News

REPORT | Seventh heaven on home soil

Posted: 16th December 2023

Bedford Blues made it three successive bonus point victories on home soil as they broke into the Championship’s Top Four for the first time this season thanks to a 49-24 victory over Nottingham.

It was a performance befitting the final home game of the calendar year as Mike Rayer's side put together a deadly display to dismantle a Nottingham side who have started the season on fire.

The visitors played their part in a phenomenal showcase of attacking rugby, and it was refreshing to see two sides going hammer and tongs at each other with kicking put to a limit, but it's hard to outplay Bedford at their own game on home soil and so it proved as Blues stormed to victory.

A slight grievance will be not racking up 50 points for the third successive game but this was as good as.

Director of Rugby, Rayer said: “We lost our way in the game a little bit but it’s the old cliché that we’d have taken that result when we got out of bed and there were some really pleasing aspects.

“At the moment we’re going to be a bit rusty with the lack of games – every game feels like the first of the season really, but it’s good that we’ve got a couple of successive fixtures to come because otherwise it’s been so long between the games.

“We had to work really hard for our tries and that’s a huge credit to Nottingham’s defence. It was tough going but once we found the space, we were okay. We stuck to task in pretty much all aspects.”

Again, Blues were perhaps guilty of a slow start as Nottingham struck first - but when you haven't played for three weeks due to rest weekends and a postponement, it was never going to be 80 minutes of vintage rugby.

When they awoke from their slumber, they were irresistable and Sean French continued his remarkable run of form to make it 12 for the campaign - and 32 from just 38 games in Blues colours.

Henry Pollock has been catching the eye and building a bank of admirers, and he also dotted down twice to cap off a really intelligent performance.

Elsewhere, Will Maisey, Louis Grimoldby and stand-in skipper James Fish also dotted down.

For the second game in succession, Blues were also perfect off the tee with Maisey adding all seven conversions.

It capped the perfect way to sign off 2023 on home soil, and gives a suitable amount of momentum heading into Derby Day next weekend. A lovely early Christmas perfect for the #BluesFamily

*Matchday Photography by Claire Jones - redhatphoto.co.uk*

Teams

BEDFORD BLUES

15. Matt Worley, 14. Sean French, 13. Jamie Elliott (68'), 12. Michael Le Bourgeois, 11. Dean Adamson, 10. Will Maisey, 9. Archie McParland (42'); 1. Joey Conway (50'), 2. James Fish (C) (50') (56'), 3. Oisin Heffernan (50'), 4. Robin Williams (50'), 5. Luke Frost, 6. Joe Howard, 7. Henry Pollock (60'), 8. Cameron King (60')

Replacements

16. Robbie Smith (50') (56'), 17. Jamie Jack (50'), 18. Bryan O'Connor (50'), 19. Jordan Onojaife (50'), 20. Kayde Sylvester (60'), 21. Kieran Curran (60'), 22. Alex Day (42'), 23. Louis Grimoldby (68')

NOTTINGHAM

15. Ellis Mee, 14. David Williams, 13. Marcus Ramage, 12. Joe Woodward, 11. Ryan Olowofela (51'), 10. Morgan Bunting (53'), 9. Michael Stronge (53'); 1. Kai Owen (51'), 2. Harry Clayton (51'), 3. Xavier Valentine (59'), 4. Sebastia\n Ferreia, 5. Come Joussain (59'), 6. Iosefa Maloney-Fialoa, 7. James Cherry (40') (58'), 8. Scott Hall (C)

Replacements:

16. Jack Dickinson (51'), 17. Archie Van Der Flier (51'), 18. Jake Bridges (59'), 19. Jack Shine (59'), 20. Sam Green (40') (58'), 21. Will Parnell (53'), 22. Sam Hollingsworth (53'), 23. Jack Stapley (51')