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Barnes blow off the Christmas cobwebs with a 9 try romp
First games of the year can be dull fare sometimes - not so this one which Barnes won 28-57 against Colchester in a rip-roaring encounter
Greetings pop pickers!
Last weekend only the Men’s 1st XV escaped the Artic temperatures, and that courtesy of the excellent 4g pitch at Colchester. Despite the adverse conditions both sides delivered an entertaining romp which Barnes won comfortably 28-57, hooker Matt Humphreys bagging 4 tries, matching exactly the 4 try feat of Josh Archer, also a hooker, in the Barn Elms fixture in balmy September at the start of the season.
A special thank you to the Colchester massif who were incredibly hospitable off the pitch and provided us with 5 star catering and hospitality, we want you here next season so the very best of luck with the rest of your campaign this year!
This week we have three men’s teams all at Barn Elms on Saturday, which is also the occasion of the 16th Annual Vets Lunch with 150 old players reflecting on their rugby careers at Barnes Rugby Club.
The 1st XV takes on Sevenoaks in a rematch of our earlier encounter in September, a game we won reasonably comfortably 5-26. Since then, both sides have lifted their games. Whilst Oaks have not played since before Christmas, when they lost in a local derby 35-22 to Canterbury, they did win the previous three games against Guernsey, Worthing and Westcombe Park.
Whilst the Kent side are 11th in the league, we know they area side capable of beating any side in the league on their day. Hopefully, the fact that we were able to play last week to blow out the Christmas cobwebs, whilst the Oaks game was a victim of the weather, should favour us. The added benefit of a home game, with a large crowd baying for the green and gold also bodes well for a good result for the home team, but we know well enough never to be complacent and drop our guard. The lads have trained really well this week and will come into this game confident but prepared for another tough encounter.
Also playing at Barn Elms on Saturday are the Men’s 2nd XV, who take on Chinnor 2nd XV, and it’s always tough playing the 2nd XV of clubs in our own league, let alone Chinnor’s, who’s first XV are in the Championship, two tiers above Barnes - it is going to be a tough one but we have a talented and committed squad and will give it our best crack. Barnes Occies complete the trio of men’s home fixtures on Saturday, taking on Farnham. Do please come down and support your teams, the action gets underway at 1pm when the 2’s kick off.
On Sunday the Women’s 2nd XV have a long away gig, playing Ampthill 2nd XV and we wish them all the best in this encounter.
Here’s to a wonderful weekend of Barnow rugby, and a bunch of old blokes getting together to remember their Barnes Rugby playing days, and of course to remember Neil Bruce-Copp, for whom the Vets Lunch was created to remember following his passing. A massive thank you goes to Angus Graham who single-handedly has been like a tenacious sheep dog in herding us sheep together for this wonderful lunch!
Onwards and Upwards Barnow!
For Rugby! For Friendship! For Life!
Michael Whitfield – President Barnes Rugby Club
The weekend’s fixtures in summary:
Saturday 18th January Fixtures
• Barnes Men’s 1st XV vs Sevenoaks 1st XV - 2pm KO
• Barnes Men’s 2nd XV vs Chinnor - 1pm KO
• Barnes Occies vs Farnham 3rd XV - 2pm KO
Sunday 19th January Fixture
• Ampthill Women’s 2nd XV vs Barnes Women 2nd X - 2pm KO
Colchester Men’s 1st XV 28-57 Barnes Men’s 1st XV - words by Rhino
On a freezing afternoon in Colchester, Barnes shrugged off the significant chagrin and hangover suffered after the Dorking defeat pre-Christmas with a 9 try romp against a very game Colchester, who themselves secured a deserved tonus point by scoring 4 tries themselves.
As in the first fixture between the sides in September, Barnes’s rolling maul proved a potent weapon. In a curious symmetry, in the first game hooker Josh Archer notched up 4 tries and, in this game, it was Matt Humphreys at hooker this time who benefitted, also with four tries.
Colchester started brightly, with Danny Whiteman latching on to a storming break by Will Blakemore. But it was Barnes who went into a 12-0 lead, flyhalf Will Nicholson jinking through heavy traffic for the first try, then wing Fin Matthews gathered a wicked bounce to cross the line on debut which extended our lead to 0-12. The home team scored next, winger Luke Rokomoce pouncing to score a try, which was converted to reduce the deficit to 7-12.
A yellow card on 26 minutes against Colchester proved costly and, in its ten minutes span, Matt Humphreys scored three of his four tries, all from driving mauls, the bane of the home side in our games against them so far this season.
Back to a full complement of players, it was Colchester’s turn to get their maul going, Rossouw getting the final touch down, with Gabe Jones adding the extras to make it 14-33 at the break.
Barnes made the game safe early in the second half through a fourth try for Humphreys and a further score skipper Rory Kassapian but Colchester scored two more tries, matched by Barnes to make a final score of 28-57, both sides deserve enormous credit for delivering such delicious entertainment in such Baltic conditions.
This weekend we take on Sevenoaks and I can’t wait to see Barnow back on their home turf raring to go!