Gravesend complete a double

There was nothing sophisticated on show during the rugby at Rectory Field on Saturday, but a workman like performance from the Gravesend XV ensured that they completed the season double over their lowly rivals Eton Manor.
Five points from a try bonus win lifts the team to twelfth in the table but they are still fifteen points behind Bracknell who appear to have an easier run in to the end of the season.
Staring briskly, against a stiff breeze from the river, Gs were taking the game to their visitors, when a completely unnecessary wild looping pass went loose, to be seized upon by Luigi Martelletti, and as Stephen McNamara slipped as he turned to chase, the wing ran in, from fifty metres, un-opposed.
The easy conversion put Eton Manor 0-7 to the good after just eight minutes.
Good possession from the forwards who were dominating the set pieces, although distribution was a little slow at times, led to Gs pulling level as first Geoff Marshall cut through the defence to touch down before Jason Thomasen-Hicks slotted over the conversion for 7-7.
Eton Manor’s defence stood up to what seemed to be a constant barrage as Gs Robin Foulet and Dave Irvine took continuous ball at the line-out only to see Thomasen-Hicks, Cameron Carbour and Scott Curley stopped in their tracks as their progress was halted.
Scrum after scrum inside the visitors twenty-two and little reward until scrum half Jacob Bacon spotted the gap to chase through for Gs second score of the afternoon on thirty-three minutes. Jason Thomasen-Hicks again added the extras to put Gss into a 14-7 lead.
In what had been a fairly disciplined game, well controlled by Mr Peter Coulthard, Eton Manor pulled three points backs, from only the third penalty Gss had conceded, as Alex Hunter put his kick cleanly between the posts pulling back to 14-10.
With the half running into added time, Gss struck again as they drove for the line with most of the players in the maul. The ball was taken to ground over the line, and it was not clear who had the final touch, this time the conversion was missed but Gss went in at the break 19-10 to the good.
Eton Manor started the second half showing a little more urgency in their play, but Gss defence withstood an early onslaught before they then took the game back to their visitors territory.
A small flair up between players, following a clear-out from a ruck, led to a player from each XV sitting out ten minutes in the sin bin, midway through the half.
Gss were finding it difficult to get their game flowing and errors by both sides led the game into scrappy periods, although Eton Manor were playing with more pace and flair during this second period.
Seventy-one minutes on the clock and following a number of phases within seven metres of the visitors line, it was replacement scrum half Brad Smith who switched direction to send the ball out to the left where it reached TemI Okenla who had an easy run through for Gss bonus point try.
Thomasen-Hicks added the kick to put the scores to 26-10.
Gravesend’s back row of Robin Foulet, Geoff Marshall and Tom Bird had been outstanding throughout the game, and along with a stable front five had set the platform for Gss to go forward.
The distribution to the backs is still questionable as this tends to stop in the middle of the park, and a little more confidence in the three-quarter line would perhaps add to the scoring potential.
With time having gone six minutes past the forty, the ball needed to be kicked into touch but when the wind brought Gary Gray’s clearance back in field, Manor made the most of the opportunity to run back in for a final score bringing the game to a close at 26-15.
Next week Gss go around the M25 to Hertford who have conceded one loss at home this season.