| SUPPORTERS MATCH REPORT BEES (A) 12 - 38 GLAMORGAN |
| Saturday 15th August 2009 |
As a traditional part of our pre-season programme we often play our old friends from Cardiff, but since we’ve drawn the Blue and Blacks in the B&I Cup and they were busy getting creamed in Cornwall by the Pirates, we took on their cross-city rivals instead. Wanderers finished 7th in Principality Premier One (the equivalent of the English Championship) last season, have access to several highly-rated Cardiff Blues Academy players and are unlikely to capitulate to English opposition at home. They also had the advantage of having already played a game this summer – they demolished Merthyr a couple of weeks ago – and were obviously sharper than a Bees team that was playing together for the first time.
Quickly off the mark in the muggy summer drizzle, they posted four first half tries against a side missing Mark Woodrow, Chris Brightwell, Simon Hunt and new signing Tal Selley – all of whom were playing for England Sevens' Head Coach Ben Ryan’s Help for Heroes' invitational side at the Middlesex Charity Sevens competition (...they did very well, by the way: they beat Sale, but lost to Newcastle). Rob Connolly, Cameron Mitchell and Reece Spee were also missed.
The second half introduction of Rod Petty, Ben Phillips and Ricky Davies added more structure to the Bees’ attack. They started to dominate up front, to break a defensive line that had previously resembled a blue and white wall and posted a couple of well-taken tries courtesy of Ronnie McLean and Will Martin. Not being allowed to run riot like they did in the first half Wanderers still managed to seal the game with two further tries - in spite of the big hits coming in PJ Gidlow and Leo Halavatau. I must admit however we weren’t paying much attention to the game by this point, and instead killed time dodging the plague of cider-loving wasps, talking to a few of the very friendly Wanderers fans and catching up with everyone that had travelled down to Cardiff for the game from our side. It was an impressive turn out, which softened the blow of the 38-12 final score.
After three months of boredom with no live rugby to watch and some of the anxiety over the future of the club: it’s great to get back to what it’s all about.
After the match we got talking to one of our new signings Stuart Ault. Stuart, who has joined us from Rotherham, is a lock forward and a Canadian international at both fifteens and sevens. He also had some news of two of our former Canadian stars - prop Casey Dunning is back in Australia with a successful career away from rugby, while winger Brodie Henderson (our 2006-07 perma-tanned answer to Gavin Henson) is now very happily married back in Canada..I can almost hear the outbreak of weeping from his sizeable fan club among B&S’s female supporters. Needless to say, I’m sure everyone will join me in wishing both Casey and Brodie the very best for the future.
Speaking of which: the coach to Plymouth Albion for the opening game of the season on September 5th is a total bargain at £25, price including a match ticket (given that even if you could make your own way there for less money, it’s £18 to get in).
Contact Linda Parker at the e-mail address given on the 'BeesSA About' page if you want to join our band of very merry men and women. Brickfields is one of the best grounds in the Championship, where a friendly welcome and an entertaining game are more or less guaranteed. So, let’s make ourselves heard!
All the best, Steve (aided and abetted by Vanessa) – Inglorious BeesStewards.
END