Bright and early on Halloween morning, Beantown met up with Boston for our league game rematch, with the earlier close game (24-21) not far from our minds. The match featured hard work from the forwards and fast footwork from the backs.
The first half was competitive, with Boston playing a large part of it the Town half, although possession was split fairly equally between the teams. Beantown’s forwards and backs all worked hard defense, making tackle after tackle. On one of the times Beantown worked its way up the field, we were able to score an unconverted try on a quick tap penalty and a terrific gumby-like stretch by Xanni over the try line around the 26 minute mark. Boston came back quickly with their own converted try up the middle. The score stayed that way until the last play of the half, when Sarah B. burst forth on a beautiful middle of the field breakaway, shaking several tackles and throwing a couple stiff arms to score a try, converted by Jones, sending Beantown into halftime with a 12-5 lead.
The second half was a very different story. Beantown scored another converted try at around 6 minutes with the forwards working several good phases and a quick penalty and Jones willing herself and a few defenders over the goal line. Throughout the game Duzzi had been making last-man tackles, but now she got to show off her speed and moves finally, scoring another converted try at about 14 minutes. Beantown never looked back. Boston did move it up the sideline at one point to score a converted try about 22 minutes in. But Duzzi made sure of a Beantown “W” off a nice backline play with a run in for the last try.
Read the play-by-play: https://storify.com/BeantownRFC/vs-boston-away-fall-2015
Halftime score: 12-5
Final score: 31-14 (Beantown victory)
Beantown tries: Xanni, Sarah B, Jones, Duzzi (2); Conversions: Jones (3)
The B-side continued to pattern for a 19-12 victory, featuring the Beantown debut of Cheta, a wicked good sevens player who scored a hat trick.
B-side tries: Cheta (3); Conversions: Anne V 92)
