing for Brad Whiston and a few minutes later and injured Tom Lovell was replaced by James Thorne. With 65 minutes of the game gone, Old Es found themselves stuck in their half of the pitch as Kingswood pressed well to limit counter attacking opportunities.The pressure was working well as Old Es struggled to string passes together and an excellent Kingswood tackle forced the ball to run loose and Mike Oakley reacted first to boot the ball into the Old Es try area and out pace everyone to get there first and secure Kingswoods 3rd try. Ben Phillips missed the conversion but Kingswood now lead 18-0. Kingswood were now cruising and 10 minutes later found themselves deep in Old Es 22 again as they searched for their 4th try of the game.Kingswood were crashing balls at the break down as they inched closer to the try-line but a determined Old Es defence was trying its hardest to keep them out. Eventually though a chink in the defence was found as Steve Trevelyan powered through one tackle and pirouetted past another to fall over the line to give Kingswood their 4th try. Ben Phillips added the conversion and Kingswood now had a comfortable 25-0 lead. Kingswood saw out the game in control and as the final few minutes of injury time approached, they had one more attack when they were awarded a scrum just outside the Old Es 22. Mark McGarrigle again picked up and made good yards before being tackled. Paul Allen was on hand to pick up the loose ball and make good ground before also being tackled. The resulting ruck was secured and the ball fed to Dean Stephens who sold a dummy to create a gap in the defence which he ran through to grab Kingswood a 5th try. Ben Phillips converted with a cheeky little drop kick and Kingswood had increased their lead to 32-0. The game was brought to an end a few minutes early by the referee after an Old Es player suffered a bad injury and Kingswood had secured their 4th league win of the season to keep themselves in 3rd spot, level on points with 2nd placed Old Cryptians. Full Time: Kingswood 32-0 Old Elizabethans --- Southmead Vs Kingswood Kingswood faced a challenging trip this week to Southmead to play in the EDF Junior Vase Cup against last years Combination Cup winners.Tom Lovell was called up to the 2nd row due to Neil Wards upcoming operation and Mark McGarrigle was brought in as Full Back due to Paul Bennetts knee injury. Kingswood appeared to have made a disastrous start to the game when Southmead looked as though they had grabbed themselves a try with only a minute on the clock, but fortunately for Kingswood, the Southmead player was tackled out of the tiny try zone by Ben Phillips and Kingswood had been let off for their sleepy start. Kingswood then pulled their fingers out and started playing some impressive rugby.Mark Oakley led the defensive line with a series of crunching tackles early on and the Kingswood forwards were also showing their intent with excellent scrummaging and driving mauls. It wasnt long however until the skill difference between the two teams shone through and with 11 minutes on the clock, No. 13 crossed the Kingswood try-line after several phases of play.5-0 There was only another 3 minutes on the clock when Southmead were awarded a lineout in the Kingswood 22 and an impressive rolling maul drove its way over to give Southmead their 2nd try of the game. 10-0 Kingswood continued to give it their all despite the early set back and this was demonstrated by two impressive tackles by Captain Paul Allen. Kingswood were battling hard but there was a further set back for them when despite their resistance, Kingswood conceded a scrum in their 22 and after securing their ball, Southmead released the backs and some fast hands saw No. 15 cross the Kingswood line. 17-0 Kingswood continued to press however and began to build a good spell of pressure.Their persistence was rewarded when Kingswood secured a penalty after a weaving run by Ian Kirley led to Southmead not rolling away and Ben Phillips stepped up to slot the penalty kick between the posts. 