The Bedians Wheel keeps on turning

Oh, what a feeling; when we’re dancing on the ceiling was the song that rang out in the Bedians changing room as they celebrated a 36-12 win on Saturday overcoming a strong Whitchurch side to make it four wins on the bounce.

Bedians started the game with aggression and speed from the whistle. Strong pressure allowed saw them being awarded an early penalty. Choosing to kick to the corner, Bedians fly half punted the ball giving Bedes the line out 10m from the try line on the left side of the field.
The ball was plucked out of the air by second-row James Gibbs who laid the ball onto Bedes captain James Hennigan who began marching his troops with a rolling maul. With Grandmaster Flash ringing in his ears Hennigan did do it and flopped over the line to give the boys in the golden kit first blood.
Full back Alex Racowski had the difficult job of making the conversion, which was missed by one of Barrie’s whisker’s.
Not five minutes later were Bedes pilling on the pressure again, some excellent work at the breakdown by the Bedes pack opened up for the backs to ‘do their thang’ working it through the hands before some clever work by Bloor & Elton combining at the centre to open up for James Gibbs cutting through three opposition players to get a try under the posts.

However, all the hard work of the first 20 mins was undone in the space of ten minutes with Bedians conceding two tries in quick succession with the second a rolling try judged not to be double movement left of the posts and easily converted to bring the scores equal at 12-12.

Emotions were high and passions spilt over into a lovers tiff between two lanky Bedians who shall remain nameless, the hard work had been undone and the Bedians went into half time with the game in the balance.

After some stern words at half time the men of Millgate Lane went out into the second half determined to see the game through and make it four wins on the bounce. Whitchurch had the same idea and began the half with some powerful running at the Bedes hoping for a breakthrough, spending the first ten minutes camped out deep on the Bedians 22.

Some ill-discipline at the breakdown led to the sinbinning of Andy Schofield (the meaner & harder younger brother of Michael of Prison Break fame) for meddling at the breakdown on the Bedians 5m line. Two mins later his baby Bede teammate and not one for being outshone Elton saw yellow for infringement at the breakdown leaving 13 against 15. Hennigan gathered his team together and ask one thing of them, tackle anything that comes near you. And boy oh boy did they do that. Bede after Bede from Fuller to Wall threw themselves at Whitchurch, the bravery paid off with a Whitchurch forward spilling the ball under a Bedes tackle resulting in a 5m scrum, bedes put in, winning the scrum Knott and Bloor stewarded the ball to stand in 10 Rakowski who wazzed the ball upfield for a line out on the half way much to the relief of the squad and buoyant crowd watching from the sidelines.

A first for the day was a try from a Bedians prop whom took a Paul McGrath approach to warming up for the crunch clash. Having been splashed all over social media the night before supping the latest Jaipur X, a mere 10% which is available from all good retailers and described by one beer blogger as “Smells like Jaipur, tastes like Jaipur that’s been on a steroid fuelled gym binge”. Popular Bedian and real-ale fanatic Drew Richards powered by Thornbridge’s rocket fuel went all Elton John on us powering through the helpless Whitchurch defence to score the first Bedians try of his career.

Try of the day has to go to the effort finished off by Jack Rotherham, however despite finishing the move off the ball went through every single member of the Bedes back line having been shipped out at the back of the ruck on the right side of the pitch it was a lesson in draw and give creating amble space for Rotherham to gleefully receive the ball on the left wing and crash down to make it 34-12 with Rakowski slotting over the conversion to make it 36-12.

Whitchurch’s choice for MoM was returning Bedian Jack Rotherham made the trip over the Pennines and bagged himself two tries. Young Jack had clearly been practising his hill sprints over in Sheffield and despite being his first start for Bedes in months he looked sharp throughout the game.