Actonians 1st XV dug in against a determined Kilburn Cosmos to bring home a bonus point win in atrocious conditions on Saturday. Driving rain and howling winds greeted both teams at Gladstone Park, signalling the start of the winter period for an adapted A’s lineup after last week’s heroics against Royston. The first 20 minutes of the match went by without either side scoring, as both teams probed in attack and found their feet in the conditions. Set pieces quickly became a frequent feature, with George having the unenviable task of trying to throw straight in a crosswind, and Lasha and Luke packing down against a heavy Kilburn front row. Playing into the wind meant A’s usual kicking game was limited in effectiveness, with Ollie and Zak instead opting to distribute and seek space on a wide pitch perfect for a backline increasingly confident in attack. This approach was rewarded 25 minutes in with slick hands from Will, Tom and Matt releasing JT into space on the left wing; a trademark step inside leaving allowed him a clear run in from the 22 to dot down under the posts. Conversion from Zak followed for a 7-0 lead. A’s wasted little time in extending this advantage, with pressure and penalties leading A’s to a strong field position on the Kilburn 22. A solid scrum delivered front foot ball, leaving Will free to punch through a hole in the Kilburn backline. Although dragged down short, Ollie and Tom kept the ball alive and moved it into the hands of Matt Carrow, making his first start on the right wing. Sagely ignoring the loop line of Zak, he opted to drive towards the line, setting up a platform for a typically unstoppable short-range charge from Tim. Taking the ball at pace, he steamrolled multiple Kilburn defenders to go over the line for a second score. Zak again converted a much tougher kick to take the lead to 14 points. Kilburn responded by with their trademark resilience, taking advantage of some soft A’s penalties to establish good field position in A’s 22. After multiple phases well-contained by an organised A’s defence, Kilburn’s 12, a stand-out performer on the day, used his pace to cut back to the blindside and get around the outside to dot down in the right-hand corner; conversion was missed.
Now having the benefit of a strong tailwind A’s started second half brightly, moving forward with purpose and energy. Heavy carries from Dan, Tim and Scottie continually pushed A’s beyond the gain line. After 10 minutes of pressure solid scrum ball resulted in Tom bursting through gap in the Kilburn defence. An offload to Ollie allowed the ball to move swiftly to fullback Matt Wilson, and he crashed over on the left to deliver a 3rd score. Zak retained his 100% record with a fantastic conversion from wide. A’s pushed forward from the restart once more, keen to secure the bonus point and close out the game. Establishing themselves back on the Kilburn line after controlled phase play, repeated carries moved A’s within striking distance. Crunching carries from the pack freed up space wide, and quick ball left Will with a chance to drive over from short range. Sadly Zak’s conversion missed, leaving him with a still remarkable 75% in the conditions. Despite some additional pressure A’s were unable to convert, and Kilburn regained the momentum heading downhill. Will Rodgers and Sam joined the defensive effort from the subs bench, as did Alex Barclay making his debut. In characteristic style the home team played their finest rugby in the final quarter, clawing back two scores after sustained pressure to bring them within 9 points of the A’s. The Kilburn backs in particular sensed an opportunity to use their pace against tired Actonian legs, and in several cases it was only last ditch tackles from Matt W, Will R, JT and Matt C that prevented a further score. Ultimately however stout defence saved the day, as Actonians saw out the last 10 minutes with clinical tackling and smart kicking to ride out the storm. Final score 16-27.