17-3 Kingswood looked determined to add to the 3 points and from the restart they had another good spell of pressure. The Kingswood forwards were crashing balls either side of the breakdown to create dents in the Southmead defence and it was working well with Kingswood forcing their way closer and closer to the Southmead try-line. Unfortunately for Kingswood, Southmead managed to force a spillage and cleared the ball up field from the floor and a horrible bounce put the Kingswood defence under pressure and Southmeads No. 13 was on hand to scoop up the bouncing ball to agonisingly give Southmead their fourth try. 24-3 There was then an injury blow for Kingswood as Alex Green was forced to leave the field and was replaced by Matt Davies. On the stroke of half time, Southmead then put together another excellent move through the backs and No. 13 crossed the Kingswood try-line to secure him a first half hat-trick. 31-3 Half Time:Southmead 31-3 Kingswood Southmead started the 2nd half like they had ended the first and No. 10 crossed the try line with only 7 minutes of the 2nd half gone after Kingswood were guilty of missed tackles. 38-3 With the game effectively over as a competition for Kingswood, they could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop, but this was not the case and Kingswood then went on to give their most impressive half of rugby this season. After a tactical decision that altered their style of play, Kingswood started putting together some excellent phases of play and were rewarded with a couple of scrums 5m from Southmeads try line but Southmeads defence were holding firm, defending several waves of Kingswood attacks.Despite this, Kingswood continued to hold Southmead in their half. There was then a return for Mike Oakley who came on to replace an injured Matt Davies. Kingswood continued to keep the pressure on Southmead and were rewarded with a penalty on 64 minutes and Kingswood opted for the conversion attempt but unfortunately the long distance kick was unable to be converted by Ben Phillips. The entire 2nd half only saw Southmead venture into Kingswoods half on a few occasions and even then Kingswoods defence was solid which was a credit to them given the score line. The last action of the 2nd half again saw Kingswood awarded with several scrums 5m from the Southmead try-line and a try would have been more than deserved.Kingswood secured the final scrum and several rucks took them closer to the try-line but a final solo dive for the line saw Tom Lovell bring the ball within inches of their just reward but a solid Southmead defence tackled him just short and with no support the ball was turned over and Southmead cleared their lines. The referee ended the game and Kingswood had unfortunately exited the cup, but against the defending Combination Cup champions, Kingswood can take a lot of positives, especially from the 2nd half performance. Full Time: Southmead 38-3 Kingswood --- Cheltenham CS Vs Kingswood Kingswood were back in league action this week with a long journey up the motorway to play last seasons Gloucester 1 relegation sufferers, Cheltenham Civil Service. Kingswood started the game well and for the first 5 minutes they kept Cheltenham in their 22, Kingswood unfortunately could not turn pressure into points and eventually Cheltenham managed to clear their lines.For the next 10 minutes the game was an evenly contested affair in the middle of the park as both teams cancelled each other out. It was then the turn of Cheltenham to put Kingswood under pressure, but like Cheltenham, Kingswoods defence was holding firm.There was then an early set back for Kingswood as Ben Phillips suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Sean Voisey. It wasnt until the 29th minute that the game saw its first points and unfortunately for Kingswood, they went the way of Cheltenham. Kingswood were awarded a scrum 5m from their own try-line and the ball was sent back into the try area for the kick downfield, unfortunately for Kingswood, the referee blocked the view of the flight of the ball which was spilt and Cheltenhams No. 6 reacted first to get the ball down for their first try.5-0 With Kingswood now clear of their 22, they began to put together some excellent phases of play to put the pressure back on Cheltenham.Just when things were looking better for Kingswood, they suffered another set back when Neil Ward was also injured and had to be replaced by Matt Davies. Kingswood managed to keep the pressure on Cheltenham and it finally paid off with the last action of the first half when a solid Kingswood scrum 10m out was sent to