Match Report

Broadstairs 32-12 Kent  

14/05/05 (Courtesy of Kent Ravens)

Kent Ravens kicked off their first competitive league game of the new season with a trip down to cold and windy Broadstairs, who were also playing their first competitive league match.

 

In a match strewn with errors and nerves from both sides the Bulldogs seemed to be the first to settle and made good use of the blustery conditions, running in two quick tries before the Ravens were able to put together a set of six tackles.

 

This seemed to stun the Ravens, and with some stiff words from full back and captain, Andy Munroe, they made better inroads from the next kick-off into the Bulldogs defence, with the forward pack running a better line in defence.

 

The next few of plays were shared between the two sides, with both sides exchanging some ferocious tackling at times, and with Darren King and Ollie Lewis working hard, with some strong runs at the Bulldogs defence, the Ravens were finally rewarded with a try from Michael Vincent. Andy Munroe kicked the conversion.

 

The Ravens were again put on the back foot from the next kick-off, with the Bulldogs pack showing that they can also run at defences, they pressured the Ravens defence continuously, not allowing time for them to retreat the ten metres with some quick playing of the ball. This tactic worked quite well, together with some slick ball handling in the dreadful wind, ran in a try out wide. The resulting conversion kick from out wide was nothing short of miraculous windy in the conditions.

 

The Bulldogs used the same tactics from the next kick-off and again rewarded with another quick try, this seemed to anger the Ravens just a little, and they used the aggression well the rest of the first half, with the forward pack running and pressuring the Bulldogs defence with some great straight running, particularly from Alex Oliver and Michael Carr. They used the quick play the ball against tactics against the Bulldogs own defence, and found they were just as susceptible to it as the Ravens had been, giving away penalty after penalty, and were unlucky not to be given a try, adjudged to be held up just before half-time was called.

 

The second half got under way pretty much as the first, with the Bulldogs taking the game to the Ravens with consistent pressure. Having lost the excellent forward Paul Nutley to injury at the end of the first half, the Ravens seemed to lose a lot of discipline in the pack with a few bad-tempered exchanges throughout the second half, then with the loss of Ollie Lewis to injury midway through the second half, it seemed the Ravens were destined not to win this game. They were not able to use the wind in the same way as the Bulldogs did so effectively in the first half, although club man of the match Michael Vincent did manage to run in another excellent try, seemingly from a nothing situation, with Andy Munroe again putting the kick over.

 

The Bulldogs replied in kind with an instant reply to put paid to any hope of a revival by the Ravens, apart from a couple of moments of brilliant individual skills from Chris Lyons, and with the Ravens subs all out due to injury, the Bulldogs were easily able to close out the game as the Ravens began to tire of chasing the game.