POLICE STRUGGLE TO CONTROL BEC COUNTER-OFFENSIVE

As most observers' thoughts were on other taxing events for the Met happening a few miles away, the rugby team managed to open the gates to a riot when all had seemed fairly secure within the first fifteen minutes.

Having had almost a month's rest from league fixtures, the Met faced top of the table rivals Bec Old Boys with what should have been one of their strongest starting XVs of the season. However, the late withdrawal of captain Cormac Healy for operational reasons was to have a massive effect on the eventual outcome.

The Met galloped into an early lead through a Sam Druce penalty and well-worked tries for Huw Longden and the prolific Chris Holloway, the latter's being converted by the assured boot of Druce. The Met had dominated possession upto that point, and the Old Boys very much looked like they might be on the end of a hiding having brought a performance that appeared to make their league position look very flattering.

In actual fact, Bec do anything but flatter to deceive. From the restart, Bec stepped up several levels and it caught the Police resting on their laurels. Every time Bec carried the ball they successfully crossed the advantage line, leaving two or three of the Blue Line in their wake. Old Boys quickly reduced the deficit with their first try of the afternoon. From then on, the visitors celebrated every decision as if they had one the league, never mind a turnover or penalty. Referee Mr. Paul Ormrod appeared to abdicate all arbitration of the lineout, a fact that Bec noticed much more quickly than the Police, and of which they proceeded to take advantage. He handed a golden opportunity to Bec to further close the gap from a dubious "50-22" lineout, the visitors having passed the ball back into their own half before the kick. Fortunately, the Met's defence held firm and a subsequent penalty in front of the posts was skewed horribly wide by Beardsmore.

The second half began with Bec very much in the ascendency. They continued to drive the Met back round the fringes and engineer overloads out wide. Fortunately for the Met's hard-worked defence, James Morgan and Morgan Jones appeared to have little faith in the ability of those outside them and usually turned back into the Met's scrambling rearguard.

Eventually, Bec did manage to drive over the Met line and although Sam Bailey appeared to have got his not-inconsiderable bulk under the ball, Mr Ormrod awarded the try. This time the conversion was good and Bailey found himself sent to the sin bin for his robust protestations.

With Bailey still in the bin, and second row Steve Routledge leaving the fray with injury, Bec levelled the score with an unconverted try. Bailey returned and the game swung backwards and forwards as both sides looked for a crucial score. Bec had done a far better job of keeping the referee onside and the loudest roars of the afternoon came when Charles Sammut celebrated turnover after turnover and several penalties against the Met for not releasing. Nevertheless, the Met grabbed the lead with a superb kick and chase try by winger George Starkie but a rare missed conversion from the usually infallible boot of Druce was to prove crucial.

Bec again applied pressure from the restart, massively helped when they were awarded a very questionable knock-on. The Met still struggled with their first-line defending and Bec were excellent at capitalising on the extra yardage it afforded them. With two minutes remaining, the Met finally caved and Bec ran in a fourth try to claim a bonus point and level the scores for a second time.

Neither team were willing to settle for parity and there ensued a thrilling further eight minutes as both sides threw everything into finding the winner and going to the top of the table. In the end, tiredness and a bit of panic proved too much, the ball was knocked forward and the whistle blew.

It was a cracking match for the neutral, albeit heightened by a liberal interpretation of the Laws. A little more diplomacy and match management might have seen the Met home but in the event, Becs Old Boys can be satisfied with the bonus point.