the backs and Full Back Paul Bennett received a lovely pass at full pace to crash through the Cheltenham defence to bring the scores level. Ian Kirley took over kicking duties from the injured Ben Phillips but was unable to add the extra two points and the teams went in level at half time. 5-5 Half Time:Cheltenham CS 5-5 Kingswood Having battled their way to an even score at half time, Kingswood made a terrible start to the 2nd half when after only 8 minutes of the half gone, they fell behind again after Cheltenham were awarded a scrum 5m out and No. 8 crashed over the line. No. 10 added the conversion and Kingswood found themselves 12-5 down. Kingswood then started to fight back and had a good spell of possession in the Cheltenham half of the pitch, Cheltenham however defended well and a long clearance downfield into touch once again placed Kingswood in their half and on the back foot. On 65 minutes the game saw another try as Kingswood conceded a penalty just in front of their try line and a quick tap penalty from No. 3 saw him crash over the line. No. 10 added a lovely touchline conversion to increase Cheltenhams lead to 19-5 Cheltenham were now controlling proceedings but some dogged Kingswood defending was keeping them at bay.That was until the 80th minute when Cheltenham secured a lineout before a ruck was finally formed and No. 11 ran over from close range to make the score 26-5 Kingswood continued to battle on however and deep into injury time their determination paid off as they were awarded a penalty in the Cheltenham half. The penalty was taken quickly and the ball sent to the backs before it eventually arrived in the hands of Paul Allen and with a lovely side step, he found a gap in the Cheltenham defence and he ran over to grab Kingswood a consolation try right on the stroke of full time. Ian Kirley was unable to add the two points. 26-10 The final whistle sounded and Kingswood had fallen to their first defeat of the season. Despite this, they are still occupying 4th spot in the league and if they secure a victory next week at home against 3rd place Ashley Down, a promotion push will well and truly be on. Full Time: Cheltenham CS 26-10 Kingswood Quote Of The Week: Ben Phillips comments on the Cheltenham Area sign: Ooh Cheltenham Arena! --- Kingswood Vs Old Elizabethans Kingswood had a break from league action this week with a match in the EDF Energy Cup.Kingswood were given a bye through the first round and joined the competition in the 2nd round where they were drawn at home against their fellow Gloucester 2 opponents, Old Elizabethans. The first 9 minutes of the game saw few point scoring opportunities, however Kingswood were seeing the majority of the possession.It wasnt long however until Kingswood did make their possession count when on 10 minutes Old Elizabethans were penalised for not rolling away and Ben Phillips slotted home the penalty kick to give Kingswood the first points of the game. 3-0 From the restart Kingswood continued to dominate the game and kept Old Elizabethans pinned in their half.On 16 minutes, Old Elizabethans were awarded a lineout 7m from their own try-line but Kingswood competed well and managed to gather the loose ball. Kingswood then put together several excellent phases of crash balls gaining excellent ground with each one until Mike Oakley eventually powered with his way through the Old Elizabethans defence to grab Kingswoods first try of the game. Ben Phillips was unable to add the conversion. 8-0 It wasnt until the 20th minute that Old Elizabethans managed to play the game in the Kingswood half and a good run by the Old Es winger saw them reach the Kingswood 22, but some excellent pressure by the Kingswood defence finally drove Old Es back and eventually forced a knock-on just inside the Kingswood half. On 25 minutes a long kick downfield by Dean Stephens was collected by the Old Elizabethans Full-Back but the attempted clearance was sliced and Stephens was on hand to scoop up the bouncing ball and run in field before sending a pass to Paul Allen who then made a short burst before dragging in the Old Es winger and then sending a pass to Winger Brad Whiston who got the ball down over the line. Despite the difficulty of the kick, Ben Phillips slotted home the conversion from on the touchline to give Kingswood a healthy 15-0 