S4, R5: Spartans vs. Gamblers (vBookie)

25.15

Try saving tackle by Michael Chung on Ben Read. Chung brutally smashed the Gamblers' prop as he received a pass from Jack Dempsey. Davis piles in and secures the turnover. Danger averted.

 

29.30

Bad news for Spartans fans as Heath Davis appears to have picked up some kind of groin strain. Nick Scott comes on to replace him. The Gamblers will be glad to see the back of the Seasonal Rugby Test lock.

FFS. I'm injured more often than I'm on the field. :facepalm:

 

30.15

Geoff Smith gets his revenge for earlier being bested by Ged King. Smith receives a good ball from Jake Luffman and runs straight at King. King mistimes his attempted tackle and Smith sends him flying without impeding his own momentum. Smith has plenty of support, and Rabbit Boy has to choose to follow Smith or Orr. Smith dummies a pass to Orr and Boy falls for it. Smith dots down under the posts.

Luffman converts.

Spartans 14 - 5 Gamblers

 

36.15

Blunder and Taylor have a bit of a kicking duel. Blunder kicks deep, but just outside the Gamblers 22. Boy is the receiver and he passes straight to Taylor.

Taylor hoofs downfield, but only reaches the half way line where Blunder is there to catch having not followed his initial kick.

Blunder then puts to the boot again and sends the ball deep over Boy's head. One bounce, and finds touch 5m from the Gamblers goal line. You won't find a better tactical kick than that.

Izett with good line out ball, taken by Downes. The Spartans forwards wrap around him and form a maul. The Gamblers will have to fight here.

The Spartans get within 2m, but the maul comes down and a ruck forms. Slow ball for the Spartans. It eventually comes out. They're wanting the pick n go, but the Gamblers are defending well here. Scott is the man to try first, but no progress. He turns well in the tackle to secure quick Spartans ball.

Ritchie has a go next, but is pushed back. Another ruck.

Looks like the Spartans are changing tack here. Looking to spread the ball. Luffman to Smith. Gemmell is up quickly, but Smith offloads to Orr. The ref's arm is out - offside the call on Gemmell. Advantage is being played. Orr out to Blunder who takes a run at the line. Tackled well by Boy, but Blunder has offloaded to Downes who's there in support and the debutant is through! Great try.

Excellent defence, but they just couldn't keep the Spartans out.

Tougher conversion for Luffman, but he's an excellent kicker. Good conversion.

Spartans 21 - 5 Gamblers

 

Half Time

Spartans controlling possession, but it's even-stevens on the territory.

 

42.45

Brett Gemmell tackled by Geoff Smith. Great tackle from the big Centre. Laing, Eggman and Izett dig in and only Humble can get there for the Gamblers in time, and Eggman's secured the turnover.

Luffman takes the ball and darts round the ruck, evading King and passing to Alessi. Alessi to Dorn. Dorn to Blunder who's in space.

Blunder makes 10m, not far off the Gamblers' 22 now, but Gemmell slows him down with a good tackle. Blunder dots the ball behind leaving a clean pick up for Laing.

Laing smashes Tyson out of the way and then passes to Alessi. Orr's got some space to play with and he runs deep into the Gamblers' 22. Funkotron commits to a tackle, but Orr's already offloaded to Dorn who swan dives over the line! TRY!!!

Luffman is like a metronome - he converts yet again!

Spartans 28 - 5 Gamblers

 

50.00

Popovic for Boy

 

51.30

The resurgence of Ged King from shuntiest shunt that ever shunted in Season 3 is surely complete after this wonderful solo effort. It comes from
probably the first serious mistake that Bobby Blunder has made all season. He had the ball 22m into Gamblers territory and went to kick for touch to get the strategic line out, but he failed to get the ball into touch; needing to bounce before crossing the line. Hornby is the man to clean up and as the Spartans line advances, they get too flat. Hornby unleashes a perfectly weighted pass to King who skips through a gap between Orr and Dorn and he's through. With Blunder on the advance too, there's no one at home. Poor defensive work from the Spartans, and it shows they are fallable.

King touches down under the posts for his 2nd.

Taylor with the easy conversion.

Spartans 28 - 12 Gamblers

 

57.30

Nick Scott surges over the line on the pick and go, but Morgan Burridge scrambles underneath and the ball is held up. The TMO takes an age to make the decision, but that'll be a 5m scrum. From the resulting scrum, a loose pass from Dorn fails to find Blunder and disappears into touch, averting danger for the Gamblers.