A seriously under strength Old Coops side, playing with only 14, visited Billericay for our next Essex Youth League 1 fixture. After a few days of rain the pitch was pretty much perfect for rugby - but the pitch and weather created challenges in the first half, playing uphill and into the wind. The game moved back and forth in the first ten minutes before J Singh Bal intercepted a pass across the Billericay backline to run in under the posts, which J Wilkinson converted.
Clever use of the ball from Billericay following a 'tap and go' penalty resulted in a try which Billericay failed to convert. The ping pong scoring continued after Old Coops moved the ball quickly from one side of the pitch to the other for winger T Monk to race in for our second try of the day, which we couldn't convert. Billericay then controlled the remainder of the first half, with the wind creating more problems for Coops kicking. The next two scores came from lost Coops scrums and Billericay stealing the ball, the first a move from left to right and the second from a few meters inside Coops 22, one of which Billericay converted. Just before the half time wrapped up, Billericay stole a Coops lineout, shifting the ball across the pitch with Coops looking tired after rucking so well but without reward.
The half-time team talk had the lads telling each other to just enjoy the game, which was the crucial factor we needed to turn the tide from the 24-12 scoreline. Within a few minutes J Singh Bal added his second with a mazy run across the pitch for our next converted try. The resulting kick off was returned with a strong run from T Purton before a well timed pop pass to the speedy Singh Bal to run through the gap and score his hat-trick try under the posts, which Wilkson easily converted. A turn around in our scrummaging and a great line off the wing from Monk meant he was able to run an unchallenged line through the centre of the Billericay defence to score for our next converted try. Singh Bal cemented his Player of the Match performance with two more tries before the whistle sounded to end the match, the first from a lineout after which Coops shifted the ball out to the opposite side and the second from another interception in the middle of the pitch for an un-opposed run in.
A tough day with all lads working hard for one another and '5 try Singh Bal' stealing the show.