lead. 36 minutes gone and Kingswood were dominating the game and still seeing all the possession.Kingswood put together a lovely attacking move but had to settle for a penalty and Ben Phillips kept the score board ticking over with another 3 points just before half time. 18-0 Half Time:Kingswood 18-0 Old Elizabethans At half time, an injured Mike Oakley was replaced by Neil Ward Kingswood placed Old Elizabethans under pressure straight from the restart and were awarded a scrum 10m from the Old Es try-line.A solid scrum by Kingswood gave the Kingswood backs a solid attacking platform and some fast hands saw Full Back Paul Bennett go over in the corner with only 1 minute of the 2nd half gone.Ben Phillips was unable to add the extra 2 points. 23-0 With 48 minutes on the clock, Kingswood put together another lovely flowing move in the backs that eventually lead to a break by Paul Allen but he was eventually tackled in the Old Elizabethans 22. Neil Ward was on hand from the resulting ruck to crash the ball to within inches of the Old Es try-line but Kingswood were awarded a penalty and decided to take the 3 points from which Ben Phillips easily converted from in front the posts. 26-0 With the game looking well and truly won by Kingswood, there was then a spectacular change in the story of the game.On 52 minutes Kingswood conceded a penalty in their 22 and Old Es took the tap quickly and sent the ball out to No. 14 who wriggled through some attempted tackles to give Old Es their first points of the game. 26-7 Kingswood then suffered another loss through injury as Winger Rich Francis came off with a neck injury and Sean Voisey came on. 67 minutes on the clock and Kingswood conceded another penalty in their 22 but despite an injury to Neil Ward, the penalty was allowed to be taken quickly.Kingswood defended well but Old Es were awarded another penalty and despite now having 2 injured players on the floor, another quick penalty was taken and No.6 managed to get the ball down over the line to give Old Elizabethans their 2nd try of the game. 26-14 On 71 minutes Scrum Half Ben Phillips was replaced by Derik James. With 5 minutes of the game remaining, Kingswood were doing their best to clear their lines and keep Old Es from gaining anymore points. However they were still conceding too many penalties and No. 9 was able to slip over the Kingswood try line for Old Es third try of the 2nd half to amazingly bring the game within 7 points. 26-19 Despite the late collapse, Kingswood held on to remain unbeaten for the season and book their place in the next round of the cup.Kingswood now face a top of the table clash against Cheltenham Civil Service in the league next week. Full Time: Kingswood 26-19 Old Elizabethans --- Westbury OS Vs Kingswood Kingswood's 2nd league fixture of the season saw them take the long coach journey to Westbury On Severn. The last time the two teams met at Westbury, it was a low scoring affair, so Kingswood knew they would have to work hard for a victory.Kingswood did not make the best start to the game when they conceded a penalty, from which Westbury kicked to touch to secure themselves a lineout.The ball made its way to No. 10 and he sold a lovely dummy and broke through the Kingswood defence to grab the first try of the game.He also added the conversion to give Westbury a strong 4th minute lead. 7-0 2 minutes later and Kingswood conceded another penalty for handling in the ruck but Westbury's No. 10 was unable to convert.For the next 20 minutes the game was a very scrappy affair and on the narrow Westbury pitch, Kingswood were finding it hard to play expansive rugby and the Westbury defence was defending its lines well against the Kingswood forwards. On 27 minutes, Kingswood were awarded a penalty and Ben Phillips stepped up and gave Kingswood their first points of the game. 7-3 Westbury were then reduced to 14 men after their No. 8 was binned for violent conduct.Kingswood were now starting to get into the game but were still finding it hard work to penetrate the Westbury defence, whose tactics on the small pitch were working well. Deep into first half injury time, Westbury were awarded a penalty in their half from which they secured a lineout and it looked as though Kingswood would be entering the 2nd half 4 points down.However, the ball was secured by Westbury