Competitive mixed ability rugby came to Coopers Park as Stafford Marvels & Telford Stags combined to take on the mighty Dragon Allstars. The Welsh visitors travelled with a very seasoned squad all of whom could take full contact rugby. The Marvels & Stags combined for the first time in over 6 months and were supplemented by a number of other Stafford club members to bulk out the squad.
The opening phases of the game saw the visitors take two well worked tries to establish an early lead. The Marvels & Stags worked hard but couldn’t contain some fierce attacking rugby. The home side wouldn’t lie down and kept working away, they eventually got their reward when a great charge by Adam Bicknell released Rich Walklate to put the first points on the board. The Allstars came roaring back and took two more tries before some tenacious rugby saw James Hughes crashing across the line to close the half. The second half saw the Dragons Allstars running in three tries to build what became an insurmountable lead. The Marvels & Stags kept at it and continue to compete strongly across all areas of the pitch. A special mention must go to Simon Lewis who put in the tackle of the match to prevent the Dragons Allstars getting to the forty-point mark. As the clock moved into the red a final surge released James Hughes who cut through the defence to take his second try of the afternoon. A huge thank you to Dragons Allstars for a great game of rugby and all the club members who supported the home side on & off the pitch.
Team List (Marvels): Team List (Stags):
Jeff Howard; Adam Bicknell Dan
Malcolm Heath; Darren Roe Zack Pressland
Rich Walklate; Roger Wetton Ryan
Barry Dean; James Hughes Sean Yapp
James van Nijkerk; Craig Logan Brendan Cartwright
Richard Hughes; Joe Wetton Alex Barclay
Simon Lewis; Keith Richard