Sils started the game well, keeping the ball and building pressure. The forwards used their power and patience to provide a platform for the backs to execute a move and top try scorer Harry Law powered over to open up the scoring. Try converted by Steve Hawkins. The good start however, was short lived and a few mistakes soon allowed the home side to respond well with two converted tries through their speedy left winger. Old L’s had found their rhythm and more pressure resulted in a successful penalty to increase their advantage to 10 points. A further penalty a-piece kept the scoreboard ticking over until Dave Edwards pressurised the scrum with success, he cleared up a spilled ball and carried over for a try and the extras were added by Hawkins. Old L’s seemed to find another gear and an intricate backs moved created space for their centre to carry through under the posts to regain the 10-point advantage as an exhilarating half came to its end.
Sils regrouped at half time, and whilst they were behind they knew that this game was still there for the taking if they could cut out the errors and start the half well. They did just that. A high up-and-under from fly half John Robinson was collected by pacey winger Tom Waters, he then won the foot race from the halfway line and another conversion was added to close the gap to just 3-points. Old L’s came back again but Sils determination in defence stopped them breaching their line however a penalty was awarded and converted to increase Old L’s advantage back to 6-points.
As the game moved into its final quarter Rafael Guimaraes came on for his debut for the injured Law and after constant pressure in the Old L’s half, the debutant was given an opportunity to use his pace and power to skip round his opposite man and finish superbly in the corner. Steve Hawkins stepped up from the touchline to convert and Sils were now in the lead. This lead was kept for just a couple of minutes as the home side replied with a penalty themselves which looked enough to take the win as the game moved into injury time. Indeed the Old L’s scrum half nudged the ball into touch for what he thought was the final act of the game, however, with time for a lineout Sils wasted no time in winning their ball and moving it through the hands from their own 22, the ball somehow finding its way to winger Tom Waters who raced down the line to the cheers of the away side to score and win the game 33-36. This result was the fourth win in a row for the Sils who seem to be building something as they leapfrog their opponents into third place in the league.
Sils travel to Pershore this weekend.