Echo Sport
Leaders Thurrock too strong for Hundred
7:01pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012
Rochford Hundred were thrashed 53-7 at league leaders Thurrock.
The promotion-chasing home side scored nine tries.
And, if their kicking had been better, they would have been celebrating an even more convincing victory.
Rochford never gave up the fight and gave as good as they got on a number of occasions but when it mattered Thurrock had the speed, ball skills and single mindedness to show just why they are 12 points clear.
For the first quarter of the game the two sides fought it out to gain the advantage and Rochford applied good pressure which could have led to tries but crucial breakdowns or good defence stopped them from going ahead.
It was ominous that when the home team did get their hands on the ball they made big breaks but were kept at bay by strong Rochford defence.
However, the pressure eventually told and Thurrock ran in for their first try which was to be followed quickly by three others before half time.
None were converted which meant that the score at the break was 20-0 and Thurrock then added another two converted tries at the start of the second period.
Rochford did make a brief comeback and put some good rugby together which resulted in skipper Matt Stewart running in for a try which Adam Ashton duly converted.
But that was as good as it got for them as a now free flowing Thurrock ran in three more tries, two of which were converted and a weary Rochford were only too pleased to hear the final whistle.
They remain fourth from bottom in the table and will now be bidding to remain out of trouble towards the bottom of the table “There were some good individual performances from a few players but the Thurrock defence was always up to the task and counterattacked with interest,” said Rochford’s first team manager Graham Pratt.
“This is a game to be put behind us and we need to concentrate on the other important relegation battles to come, especially next week at Hammersmith and Fulham.”
Rochford: Mark, Chivers, Coombe, Pearce, Murphy, Baker, Whight,Chipper, Bracknell, Needham Levy, Prior, Stewart, Edwards, Ashton.
Replacements: Corbet,Needham & Barnes.