Rampant A Team overpower Stourbridge

By Stefan
October 24 2005

EARTH TITANS 'A' team hit superb form as they smashed Stourbridge 'A' to pieces - in an extraordinary scoring spree, Rotherham piled up 64 points, 10 tries to none, with fullback Gareth Brear claiming a hat-trick and winger Dave Bolton a brace.

In the first half, tries by centre James Wooton, fullback Gareth Brear, winger Dave Bolton, prop forward Attie Pienaar and a penalty try plus four conversions from scrumhalf Morné Jonker, rocketed the score to 33-0. Great stuff, and so was the second half. Frankly, they simply got better as the game progressed. The Titans' forwards were outstanding and the pace of the backs was exceptional. The forwards and backs gelled and the whole team performed for the entire game. Winger Dave Bolton scored the first after the break, his second, and then two additional tries from Gareth Brear completed his hat-trick, tries from openside Joe Earp and number eight Dick Sawyer with three additional conversions from Morné Jonker, playing flyhalf after the break, completed a memorable afternoon. The final tally was the Titans' highest so far this season - and with the A team on this form looks likely to be beaten! In all, the ten tries capitalised on the Titans' control of possession, but it was more than that; the team played with true self-belief and focus. The 'Black Country' boys from Stourbridge, who recorded two wins against Rotherham last season, could not cope with the swarming defence and, after initial resistance, looked bemused by the rampant visitors. Coach Craig West commented after the game, "obviously, the Stourbridge side are weaker than they were last season and we're much stronger, but it was a good performance" The pack functioned efficiently as a unit, they were strong in the scrum and dominant in the lineout. Lock forward Rob Walton put in at least half-a-dozen bone-crunching tackles and pacey openside, Joe Earp - coming on after the break - was rampant in open play. The seventh try, Brear's second, typified the spirit at Rotherham. The ball was quickly moved after a lineout steal near the Stourbridge 22 on the right. Clever inter-passing at pace between centres Kirtley and Wooton made acres of space for Brear to go over in the corner wide left only seconds after the initial lineout steal. Earth Titans: Gareth Brear; ND Monye, James Wooton, Will Kirtey (Tom Bullough 60), Dave Bolton; Charlie Spon-Smith (Morné Jonker 40), Morné Jonker (Alex Drage 40); Sam Walsh, Jamie Kilbane (Jonny Larby 60), Attie Pienaar, Rob Walton, Nathan Pike (Tim Maslanyk 56), Tim Maslanyk (Greg Burnham 56), Nick Barrett (Joe Earp 40), Richard Sawyer. Scorers: Gareth Brear (3T), Dave Bolton (2T), James Wooton (1T), Attie Pienaar (1T), Joe Earp (1T), Richard Sawyer (1T), Penalty (1T), Morné Jonker (7C).