KENILWORTH made it two wins from two last Friday evening to continue their strong pre-season campaign with a 27-17 victory over rivals Old Leamingtonians at Glasshouse Lane.
The visitors got off to a strong start opening the scoring in the first ten minutes when an overlap on the left was exploited to allow Old Leamingtonians to take the lead.
With the score at 5-0, the visitors continued to pressurise the Kenilworth defence but it was the hosts who were next on the scoreboard with a try through Ryan Spriggs after 30 minutes.
With Kenilworth attacking just five metres short of the Old Leamingtonians line, Spriggs found space on the wing to go over in the corner and level the scores.
The second half began much as the first with Old Leamingtonians looking dangerous with ball in hand but it was Kenilworth that scored the first points of the half through Gareth Renowden.
The scrum half spotted a gap from the base of a ruck and dived over following one of his trademark snipes to give his side a five-point lead.
A well-worked move then restored parity for Old Leamingtonians with a try on the left before Raj Bahey restored his side’s five-point advantage.
The flanker went over following a driving maul that moved his side to within inches of the line after the hosts gained good field position in the Old Leamingtonians 22.
Another of Renowden’s trademark snipes stretched his side’s lead to ten points, making the score 20-10, before Renowden was involved once again in the match-winning try.
Some slick footwork allowed the scrum half to break free after a scrum before putting Adam Turner into space on the left wing to score.
The successful conversion from Simon Tyler made the score 27-10 heading into the closing minutes.
Old Leamingtonians did manage to score a third in the 80th minute, with the conversion closing the gap to 27-17. It proved to be the last play of the match, however, and Kenilworth ensured their winning ways in pre-season continued.
The side are next in action on Saturday, September 1 when they host Broadstreet’s Development squad.
They then begin their Midlands Two West (South) league campaign the following week with a trip to Old Laurentians on Saturday, September 8.
Elsewhere at Kenilworth, the Ladies got their pre-season campaign off to the perfect start with a comprehensive 86-0 victory against Amber Valley.
Phoebe Howles scored the first two of her side’s 14 tries to open the scoring for a 10-0 lead before Maddie Rendell scored her first try for the club on her debut.
Sophie Henry then added her name to the scoresheet with a try converted by Becci Lewis with Rendell adding a second for a 27-0 lead.
Captain and scrum half Rebecca Hill then scored two tries either side of Rendell securing a hat trick on an impressive debut.
The conversions from Aisling Straver gave her side a 48-0 lead.
Siobhan Allison-Moore and Caroline Spence then ensured the forwards had some tries to celebrate with the conversion of Allison-Moore’s try taking the score to 60-0.
A further two tries for Henry, converted by Rendell and Straver, and another for Phoebe Howles sealed hat tricks for both players before front row Kirsty Davie crossed for an 86-0 victory.
The Ladies will be back in action for a second pre-season friendly on Sunday, September 2 before starting their Women’s Championship Midlands Two campaign at Glasshouse Lane against West Bridgford on Sunday, September 9.
