Ireland on fire as Oxfordshire too strong for Essex ESS
Division Three Essex………………………………………………7
Oxfordshire………………………………… 42 nBy
THE defending champions showed their class in Ealing to eventually overpower a game Essex side, six tries ensuring a second successive Division Three title was secured in some style. Greg Goodfellow's side took some time to warm to their task, but once they did they were always a cut above their opponents.
Marcus Reading was driven over from a slickly executed driving maul for their opener, and after a and subsequent touch- ment at the breakdown the corner and the tries half-time lead. the momentum cont
couple of missed opportunities – Quinten Blythe doing everything but score in the corner – they had a second.
A stray pass from Essex's Stuart Whatling was honed in on quickly by Angus Brown, the midfielder kicking forward with a cultured right-foot, straight into the path of Joe Mills.
The scrum-half raced past the Essex cover to fall on the bouncing ball, and with a clear swell of momentum they proceeded to cough up a fantastic chance for their third ahead of the break, Matt Webb failing to reach over from no more than a few inches.
Essex – and the game – needed a shot of adrenalin to keep the contest competitive and that dose materialised within 60 seconds of the second half, courtesy of Henry Bird. The centre was the quickest to react to a loose ball, hacking forward before showing a turn of pace to follow through and drop on the ball before it went dead.
But that was as good as it got for the men in maroon, Oxfordshire going on to take an almost total stranglehold of the remaining 39 minutes, Banbury playmaker James Miller expertly dictating the tempo.
Reading played hooker and scrum-half in the same move to tee up the barnstorming Willo Bicknell for their side's third, Alex Foggett delivering an equally fine finish minutes later, released by replacement Daniel Tooth.
With Essex tiring, Oxfordshire took full advantage in the closing stages. Mark Greenwood and George Lewis combined for the latter to scamper home, before Tooth's smart step and offload set away the game's outstanding performer, John Ireland. The tireless back-rower fittingly wrapped up proceedings, ensuring the trophy heads back to the cabinet in which it has resided for the previous 12 months.
