Millwall 34,

Stanford 12

RUGBY: A GREAT Stanford performance was not enough to defeat a well drilled Millwall side.

A slow start saw Stanford go behind by two tries after just 13 minutes of play. Stanford’s lack of tackling skill saw them concede two very soft tries.

But these seemed to stir the local team into action. Stanford’s hard work in the close kept the Millwall pack pushed back. Stanford were getting the lion’s share of the territory, but as each move pushed on late decisions and late passes proved to be the undoing of Stanford’s attacking play. Millwall’s backs were very good at linking their moves together.

And they punished Stanford each time the team made a mistake. But Stanford’s defence was now working well and Millwall found it hard to gain any ground through forwards’ work. Stanford forced Millwall to break the defensive line to take them three tries and one conversation (17 points) clear. But the Stanford players were frustrated and this spurred them on.

They got their first try when Ryan Edgeway scored and the extra converted points came from Calum Reid. Stanford forwards mauled their way forward with good support play and Edgeway broke free to finish off the impressive Stanford move. Millwall answered within minutes. They bagged their fourth try to take the score to 22-7 at half time.

At the restart Stanford were put on the back foot and conceded a fifth try in less than 10 minutes. It was a bitter blow for Stanford. But after this setback they started to play some decent rugby again. A strong forward move, who saw the ball fly to the back found Jamie Evans.

He beat two players, stepping around the first and inside the second and grounded the ball over the line. Millwall had the final say with the sixth and final try with about 10 minutes of the game to play.

Millwall were deserved winners 34 -12.

But the grity Stanford team can hold the heads high as they produced some good rugby. If anything, it was Stanford’s finishing which let the team down.