The last two Saturday games for Ross-on-Wye Rugby Football Club (RFC) 2nds have seen some fantastic talent at play.

On Saturday, September 30th, Ross 2nds hosted Smiths 2nds at Greytree.

It was Smiths who started the brightest, with their No.10 dictating the play. He opened the scoring with a solo try, which he converted on 10 minutes.

Scrum half, Craig Powell, got Ross on the score sheet with a penalty mid-way through the half, but a wayward Ross pass was intercepted, enabling the Smiths to score in the corner.

Ross were given a life-line right on the stroke of half-time, from a great score by Russell Walker, which Powell converted.

In the second half, Ross saw a lot more possession and thought they had scored, through winger Andrew Gunter, but he was adjudged to have taken two movements in placing the ball over the line. Gunter almost scored again, but couldn’t cling on to his brother Rhys’ pass when the full-back broke through the Smiths defence.

Ross thought they had scored the winner when centre, Joe Muldowney, chased down his own kick through, but in the last seconds Smiths kicked a penalty to finish the game, all-square 15-15.

The Drop Inn ‘Man of the Match, was full-back Rhys Gunter.

On Saturday, October 7th, Ross 2nds league fixture against Coney Hill was cancelled, but they picked up a home friendly fixture against Chepstow 2nds.

In a see-saw game, Ross just managed to keep their noses in front, but had to dig deep in the second half to win 40-34.

Ross got on the score sheet on 5 minutes, when centre, TC Leach, broke through the defence to score under the posts. Chepstow bounced back with an unconverted try in the corner, before Ross’ captain, playing on the flank, scored, for scrum-half Craig Powell to convert from out wide. This was the set pattern for the whole game with Ross and Chepstow trading tries.

Muldowney carried on this season’s scoring streak with another two tries.

Ross were matched well in the scrum but their lineout was working for the better with Ian Davies, the main lineout jumper, securing most of the throw ins. Centres, Leach and Pete Jarvis, were a constant threat when linking with No.10, Michael Brine.

There were a number of candidates for the ‘Man of the Match’ but Joe Muldowney was awarded it for his hatrick of tries.

This week Ross 2nds have no allocated fixture, but are looking to pick up a friendly game.