Sat 16 Sep 2023
Last Saturday Aylesford Bulls had to settle for a losing bonus point as they got their league campaign underway on Saturday.
Bulls made a bright start at Gillingham Anchorians and were unlucky not to score first through centre Jonathan Donovan and then through number eight Mark Burrows.
It was Tom Hughes who would finally cross after a messy line out was cleared up and the ball spun wide for the flying winger to scoot over in the corner.
Bulls may have been forgiven for thinking the afternoon would continue much in the same vein, but the hosts had different ideas.
Playing a sloping pitch well with intelligent kicking from their full back and with Bulls’ defence sorely lacking they first equalised and then piled on the pressure, crossing three more times before the half was done.
The second period started much the same, Anchs now playing strongly up hill and tumbling through tackles to bring the score to 32-5.
Bulls now seemed to finally kick into gear, but had left themselves an awful lot to do.
The pack, architects of an effective line out throughout, began to up the pressure at the breakdown and with the scrum beginning to dominate the home side’s larger forwards were flagging.
Bulls’ fitness was beginning to pull them ahead and Hughes would soon add to his tally.
Second row Josh Mayhew then added a third try from the back of a driving maul before Hughes secured his hat trick late on, the beneficiary of a beautifully weighted Chester Clough pass, with full back Clough adding the extras.
Try bonus point secured Bulls went in search of more and were knocking on the door for the final five minutes. But Anchs’ valiant second half defence held strong to bring proceedings to a close at 32-22.
Bulls travel to old rivals Folkestone on Saturday as they look to build on a promising second half showing.
Bulls made a bright start at Gillingham Anchorians and were unlucky not to score first through centre Jonathan Donovan and then through number eight Mark Burrows.
It was Tom Hughes who would finally cross after a messy line out was cleared up and the ball spun wide for the flying winger to scoot over in the corner.
Bulls may have been forgiven for thinking the afternoon would continue much in the same vein, but the hosts had different ideas.
Playing a sloping pitch well with intelligent kicking from their full back and with Bulls’ defence sorely lacking they first equalised and then piled on the pressure, crossing three more times before the half was done.
The second period started much the same, Anchs now playing strongly up hill and tumbling through tackles to bring the score to 32-5.
Bulls now seemed to finally kick into gear, but had left themselves an awful lot to do.
The pack, architects of an effective line out throughout, began to up the pressure at the breakdown and with the scrum beginning to dominate the home side’s larger forwards were flagging.
Bulls’ fitness was beginning to pull them ahead and Hughes would soon add to his tally.
Second row Josh Mayhew then added a third try from the back of a driving maul before Hughes secured his hat trick late on, the beneficiary of a beautifully weighted Chester Clough pass, with full back Clough adding the extras.
Try bonus point secured Bulls went in search of more and were knocking on the door for the final five minutes. But Anchs’ valiant second half defence held strong to bring proceedings to a close at 32-22.
Bulls travel to old rivals Folkestone on Saturday as they look to build on a promising second half showing.
