EPPING UPPER CLAPTON RFC 37 V 26 WOODFORD RFC

REYNOLDS MASTERCLASS CARVES WOODFORD OPEN
EPPING UPPER CLAPTON RFC 37 V 26 WOODFORD RFC
Connor Reynolds rose above the carnage of recent weeks when he had been at the centre of a realignment of the club’s coaching and leadership set ups. His personal desire to concentrate on his own game paid fruition for the whole team as he put in a most complete performance to ensure Clapton recorded their third victory in succession. It would have been unjust had he ended up on the losing side!
No team had really enjoyed an advantage at the set piece and it was in the loose that eventually Clapton gained a foothold. A lot of technical offenses had put the home side on the back foot but a gradual understanding of the official’s interpretation of the laws allowed more continuity in their play as the game progressed.
Woodford started the better. Their play was more cohesive and they were functioning better as a team unit. By half time they had scored 3 converted tries to a couple for the home sides. But for 2 missed penalties, they would have held more than a 21-10 advantage. Clapton’s success had come when they had exposed lapses in the centre left Woodford defences allowing both Nick Trower and Archie Unstead to score out wide.
There was little scoring early in the second half but increasingly Reynolds having been at the core of the early EUCRFC defensive effort was now carving open the Woodford centre and he scored the first of a brace of tries in the 64th minute. Dins converted and repeated the act again soon after when super-sub Liam Rogers scored a fine solo effort directly from the kick-off outstripping his opponents and leaving a trail of forlorn bodies in his wake!
EUCRFC soon extended this lead to make it 19 points in 6 minutes when Jack Glass was put away in space and crossed with 10 minutes remaining. Whilst Clapton now looked to secure the game in its latter stages, Woodford managed to come back to secure a bonus point for themselves. Reynolds had other thoughts and completed his sublime performance with a further incisive run and score. Dins rounded off the scoring with a penalty goal well in to stoppage time.
The Clapton renaissance continues, a little progress being made each week. Having disposed of one close neighbour last week, Clapton face another local derby with this week’s opponents of Harlow. Selecting from strength, they will enter this contest with increasing confidence.

Updated 15:14 - 7 Nov 2017 by Danny Elmer
Where next?

THE UNSUNG HEROES WATCH THEM AT 230PM THIS SATURDAY 
THE CLUB FRONT ROW MASTERS OF THE DARK ARTS
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