Another battling performance saw KC’s register their fifth away win of the season to leapfrog the home side and climb two places to sixth spot in Mids 2 West (N).
They had the best of starts with a try in the very first minute when Camp Hill knocked on the kick off and compounded their error by picking up the ball in an offside position to concede a penalty which flyhalf Andy McLellan kicked to touch and from the five metre lineout No 8 Layton Wilkinson drove over the whitewash.
Five minutes later Camp Hill replied with a lineout drive of their own from Kidder’s 22 which the visitors could not stop and blindside Rob Hunt crashed over for the equalising try,improved by No 10 Simon Edwards to put the hosts ahead 7-5.Edwards then missed a penalty chance from forty five metres but KC’s were beginning to infringe too often and on the quarter of an hour mark they paid the price when Camp Hill,playing a penalty advantage after yet another Kidder transgression,worked the short side from a ruck and despite a last ditch despairing tackle by winger Josh Winfield their scrumhalf Sam Matts forced his way over at the left corner to stretch the advantage to 12-5.
Against a big,heavy side looking to play the game at close quarters KC’s were in danger of being outmuscled but although the tacky pitch made it a difficult afternoon for running rugby with both teams relying largely on the boot of their No 10’s for field position they at last began to put together some decent phases and from a close range lineout Wilkinson plunged over for his second try.A couple of Camp Hill lineouts then took them deep into Kidder’s 22 and after a series of pick and drives centre George Wilkinson got over the line but KC’s defence managed to hold him up.
Shortly before the interval,following a contretemps at a ruck just outside the hosts 22 at which they were clearly coming in from the side the referee somewhat controversially awarded them a penalty which was kicked to touch to set up more forwards pressure but KC’s held out to go into the break trailing by only two points at 12-10.
Despite their weight disadvantage KC’s scrum was coping pretty well and their own forwards drives,which were proving equally as effective as those of the home side,reaped dividends seven minutes into the second half when they marched Camp Hill into their 22 from a throw on their ten metre line to win a penalty at a ruck in front of the posts.Scrumhalf Chris Pinner made no mistake with the kick to edge KC’s in front 13-12 and when Camp Hill’s re-start did not go ten metres they were penalised at the scrum on halfway.On the shortish pitch Pinner tried his luck with a pot at goal but although he had the distance the kick was wide.Nevertheless, from the resulting 22 drop out the ball was returned to Kidder and after attacking from deep Pinner went on his own from a ruck to touch down in the right corner for the first try from open play, increasing the lead to 18-12.
Coming under pressure,it was now Camp Hill who were giving away penalties but after KC’s rather surprisingly spurned the opportunity to add three points which would have left the hosts requiring two scores the decision not to go for goal almost backfired when a careless knock on and a charged down kick put Kidder in trouble but they saw off the threat with some dogged defence.Another KC’s lineout drive from the ten metre line then took them into the red zone before it was eventually halted but at the ruck quick hands by Pinner and centre Rhys Pritchard put in replacement second row Rob Phillips at the left corner for a bonus point try which gave them some breathing space at 23-12.
A terrific tackle by openside Mike Protheroe stopped a promising Camp Hill attack in its tracks to further dishearten the home side and at a scrum on halfway Pinner harried them into a hurried pass which was picked off by Pritchard for an interception try under the posts to make Pinner’s conversion a formality.Kidder finished well on top,winding down the clock with a succession of five metre scrums after the forwards had been held up over the line and with the final play McLellan actually touched down only for the “try” to be chalked off because the ref had inadvertently obstructed the Camp Hill defence,but it mattered not.
At halftime this match had been very much in the balance but KC’s did tremendously well in the second period to nullify their heavyweight opponents and achieve a shut out,denying them any sort of score whatsoever.The forwards rose to the challenge,with the back row particularly impressive,but the whole team deserves credit for the important five point win.