and as the ball was sent to the backs, Dean Stephens burst forward and intercepted a pass which left him with an unchallenged run over the Westbury line. Ben Phillips converted and Kingswood incredibly had a 7-10 lead as the half time whistle sounded. Half Time:Westbury OS 7 - 10 Kingswood Kingswood started the 2nd half well and there was only 7 minutes on the clock before they scored their next points.Westbury were awarded a scrum 5m from their own try line but the Kingswood pack drove well and secured the ball.A Kingswood attack was defended well by Westbury and Kingswood had to settle for the put in at the next scrum.The scrum was secured by Kingswood and Steve Trevelyan broke free but was tackled just short of the Westbury whitewash, a ruck was formed and Ben Phillips released the backs and a flowing move between Dean Stephens then Paul Allen saw a final pass to Ian Kirley, who dived over the line to grab Kingswoods 2nd try of the game.Ben Phillips again added the two extra points. 7-17 The game then became awash with penalty kicks which was the ideal option on the short and narrow Westbury pitch.The first penalty was awarded to Westbury in the 56th minute after Kingswood were adjudged to have been offside and No. 10 stepped up to convert the 3 points. 10-17 2 minutes later and it was now Kingswoods turn to reply after Westbury were penalised for obstruction.Ben Phillips converted to give Kingswood back their 10 point advantage. 10-20 3 minutes later, Westbury were awarded the next penalty after Kingswood were penalised for not retreating 10.Again No. 10 stepped up and Kingswoods lead was reduced back to 7 points. 13-20 On 67 minutes, Westbury were awarded another penalty but this time No. 10 was unable to convert and Kingswoods lead remained at 7 points. Kingswood were then awarded a penalty in the Westbury half and they chose to take the 3 points but the game was stopped for an injury. When the game restarted, the decision was incorrectly reversed by mistake and a quick kick downfield by Westbury put an unprepared Kingswood defence under pressure. Kingswood were eventually penalised for holding on and Westburys No. 10 converted the resulting penalty kick to bring Kingswoods lead down to just 4 points. 16-20 There was then a break from all the 3 point penalty kicks as the game was played out in the centre of the park.That was until deep into injury time when Kingswood were awarded another penalty for offside and Ben Phillips calmly slotted another kick between the uprights to make the game safe for Kingswood. 16-23 A hard-fought game then came to an end and Kingswood had secured their 2nd league victory in as many weeks.Kingswood now have a cup match at home to look forward to on Saturday against league opponents, Old Elizabethans. Full Time: Westbury OS 16 - 23 Kingswood Quote Of The Week: Tim Brain congratulating Ben Phillips on an excellent conversion: Thats it Ben, split the beaver --- Kingswood Vs Smiths Industries After missing out on promotion last season by an agonising 3 points, Kingswood started this seasons campaign for promotion at home to newly promoted Smiths Industries.The weather was scorching and there was hardly any wind, which meant it was going to be hard work for the first competitive game of the new season. Kingswood started well and forced Smiths back into their own half straight from the kick off and continued to pressurise the Smiths pack deeper into their 22. Dean Stephens setup Kingswood's first chance of the game with a chip over the top of the defence into the try area, but Adam Morris was adjudged to have knocked on during his dive for the ball. However, Kingswood's pressure paid off in the 9th minute when Smiths were penalised after handling in their own scrum and Ben Phillips converted an easy penalty kick. 3-0 For the next ten minutes the match was contested in the middle of the park but Kingswood were ultimately seeing most of the possession.On 19 minutes Kingswood were awarded a free kick from a scrum which Ben Phillips took quickly and made a break downfield before passing the ball to Mike Oakley. The ball was then given to Paul Allen who broke through the Smiths defensive line and ran in for the first try of the game.Ben Phillips added the conversion. 10-0 On 24 minutes, Smiths were awarded a penalty for Kingswood holding on and they opted to go for the 3 points which No. 10 converted. 