Sat 15 Sep 2018
Tor maintained their 100% start by beating a stubborn Cary side, without really moving out of 3rd gear.
The conditions and a big crowd allowed for flowing rugby but the game was riddled with too many errors by both teams and not enough advantage allowed by the referee.
Tor were repeatedly penalised at the scrum, despite often going forwards and their lineouts didn't function as well as they should have. With new players integrated, they could be forgiven for being rusty in this game but is something that will need working on in training.
That said, the backline looked exciting in attack and the whole team looked solid in defence. Even down to 13 players at one point, Cary never really looked like scoring a try. Half backs Toby Payne and Dan Berkeley linked well and kicked tactically well.
Tor's first try came from one of these tactical kicks. Toby Payne (I think) saw the space and it bounced favourably for Mark Cinicola to collect and score under the posts.
The 2nd try came from a turnover on halfway. Hydey and John Ferriday (Mo Sizlak) combined to put Jordan Hunt away down the left wing. He was stopped short but the ball was recycled quickly. Hydey almost scored but was tackled around the neck. Tor opted for a Scrum from the subsequent penalty and eventually Jon Ferriday used his considerable weight and power to break tackles and stretch for the line.
The quality of rugby in the 2nd half didn't really improve but Tor looked the fitter and had Cary pinned on their own half for the most part. They should have scored more tries but frustratingly, decisions kept going against them.
The final try came at the death when Cini scored his 2nd in the corner following good hands by the backs. Dan Berkeley scored the conversion from the touch line much to the dismay of the home fans around him!
#vivalator
