Rugby is the winner as Sils refuse to take defeat Lion down

The fireworks started early on Bonfire night in Solihull this year, as Silhillians and Rugby Lions played out an exhilarating fixture in round 7 of M2W. The encounter was excitingly poised, with Lions the league’s form side but Sils having not lost at home in 6 matches, and both sides delivered, going toe-to-toe with 4 tries apiece.

The match opened with the sides sharing possession and probing for openings, but the deadlock was broken on 6 minutes as Harry Pick threw a loose pass that was plucked out of the air for Lions to run in under the posts. Sils’ slow start continued as Lions made the most of an overlap out wide for one of their backs to hurtle over on 20 minutes. The Lions kicker converted both and Sils found themselves 14-0 down with a quarter of the game gone, but responded quickly as Jack Hobbs broke down the right. As Lions tried to scramble their defence Fred Howard fed Ben Trenchard from the ruck, who served Matt Lee to finish in the clubhouse corner. A tough conversion was missed but the deficit reduced – 14-5.

Not long after the score, Sefa Aukuso replaced an injured James ‘Jimmer’ Hibbard and made an excellent impact, solidifying the struggling scrum and improving the home team’s carrying options. However he and Sils were powerless to stop a solid Lions scrum in the scoreboard corner, from which the number 8 picked and went to score. The try was impressively converted, extending the lead Sils had only just diminished. Crowe kicked a penalty in the dying minutes of the half to make the score 19-8 at the break.

Sils knew their only way back into the game was a strong start to the second half, and that’s exactly what they produced. Matt Lee ran in his second of the afternoon on 45 minutes and Crowe converted to make it 19-15. Game on. But Lions showed why they are unbeaten this season as they rebuilt, pinning Sils back and using their forwards-orientated game to effect. The pressure told as Sils lost Ben Trenchard to the sin bin for killing the ball at the ruck on their own line. Lions’ sizeable pack forced over a scrum from the subsequent penalty, but couldn’t convert. 24-15.

But the game swung again, as Sils found themselves with the put-in to a scrum close to the Lions line. A free kick was awarded, and Tom Lee caught the retreating Lions napping as he tapped and went to score. Crowe converted again, and suddenly it was 24-22. An impressive Lions following fell eerily quiet, and Sils were back to 15 men as Trenchard re-entered the fray. However just minutes later he was replaced on the sideline by Tom Manise, binned for a similar offence at the ruck. Again, Lions made the most of the man advantage as their pack trucked over again, and this time the conversion was made into the wind. 22-31. 15 minutes left.

Joe Pick came on for Tom Barnfield for his second 1st XV appearance, and Tom Manise was re-installed. Tom Lee left the field with injury and Ben Crowe moved in to 9, with Stu Clarke coming on to the wing. Despite all their efforts so far, Sils knew that as it stood, they were going to come away with nothing, and that was enough. Again, they powered their way deep into Lions territory and from a seemingly impossible position, the slight figure of Harry Pick stepped and weaved his way through a melee of bodies to dot down on 78 minutes. Crowe drop-kicked the conversion and Sils sprinted back to the halfway line, followed by the wearying Lions.

Could they? Not quite. There was a glimmer but a lineout to the back which had worked all day failed at the last attempt, and even though Sils won the ball back and tried to mount one last attack, it was not to be. If not for ‘that interception’ and a couple of kicks, it would have been, but two bonus points with two minutes to go is nothing to be ungrateful for.

The growing drama of the league ceases for a week as Sils are back in cup action next Saturday. Sils travel to Stourbridge to take on a different pride of Lions, hoping to progress to round 4.