The OCRFC secured a place in the final of the Junior Vase Cup with a hard-fought 22-12 win over Widden Old Boys at the Memorial Ground, Gloucester. The win means that they will face Buxton in the final at Twickenham on May 7.
The OCs opened the scoring after 12 minutes when they won a penalty just inside their own half when Widden came in at the side of a ruck. Fly-half Mark Langford booted the ball up the touchline before play was set up in the Widden 22. The attack was eventually ended by an OC’s knock on – handing the scrum put in to the home side. But Widden were shoved off their own feed by a huge OC push, before they sent the ball spinning down their backline where left wing Christian Larsmon scored in the corner.
Widden suffered another set-back when outside centre Richard Green was shown a yellow card for a no-arm tackle and the OCs took full advantage. Dom West was the beneficiary of some sloppy defending when he chipped over the onrushing defence and was the first man to the ball to dot down and score, with Conor Brown again off target for a 10-0 lead.
Again Widden were penalised for coming in at the side on 25 minutes and the OCs spun the ball out through their backs where West cut back against the grain heading across the field before shooting under the posts. An easy conversion made it 17-0.
But Widden showed plenty of signs of fight in them when they began a spirited comeback a minute into first-half added time. First, they were awarded a penalty, which fly-half Jordan Walker fired into the corner to set up a five-metre catch and drive. After easily taking the catch, the pack piled into the maul with second row Mathew Folley emerging with the ball tucked under his arm, but stand-off Walker could not improve leaving a 17-5 half-time deficit.
Widden started the second half strongly – OCRFC chairman Will Fawcett said his side “endured a torrid twenty minute period when the momentum of the game was with a frantic home team” – and scored their second try after nine minutes. It began with a fantastic return clearance by right wing Ben Hannis, who took play into the OCs’ 22 with a pacey burst from his own half. That set up ruck ball before the pick and goes were unleashed by the forwards who managed to smuggle it over the whitewash to pull within five with Walker’s kick completing the seven-point score.
Bouyed on by the home support, Widden were within one score of leading but the fourth OC try sealed the win. Full-back Brett Chatwin ended all hopes of a Widden revival when his punishing run sliced through the Widden defence. The sizeable and vociferous local crowd was drowned out by over 60 plus travelling OC supporters, the OOOOOCCCCCs chant an inspiration to the players.
In the other semi-final Buxton beat Weatherby 13-7.
