After two good wins on the road, Brentwood welcomed newly promoted Wymondham to a sunny King George’s for their first home game of the season. With a bumper crowd in attendance following the Gibbo Cup, Brentwood, resplendent in their red Challenging MND charity kit, kicked off down the hill aiming to make it three wins from three.

It started reasonably for Brentwood who were largely in the ascendency in the opening exchanges and although a few half chances went awry, Brentwood made it on to the scoreboard with about 15 minutes gone from a team effort. It started from a very solid scrum on the halfway line followed by an initial gain line break from Luke Watson which took Brentwood up to the ten-metre line. Brentwood were mixing play up well, a strong carry from Matt Whaley followed by a touchline dart from Ewan May before James Vogel and Eamon Tiernan had strong bursts up to the middle taking play up to the 22. Jack Mayes and George Bassenger further contributed to the backrow metres made count before Eamon Tiernan put Louis Payne through a gap, the ball recycled quickly and out blind to Luke Watson who had the gas to beat the cover defence over the final ten to the try line and get round under the posts. Sam Cappaert added the conversion, 7-0.

Seven minutes later Brentwood added a second after a Wymondham kick which had found some space in the backfield was regathered on the bounce by Louis Payne before a lovely turn of pace saw him round the defender down the wing and find Eamon Tiernan on the long inside pass on halfway. Eamon went straight down the middle, evading Wymondham’s cover until being dragged down on the 22, popping the ball off to the supporting George Bassenger who held the ball up long enough for Brentwood’s cavalry to arrive and supply quick ruck ball to Kieran Ballinger. Kieran found Luke Watson on the blindside again who timed the pass perfectly to draw the defender and send Matt Whaley cantering down the touchline and through the cover tackle for a try which was popular with the match reporter and Sam Cappaert converted, 14-0.

Brentwood added a third soon after, a snaffled lineout from James Killington allowing Kieran Ballinger to put an awkward kick in which Wymondham could only take into touch giving Brentwood an attacking lineout deep in the 22. Brentwood’s maul was strong, making it to within 5 before the ball was spread to James Vogel who jinked closer before Jack Mayes powered between two defenders for the try just by the posts. Sam added another two, 21-0.

Brentwood rounded off a golden 20 minutes with their fourth and bonus point try after a Jack Mayes turnover allowed them to put the ball into the 22 again. Andy Sutton’s lineout throw was again accurate, and Brentwood’s maul rumbled again before Will McArthur broke off and the ball was recycled for a few crashes; firstly, through James Stevens and then George Bassenger and James Killington. With the ball recycled again this time Sam Cappaert got it wide to Ewan May who found Andy Sutton before looping round to recollect a pass that hit the deck but in doing so gave Ewan exactly the sort of opportunity at a wrong-footed defence that he loves, stepping back inside and weaving through to evade a final tackle and go over for the try, 26-0.

Now, if you think Brentwood with a 26-0 lead is unassailable then welcome, you must be new here…and the omens got worse still when our good friend the try just before half time turned up for the first time this season; Brentwood caught napping on the blindside of the ruck ultimately rewarding Wymondham with a scrum 5 metres from Brentwood’s line. From the scrum the ball went wide but Brentwood were offside, the penalty when awarded was tapped quickly and with Brentwood unable to scrabble back quickly enough Wymondham got over for their first of the day, 26-7 and half time.

Brentwood’s second half did not start well either, Wymondham turning the ball over a phase after the restart and earning a penalty thereafter which they elected to kick, 26-10.

Downhill and with the wind quite clearly in their sails, Wymondham came again and coupled with Brentwood’s mounting penalty count scored their second try with only 5 minutes of the second half gone. Having put together multiple phases in Brentwood’s 22, another penalty close to the line was tapped and then spread wide quickly, Wymondham going over in the corner. With the conversion, 26-17 and very much game on.

Brentwood were now just about clinging on, everything which had gone well in the first half seemingly having remained in the changing room, with lineouts going awry, players running into each other, passes being dropped and penalties galore leading to an eventual yellow card for Dan Suttle for the team’s offences. Wymondham in contrast were now playing the much better rugby of the two teams, keeping the pressure on constantly and working the ball well across their team with various opportunities in Brentwood’s 22.

Ultimately, it was testament only to Brentwood’s sheer bloody-mindedness in defence that Wymondham didn’t score again; Alfie Adams scrabbling the ball off the line, George Bassenger just getting a mitt to a 5-metre attacking lineout, Sam Cappaert and Luke Watson with a vital tackle and turnover and Eamon Tiernan getting back to make a certain try-saving tackle getting Brentwood out of the mire on multiple occasions. Finally, with only a few minutes left and an eternity defending, Brentwood managed to finally regain some possession and territory, keeping hold of the ball long enough to see the game out until full time for the win.

For Brentwood this was a real mixed bag of a performance with a few things that could be improved upon…but good to get a third win on the bounce against a Wymondham team who look like another strong addition to this league. The league takes a break this week before Brentwood head off to also newly promoted Wanstead who have started the season with 3 wins against Stowmarket, Harlow and Holt and a draw with Westcliff, and with both teams looking to inflict a first loss of the season on the other it’s sure to be an exciting one!