Cambridge halfway there again.

Cambridge took last week's positive second half performance down to the West country yesterday and out scored Cinderford in the first half 3 tries to 1. Albert Portsmouth grew further into the number 10 role and Cambridge played some classic rugby in the Blood and Sand style. Tries from Steve Hipwell, Portsmouth himself and Mike Gillick, who finished a move that started their own line, scored the tries today. Portsmoth converted all as well as a penalty as Cambridge took a 7-24 lead.

But once again, a yellow card just before half time triggered a crumbling of the performance as Cinderford then ran in 6 unaswered tries to take control and run out winners, 47-24.

Mark Taylor's CEN report

Champions Ealing may have scored ten tries at Grantchester Road, but a stunning second half performance from Cambridge and an excellent display in his first outing at fly half by Albert Portsmouth sent the faithful home happy.

The Blood & Sand were on a hiding to nothing – without a win since Fylde away, and already relegated, they shipped scores from Sam Shires, Owen Bruynseels,  Richard Townsend,  Adam Preocanin, Andrew Henderson and former favourite Tom Wheatcroft in the first forty.

Wheatcroft landed six conversions and Trailfinders looked  likely to run away with the game.

However,  Martin Freeman’s first for the club from forty metres out sent Cambridge in at the break with their heads up.

 Pat Tapley scorched in for number two, after Henderson  had added his second for the visitors, and the Blood & Sand produced their best rugby of the season to finish up shading the second half.

Portsmouth, shades of James Shanahan, cut inside close in and danced through two challenges to dot down for a third.

And even a second score from Shires and Bruynseels’  hat-trick couldn’t halt the comeback.

Steve Hipwell smashed his way over for the fourth, Portsmouth made it three from four conversions to add to a pair of first half penalties, and the rebuilding for National Two, especially in terms of morale, is underway.

FULL TIME 32-64 HALF TIME 11-47

Referee - Fergus Kirby
 
Attendance - 610
 
Teams -
 
Cambridge
 
Gillick, Tapley, Freeman, Hale, Veenendaal, Portsmouth, Kevan; Ford-Robinson, Griffiths, Dowding, Dunn, Jenkins, Conquest, McComb, Hipwell
 
Replacements - Palmer, Cutts, Marriot, J Ayrton, Dougherty
 
Ealing
 
Hodgkinson, Bruynseels, Henderson, Wheatcroft, Wardingley, Ward, Thompson; Neville, Townsend, Brockett, Preocanin, Curry, Evans, Starling, Shires

Steve Jackson, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and The Rugby Paper

Cambridge can't do the double over Tigers

Cambridge could not repeat their only decisive victory of the season in the return match at Sedgley Park Tigers. Even though Ross Kevan continued his good form and opened the scoring early on, Cambridge could not secure enough good ball to get their talented backs moving and went into half-time 3 tries to 1 down. 17-7. Tigers did enough up front to deny Cambridge ball and kept their noses in front despite tries from Hooley and Veenendaal keeping the visitors in the hunt.

Mark Taylor's CEN report

Relegated Cambridge were just edged out by Blaydon in a game that had little other pride riding on it for either side.

Cambridge defended well, looked after the ball in contact and there was a steely determination about them that has been lacking for a while, which pleased director of rugby Rowland Winter, who was happy with his side’s improvement from last weekend’s defeat.

If Eliiot Bale’s second minute penalty had gone over, they would have taken the lead. As it was, the visitors struck first through Jason Smithson, forced over in a driving maul and converted by Andrew Bagget. Ross Kevan’s maiden score for Cambridge, though, with Bale’s extras a formality, put them back on terms. And it remained even at half time, with Bale and Bagget exchanging perfunctory penalites for 10-apiece.

Blaydon started better in the second period, with Nathan Bailey carving an arc into empty space to touch down under the posts for another easy conversion by Bagget. But Bale and the Blaydon ten traded penalties again to keep the game on a knife-edge. Will Hooley added another three points for the hosts, who began to sense victory with thirteen minutes left, but Chris Wearmouth’s late touchdown proved decisive.

A last-minute try from Steve Hipwell, and two more points from Hooley, gave Cambridge a losing bonus point.

FT - 23-27 HT- 10-10

Attendance - 487

Referee - Terry Hall

STAR MAN - Will Hooley (Cambridge)

Teams

Cambridge: Hooley, Gillick, Freeman, Hale, Veenendaal, Bale, Kevan; Ford-Robinson, Palmer, Cutts, Conquest, McComb, Dyer, Harrison, Hipwell.
Replacements - Griffiths, Cooper, Dunn, Portsmouth, Dougherty

Blaydo: Bailey, Jeffery, Painter, Banks, Sole, Bagget, Burn; Kalbraier, Hall, Ward, Wearmouth, English, Laughlin, Morris, Smithson.
Replacements - Sanderson, Hallam, Guy, Jones, Bell

Scorers

Cambridge
Tries - Kevan 19, Hipwell 80+2
Conversions - Bale 20, Hooley 80+3 Penalties - Bale 33,59, Hooley 67

Blaydon
Tries - Smithson 15, Bailey 51, Wearmouth 73
Conversions - Bagget 16, 52, 74 Penalties - Bagget 35, 63

Steve Jackson, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and The Rugby Paper