Sidcup avenge defeat

Sidcup 3’s played their re-rearranged fixture against Dartfordians 2XV on a remarkably sunny end-of-February afternoon. With Charles Sunley now strolling around the world and Joel Leighton packing his bags to spend the summer in NZ, Sidcup were fortunate to welcome former Academy Captain back from University and prop-cum-publican Nick King back from the bar. Though Alex has been converted to the Backrow for his higher education, (it is a thinking man’s position) Alex was happy to to help the cause and return to his former position of centre (a much less cerebral affair). The rest of the team were the regular doers of good.

Sidcup were looking to avenge their previous defeat at Dartfordians ground and started the game at a lightning pace, with the ball being spun from one side of the pitch to the other and players charging head long at their opposition (some where even in possession of the ball). Pedagogue and Token Taff Andy Gill demonstrated some elusive running in a tight gap and made Sidcup’s first 30 metre charge of the day to take Sidcup from defence to attack. Sidcup were threatening from all positions and the support play between Charlie May, Andy Gill, Hanky and the Alex’s (Ure and Watson) was a joy to see. Dart’s seemed shell-shocked by the pace of Sidcup’s game and were clinging on by their fingertips.

The Sidcup pack appeared to be giving away several kilograms to the visitors, but the front row of Heath, Wicks and King were solid in the scrums and apart from the occasional lapse, never budged an inch. The lineouts were a hit-and-miss affair, with Maz’s throwing in sometimes hitting but oft missing. An attacking lineout on the Dart’s ten metre line was lost, but the backrow of Dunster, Crisp and Watson pressurised the opposition into moving the ball 40 yards laterally and ten yards backwards before the ball was knocked on and Sidcup won an attacking scrum a further ten metres up the pitch (this was obviously Maz’s plan). The pressure was temporarily alleviated, but a number of pick and goes close to the ruck saw Sidcup gain twenty yards before an overlap appeared and Chris Neal dummied and sped through a gap to score from twenty yards out. Charlie May slotted the conversion with aplomb.

After a frantic opening quarter, the referee seemed to run out of puff and the game became more forward orientated. This seemed to play into the hands of the oppositions and the match tempo switched from allegro to staccato. (How posh did that sound?) Sidcup were conceding a number of penalties both 5 metres from their line and from the opposition’s, which went some way to keeping the score at 7 – 0. Darts are happy to use their superior bulk in the pack to run tap penalties and short drives near the ruck using a truck sized prop forward. Some after Sidcup win a penalty and our diminutive Maz charges at the aforementioned front row forward and bounces him backwards, much to the shock and amusement of the watching Dart’s support.

Sidcup produced their usual sterling work at the restart; as the ball was lofted in the air, the pack stood rigid and gazing at the sky a la Tattoo from80’s TV series Fantasy Island as he uttered the immortal line “Hey boss, de plane, de plane”. Dart’s were awarded a penalty on the Sidcup 22, probably for offending the spirit of the game by being woeful at the restart. The ball was kicked to the corner and the resulting catch-and-drive seemed certain to produce a try before Tom Dunster immerged from the maul and merrily hoofed the ball clear to the 22, much to the joy of the crowd.

Still in their 22’, Sidcup lost a scrum against the head but the irrepressible Stamato manages to disrupt the number 8 pickup and Sidcup produce a great counter ruck to win possession again. The Sidcup scrum is ill-prepared and goes back at a rate of knots but still the defence is solid and again the referee awards a penalty “for reasons unknown” (to quote The Killers). Dart’s take a quick tap, the ball appears to be knocked forward, bounce backwards, rebound off a Darts foot before a Darts player collects and flops over the line. The referee, non-plussed by the standard of play, decided the visitors have done enough to merit a try. The conversion is good and the scores are level again.

The visitors are now in the ascendancy and the game is a war of attrition between the two packs, with the visitors seemingly better equipped for such a battle. The home side struggle to get out of their 22 but the defensive work rate is exceptional. Sidcup concede another penalty, this time for coming in at the side of a rolling maul that had turned 90 degrees. This causes a brief discussion on geometry between the Sidcup hooker and the referee, but the decision has been made and again Darts opt for the charging front row forward approach. Having caught two players wrong-footed, he is again stopped in his tracks by the remarkable Maz, and the unfortunate Dartfordian support get splatted by the covering Tom Crisp; not once, but twice in quick succession. Sidcup clear their lines but are soon adjudged to have entered the maul from the wrong side (the Sidcup side, per chance and this time it is the turn of the well-spoken and thus seemingly well-educated Watson to discuss the laws of trigonometry with the referee). The half draws to a close, Sidcup having looked in total control for the first quarter but with Dartfordians having things more their own for the second half.

The half time speeches are alas under the same auspices as the confessional, but the topics did not stray far from the laws of the game and general praise for all involved. The game restarts and Dartfordians change tack and spin the ball wide, only for Sidcup centre Ure to steal the ball in the tackle and set up an attack which gains some 30 yards. After a further ten minutes of frantic attrition, Sidcup change tack and decide to replace hookers with Maz leaving the field to allow his blood pressure to drop and the more serene Liam Frondigoun to enter the front row. Mr Frondiguon’s first effort on the pitch sees Sidcup steal a ball against a head and he generally seems quite gleeful after that.

The game is still fractious, with too many kicks missing touch and generally there is an air of frustration in the game. The referee seems to dislike the manner of the Sidcup put-in at the scrum but allows the ball to been thrown at the outside shoulder for the Dartfordian line-out.
With 15 minutes to go, Sidcup score a delightful try as the ball is spun through the hands to left wing. The ball is recycled left and Tom Crisp charges into the heart of the Dartfordians midfield to and the ball is quickly recycled again, moved to the right flank and Sidcup take the lead again.

Another scrum and the Darfordian’s drive catches the Sidcup scrum half off guard so that the put in seems askew. The referee decides he has had enough and issues a yellow card to Stamato, much to the consternation of all involved. Darts kick to the corner and form a catch-and-drive at the lineout but are once again repelled by the Sidcup defence. The referee again decides he has spotted an infringement and gives Dartfordians another penalty from which they score to bring the match level. This time, Number 8 Hancox protests to the official that if a defender enters a ruck or maul with his hips square on to the opposition try line there is no way that he is coming in from the side but again the decision has been made and the score stands. At this point, for the sake of Steve’s angina, he too is substituted.

We are now into the last 15 minutes of the game. The home side are a player down (an integral one at that) and fullback May is brought into to play scrum half, something he did in the under 7’s and has not improved since. Despite being a man down, Sidcup launch wave after wave of attack from the restart and force an era in the Darts 22’.Some excellent handling in the centre allows a gap to open up and Sidcup storm over to score and deservedly regain the lead.

The game restarts and Darts are desperate to make headway into the Sidcup half which Sidcup are equally determined to defend. With some 7 minutes of game time remaining and 3 minutes left of Mr Stamato’s sin-bin time, the referee decided that an infringement has occurred and we may as well call day… much to the confusion of both sides and Mr Stamato who is leaning on the goal posts looking like a latter day George Formby.
A hard fought win in adverse circumstances to avenge the defeat earlier in the season. Sidcup started phenomenally and should have been 30 points clear with 30 minutes gone but plaudits to Darts defence for their sterling work in keeping the score line tight. When the game became a battle of attrition between the packs Darts seemed to have the ascendancy but time and time again Sidcup held their own and looked the more adventurous side and were thus worthy winners in the end!