10-3 Kingswood kept the pressure on Smiths for the remainder of the half but handling errors and penalties were preventing them from gaining anymore points before half time.Just before the whistle, an injured Ben Phillips was replaced by Derek James. Half Time:Kingswood 10 - 3 Smiths Industries Kingswood started the 2nd half well and it only took them 5 minutes before they made their pressure pay off.A lineout by Smiths was spoilt by Kingswood and Steve Trevelyan pounced on the bouncing ball first and broke through the Smiths line making great ground before being confronted by the Smiths Full-Back. Some quick thinking by Trevelyan saw him send a cross field kick into the far corner and Paul Allen was on hand again to pick up the ball and cross the Smiths tryline for his, and Kingswood's, 2nd try of the game. Dean Stephens added the two points. 17-3 5 minutes later and Kingswood were now playing with the confidence they showed at the end of last season.Smiths were awarded a scrum but the Kingswood pack drove well and caused a spillage at the back from which Steve Trevelyan was on hand once again to pick up the loose ball before sending the ball to the backs.Paul Allen received the ball and with a lovely dummy pass he created a gap in the Smiths defence which he exploited before running the ball in for his hat-trick. 22-3 Smiths did have a chance to double their tally when they were awarded a penalty on 54 minutes, but No. 10 was unable to convert.The last half an hour was played out without any more points being scored, but a plus for Kingswood was Vice Captain Mark Oakley playing out the last 10 minutes after recovering from a back injury. So despite not playing at their full potential, Kingswood secure a convincing win and with 4 first team regulars coming back in the next few weeks, things are looking good for another promotion push this season. Full Time: Kingswood 22 - 3 Smiths Industries --- Old Colstonians 2's 0 - 79 Kingswood After what has seemed like an eternity, Kingswood finally got ready for their 07/08 campaign with a friendly match against Old Colstonians 2nd XV.There were call ups for 3rd XV Hooker James Thorne and 2nd team Vice Captain James Dicks who have both been impressive in Pre-Season training. Watching from the sideline was injury hit Mark Oakley (Back), Ian Kirley (Shoulder) and Alex Green (Ribs). Both teams were quite clearly glad to be back and eager to play as the opening 5 minutes was a very scrappy encounter.Kingswood did calm down however and seemed to take control of the game, especially in the scrums were they looked impressive. With 11 minutes on the clock, Kingswood were awarded a scrum 5m out from which they secured the ball comfortably, Mark McGarrigle picked up and ran for the line only to be tackled within inches of the whitewash.Matthew Davies was on hand however to scoop the ball from the ruck and get to the line and with a helpful shove from Neil Ward, grabbed Kingswood the first points of the game.Ben Phillips was left with the difficult challenge of converting from near the touchline but his first kick of the game incredibly sailed through the uprights to grab the extra 2 points. 0-7 With only 3 minutes gone from their opening try, Kingswood went on the offensive again and were awarded a penalty when Colstonians were penalised for coming in at the side.Dean Stephens sent a lovely kick downfield which earned a lineout for Kingswood 10m out. The lineout was secured and a rolling maul ensued before Neil Ward broke from the pack and powered his way over the line.Ben Phillips was unable to add the conversion. 0-12 Almost instantly Kingswood were awarded a scrum from which the ball was sent to Dean Stephens who spotted space downfield and sent a well placed kick into the Colstonian 22.The Colstonians full-back secured the ball but was promptly tackled and Kingswoods new Captain, Paul Allen, was on hand to receive the ball from the ruck and run in for Kingswoods 3rd try in 7 minutes. Ben Phillips once again added the 2 points. 0-19 On 25 minutes Old Colstonians were awarded a lineout which they secured, however the Kingswood forwards pounced quickly and managed to successfully rip the ball back and setup another attacking platform.The ball made its way into the hands of Dean Stephens who spotted a gap in the Colstonians back line and broke through to set off on a downfield charge before passing the ball out wide to Adam Morris who had an easy run in over the line.Dean Stephens was unable to add the extra two points. 