Silky Sils Sink Sorry Southam

Sun’s out, Sils out. It was cracking the flags in the Costa Del Solihull on Saturday as Copt Heath welcomed back their Midlands Cup final heroes from last weekend. The Maroon Marauders duly obliged as they went to town against seventh-placed Southam, a shadow of the team that caused Sils so many problems in Warwickshire earlier this season. Pete Nicholls missed out with a knee injury, Joe Pick bagging a starting berth.

The home team were off the mark within 3 minutes, as Matt Lee put Jack Hobbs away in the right corner and Ben Crowe converted impressively. Southam wasted little time responding with a penalty in front of the sticks inside 10 minutes, but Matt Lee quickly turned scorer with a mazy run through the Southam backs. A Hobbs Lee show ensued, as the pair wreaked havoc in the wide areas. Matt Lee, bearing the same initials and running skills as Seattle Seahawks’ Marshawn Lynch, bounced off tackles like a pinball to score again under the posts, and Hobbs finished in the corner again before cleverly chipping and collecting to feed Lee for another. Ben Crowe was enjoying an excellent first half at 9, kicking the first four conversions and keeping his pack happy with some cracking clearance kicks. Only Sefa Aukuso could interrupt the rather predictable try-scoring pattern, crashing over from close range. The score stood at a dizzying 38-3 with just under half an hour gone.

Fred Howard picked his moment to vomit all over the technical area, and was replaced by Ben Trenchard, prompting Southam to immediately stop the rot and score their first try of the game with a clever chip and chase. Brilliant. Ollie Trace had also come on for Matt Lee. There was just enough time left in the half for Sils to turn the ball over in their own 22, clear upfield and Bambi Pick to drop the ball over the line. Half time – 38-10.

The second half began with an eruption of flair, as any Southam hopes of a Sils recession were quashed by quickfire tries from Hobbs and Harry Pick, the latter waltzing through a defence all at sea. Fred Howard, minus his guts, had re-joined and kept his impressive season tally ticking over with a score from close range. Crowe kicked another fantastic conversion, making the score 57-10 after just 49 minutes. The rapid try-scoring was giving Sils good opportunity to exercise their kick-off returns, as Crowe triggered Crexit to good effect.

Southam’s miserable afternoon continued when their fly-half was sin-binned for killing the ball 5 metres out, and Sils made the most of the extra man as Ollie Trace ran one in wide on the right in the clubhouse corner. Southam were now doing shuttle runs from the try line to halfway as Jack Hobbs screamed all the way down the left wing for his fourth, and Crowe converted another difficult kick to take the score to 69-10.

Captain Manise retired to the sideline after another solid afternoon’s work, and despite Harry Pick’s best efforts, Mark Parry was elected his successor. Southam enjoyed another rare spell of pressure, testing Sils’ resolute defence until they eventually bundled over for their second score. Ollie Trace wrapped things up in the dying embers with another try wide on the right. Final score, a resounding 74-15.

Sils remain third on points difference and travel to local rivals Barkers Butts this coming weekend, who rocked the boat by overturning Rugby Lions at Webb Ellis Road. Building continues ahead of the National Cup Semi on Easter Saturday.