Burntwood 47 Selly Oak 17
Midlands 4 West North

Burntwood rounded off their league programme with a comfortable win over Selly Oak to finish 5th in the table – a satisfactory position after beginning the campaign with 5 straight defeats. Thereafter they only lost 4 of the remaining 17 games.
This was their biggest points tally of the season but it needs stating that the visitors arrived under-strength. However, the tally could have been higher. The match ended prematurely just after the hour mark when home prop forward Martyn Smith suffered a neck injury following a heavy double tackle.
After several minutes of medical attention, an ambulance was called for and the referee ended proceedings with the result allowed to stand. Fortunately, Smith was released from hospital later that night, sore and stiff but the injury not as serious as first thought.
Selly Oak took the lead in the very first minute, winning a penalty direct from the kick off which the visitors’ kicker put between the posts.
It only took Burntwood 6 minutes to make their superior numbers tell. Initial bursts by Matt Bray and Mark Partridge tested the opposition defence before the ball was fed down the line for James Langford to score in the corner.
After 14 minutes the home side were in again but it was a bitter-sweet moment.

Centre Rob England went clear from halfway to score under the posts but in the process he pulled his hamstring and could be a doubt for Burntwood’s Staffs Intermediate Cup Final on 4th May against Willenhall. Craig Seedhouse converted whilst Jimmy Davies replaced England.
On 20 minutes Lloyd Shelley made inroads to provide good possession for the backs. A miss move put Bray away 40 metres out and he went round to the posts for Seedhouse to add an easy conversion.
To their credit, Selly Oak took the game to the hosts and they were rewarded 5 minutes later when swift passing saw their right winger stretch out of Bray’s tackle to score in the corner. An excellent conversion made it 19-10.
It stayed that way until half time although Bray and Seedhouse were both denied tries by last ditch tackling right on the try line.
It was Burntwood’s turn to score straight from the kick off when the second period began. Matt Watkins went in under the posts and Seedhouse’s conversion was a formality.
Just 2 minutes later, Marc Bailey followed up a driving run by Partridge to score his first try of the season. Once again, Seedhouse converted.
Chris Smith had a try disallowed after good approach play by Bray and Seedhouse – the final pass drifted forward – and then Bray went close again.
However, a Selly Oak interception led to a length of the field converted try to stem the one-way traffic temporarily.
With 56 minutes gone, Shelley weaved his way over from a neatly executed midfield move. Seedhouse’s conversion took the tally to 40 points for the first time this season.
What turned out to be the final score of a truncated match followed a well-timed pass from Davies to set Langford on his way down the wing. His chip ahead went out for a 5 metre line out.
Partridge took possession at the tail and forced his way over the line to touch down. Seedhouse converted and shortly afterwards Smith suffered his injury as Burntwood had Selly Oak in trouble under their own posts.
 

More Photos Here

Burntwood 2nds also rounded off their season with a win, beating Birmingham Barbarians away 26-14 and their match was also brought to a premature end but for entirely different reasons than the firsts.
Andy Macey’s side made a slow start and were shoved around in the scrums early on. However, the forwards gradually got into the game, prompted by a good touch finder from Martin Ottey. Ian Mapp took the line out to feed Dave Peplow who scored. Ottey converted.
John Haire barged his way over for the second try, again converted by Ottey, then the game went through a scrappy phase up until half time.
When Burntwood failed to take the kick off to the second half, the Barbarians moved the ball well to score a try in the centres. They also added the conversion.
Five minutes later came the best try of the game to bring the scores level. The home full back skipped past 5 defenders to score under the posts.
Suitably encouraged, the Barbarians pushed hard to take the lead but their good work was undone when their No.8 was sin binned for a punch. Immediately, Burntwood took advantage. Antony Cadman broke from a scrum to put Peplow in for his second try. Controversially, the conversion attempt was ruled out.
Ten minutes later the No.8 returned but was then guilty of an attempted stamp on Peplow and was sent off.
Burntwood sealed the game following another fine touch kick by Ottey. Mapp won the line out and the backs fed the ball to Rob Bowdler who crossed for the try. Ottey converted.
The home side reacted poorly to events and when they lost a second player to a red card for punching, the referee blew the final whistle 10 minutes early to end an unsatisfactory and unsavoury game.
 

Burntwood Veterans travelled to play a strong Handsworth Vets and were out played by them to lose 43-10.
The only highlights were a try in each half by Darren Brindley both coming in similar fashion. For the first he followed up good approach play by Ade Davison and skipper Dave Griffin to plunge over. The second also came from good rucking and mauling – the best feature of Burntwood’s game.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t obtain enough possession to make it count more and the Handsworth backs were allowed to run freely to mount a big score.
Apart from Brindley, Paul Lloyd was one of the few players to catch the eye.
 

     2 scores for Darren Brindley

This weekend, whilst the first team have a week to prepare for the cup final at Walsall RUFC on Sunday 4th May, the only scheduled action is for the Veterans who take part in the Bridgnorth Tournament on Saturday.