0-24 Kingswood continued to play well and made sure that any possession for Colstonians was short lived.With half time rapidly approaching, Colstonians were in possession, but under pressure from Kingswood the ball was spilt by their backs which left Paul Allen with an easy pickup and free run over the try line before adding the two points from a drop-kick.031 Half Time:Old Colstonians 2's 0 - 31 Kingswood Kingswood started the 2nd half as they finished the first by placing Old Colstonians on the back foot from the off.Colstonians were awarded a lineout in their half but Mark McGarrigle rose well to secure the ball for Kingswood.The ball was sent to the backs and an excellent running move effortlessly made its way downfield with excellent support play before the move was finished off by Steve Trevelyan who had an easy run in over the line before adding the drop goal conversion. 0-38 It was a further quarter of an hour before Kingswood added to their points tally. Kingswood were awarded a scrum from which the ball was sent to Paul Allen who popped a beautiful pass to Cousin Brad whose blistering pace took him comfortably over the try-line.Ben Phillips added the two points.0-45 From this point on Kingswood were cruising and scored a further 6 tries with less than 3 minutes between each one.The first came from a quickly taken lineout from which Steve Trevelyan and Mark McGarrigle combined well to avoid attempted tackles before the ball found its way to Ben Lambert who grabbed himself a try.Ben Phillips was unable to add the conversion.0-50 3 minutes later and Damien Crosswell was the next Kingswood player to grab himself a try after a Kingswood lineout 5m out formed into a rolling maul from which Crosswell got himself over the line. Ben Phillips was again unable to add the two points. 0-55 2 minutes later and Kingswood secured a scrum deep in Colstonians half and the ball found its way to Sam Massey who bulldozed his way through the Colstonians defence before being tackled just short of the line. Massey popped the ball beautifully to a supporting Neil Ward who twisted well to get the ball down over the line.Ben Phillips then added the two points with an impressive drop kick from out wide. 0-62 Another 2 minutes passed and Old Colstonians once again found themselves on the back foot when their Full-Back was tackled deep in their own 22. Kingswood rucked well and turned over possession from which the ball was passed out to Dean Stephens who had the simplest of run-ins before securing the extra 2 points from the drop kick. 0-69 The next try came straight from the restart when James Dicks, Mark McGarrigle, Neil Ward, Ben Lambert combined brilliantly with some champagne rugby and great support play before the move was finished off by Sam Massey. Unfortunately his drop kick was not so spectacular and Kingswood were unable to gain the extra points. 0-74 The final try came straight from the restart once again when Dean Stephens and Paul Allen seemed to single handily run the ball the entire half of the pitch before Paul Allen finished off the move to grab his hat-trick of tries for the day. It was then the turn of Paul Allen to miss in front the posts! 0-79 The game was then brought to a close by the referee and Kingswood ended comfortable winners but now face their first league game of the season at home to newly promoted Smiths Industries which, by this result, should be a highly entertaining game. Full Time: Old Colstonians 2's 0 - 79 Kingswood 3`   h+NhQg h+N0Jh+Nh+NB*CJaJph9$E 3a&f!"|#$%`($a$gd+N$a$gd+N$a$gd+N `(C)j)#+ .0268:[;;;;<=?AsBDDEEFPI5KL*O}O$a$gd+N}OiP6RSTTTT7VWXZZ\P]_Y``ceg1j~jSkzk~kkPmMop$a$gd+Np`su$v wwwywzX{{|$~~~~~"׃?OcQ$a$gd+NQx|F$T͔ҕJ"SWrUxFnФy$a$gd+Nyc%5fӴA (|pEp$a$gd+Np:w1.'Q@% $a$gd+N  6&o$a$gd+NQ<=` V 24Y]u~; $a$gd+N!"###$%'(++-//G11i356790949U9:;<=$a$gd+N=S?@KB&DUDEFHJLM-N1NRNORSTWGX2YqZZ\],^v_`$a$gd+N`abbbc-efhjjkllkmmnpqttv#wKxpxtxxy*||$a$gd+N|p}m!CƂÉHLjҎِȑ<:jћ$a$gd+Nћ͜<~Hͤ:iG0Ь`1UYt$a$gd+Nme A 4skcjEU~޿ 5tv$a$gd+Nv[1.&]$a$gd+N^U2'HG6~  $a$gd+N  gd+N6&P 1h:pB. 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