Henley Colts 20-18 Bracknell Colts
By Tom Haynes
The Colts were back on home soil for the first time this season with a league game against a very strong Bracknell side. It was a thrilling game played out by two very even teams, decided by the last kick of the game.
It was Bracknell that started the stronger, firing out of the blocks putting the home side under pressure. It was a termonous effort to keep them out, Michael Duda, Zack Mancey and Dan Kernick leading the fight with some big offensive hits. Ryan Porter was being a nuisance in the line out, getting in early and turning over ball, not allowing them to settle.
Having played the first ten minutes of the game inside the Henley 40 meters, it was Bracknell that took the penalty to make the score 3-0. Henley came straight back, Duda was timing the kick off to perfection, challenging and gaining the ball back, allowing George Goodenough and Mattie Morris the chance to unleash the forwards. Zack Goforth was running my hard and making meters, as was Josh Butler picking the ball up from the base of the ruck.
Henley with all the pressure could not make it count, and when Bracknell stripped the ball on there 5 meter line they were able to sprint the field to score. Back came Henley, Duda again from the kick off, carrying strongly to within a few meters of the line, Ollie Vince-Porteous close in support to keep the move alive which allowed Harrison Bell to crash over.
From the resulting kick off it was first Luke Morgan who made a half break before Porter who took take play into the Bracknell half, good control and patience saw Brett White have a good dash towards the line, before Rudi O’Keeffe powered his way over. This took the score to 12-8 at half time.
From the restart it was a very similar start to the first half with Bracknell applying the pressure and took a shot at the posts to take the score to 12-11. The next phase of the game was played between the ten meter lines, the new back row of Ned Floyd, Finn Basil, Mikey Atkins were onto the ball every time Bracknell ran, but it was turnover for turnover.
Conall Moore, Ollie Roullier, Ollie Shute, Finn Sutton, and Reece Winterbourne were all getting stuck in, came looking for work. The next score was from a lovely chip and chase from the Bracknell fly half who then feed the winger to score under the posts to take the score to 12-18 with fifteen minutes to go.
Henley then lost Mattie Morris, which meant a back line shuffle, Ed Day moved to scrum half and was early in his sniping around from. The base of the ruck. Henley were taking quick tap penalties, running from everywhere, before Day spotted a gap and dived over, 17-18 with less than five minutes to play. From the restart, Duda made a blistering forty meter break, Kernick was then also into the attack carrying hard, putting the phases together to force a penalty. A shot at the posts, the last play of the game, Goodenough stepped up and slotted the ball over the posts, just to spark a massive celebration from the Henley players.
