No disgrace in Gs defeat to league leaders

Gravesend travelled to the new home of London Irish at their well appointed Hazelwood complex where they have superb facilities that must be the envy of many rugby clubs playing at this level.
Gs were fresh from their emphatic defeat of Westcliff and were hoping to build on this whilst the “Geese” were hoping to put their reversal against Barnes behind them, in this first fixture of the New Year.
Gravesend were quick to start and were first to get points on the board when Irish were penalised with just one minute on the clock, and George Montgomery put Gs in front from the tee, 0-3.
The Geese were not shaken by this early set back and were determined to show that they were on the park to score points and some good handling by the home backs, coupled with some nervous defending from Gs, and it was the strength of Seb Rodwell that saw him cross the whitewash to touch down.
The young (schoolboy), Ollie Turner, playing at ten, slotted over the conversion to ease the home side in front, 7-3.
Good pressure from Gs pack, with the front five standing fast at every set scrum, earned a second chance for Montgomery and his strike sailed between the uprights, and before ten minutes had passed, the scores were 7-6.
The home backs were showing why the Irish are top of the table, as despite a limited supply of good ball, due to the dominance of the visitors pack, they knew where the line was and were keen to cross for the five.
This was demonstrated when with the Gs defence looking to have withstood some strong battering, the lively scrum half, Tom Barker, had eluded the tackles to score out wide.
This time the conversion was unsuccessful, but the home XV now had a 12-6 advantage before the first quarter had been played.
Gravesend were creating plenty of chances and came within a metres of the line, but the last play was just not seeing them over the line.
The pressure going forward was forcing the home XV into conceding penalties and it was yet another from the boot of Montgomery that pulled Gs close at 9-12.
With the Gravesend pack so dominant at the set scrum, and a plenty supply of ball, it was the speed to cover of the Irish three-quarter line that prevented any penetration from the three quarters.
The first half performance, overall for Gravesend, could easily have led to more successes if only given the rub of the green, but the improvement from early season games was well in evidence.
Loan signing Jim Green took to the field for the first time for Gs and Jacob Bacon came on for Nick Hill at the interval, and it was particularly pleasing to see Gravesend able to settle in the front row after changes had been made at prop.
So little quarter from either XV saw a stalemate situation until just before the end of the third quarter, and it was again the boot of Montgomery that brought Gs back on level terms, 12-12.
Gravesend’s back row yet again had an excellent game, as Bird, Atkins and Marshall all brought their own colour to the game, but this was at times being matched by the cover tackling and dour defending of Kitching, Rodwell and McKinney, as they brought numerous break-outs to an end.
Anything that Gs backs conjured up was equally matched by Barker, Turner and Carlisle, but if Curley, Moorey, Hill and Gray had had a little more luck their way, then the result may have been different.
Temi Okenla pulled off some “move spoiling tackles” and Tom Goss looked to show his pace, but this all came to nothing.
With honours still level as the game entered the last fifteen minutes, it was the general consensus, along the lines of spectators, that this was a game that could go either way as the competition to succeed was fierce in all departments.
The first opening went the way of the Geese and it was again the awareness of all around him that saw scrum-half Barker dart through for the touch-down.
The ever reliable Ollie turner added the extras to edge the home XV in front at 19-12, but Gs were not about to roll over.
Gs ability to win some good turn over ball through Atkins, and the great team desire to get the points they so deserved from the performance they had put in was evident as they pressed for the score to pull them level.
Unfortunately the clock ran out and Gs had to be satisfied with a losing bonus point, but this game was so different to the encounter earlier in the season, and Gs could leave the field with their heads held high while the Wild Geese must have felt relieved the game was over.
A well disciplined performance from Gravesend that saw their opposition commit penalties at a rate that was double that of Gs.