South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2006 | February | 3
From the archive, first published Friday 3rd Feb 2006.
Gloucestershire League Division One Frampton Cotterell 25 Bristol Saracens 5
FRAMPTON produced one of their best performances of the season to defeat a strong Saracens side who started the game joint top with the home side.
The visitors took the lead within the first five minutes after with the forwards creating quick ruck ball, which enabled the backs to have room out wide and time for their winger to dive over in the corner.
However, Frampton came back at Saracens straight away and never looked back.
The home side's forwards started to put pressure on Saracens with some powerful rolling mauls and dynamic running, especially from prop Eddy Barrett and locks Nathan Cole and John Stewart.
Frampton's young sensation Matt Lawrence was having an inspirational game with the boot and it was his kick for touch that created his team's first try.
A lineout was stolen five yards from the Saracens line and the resultant driven maul was cynically dragged down by Saracens.
A penalty try was awarded and the offending flanker given ten minutes in the sin-bin as a result.
Frampton took a seven-point lead in at the break when flanker Keith Weaver scored in the corner within seconds of the half-time whistle.
The second half could not start soon enough for Frampton, who were champing at the bit.
Throughout the game, they showed everyone why they had the best defence in the league, with some outstanding tackling all round the park, especially from man of the match Tom Sparrow, playing in only his second first team match.
Frampton's first try of the second half came from a tremendous run from number eight and skipper Dean Van der Morsener.
He picked up the ball from the back of the scrum and brushed aside flanker, scrum-half and fly-half to crash over the line.
The hosts' final try was their best of the game.
Barrett crashed his way up the centre and created quick ball for the backs to capitalise upon.
The ball was fed along the line until it reached full-back Belston, who pinned his ears back and dived over in the corner to cap a great victory and a superb month for Frampton.
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