AEI’s return to their spiritual home at the GEC ground was celebrated with a rampaging display of running rugby and intelligent use of the supporting players against a bare 15 Spartans who were unable to match their illustrious forefathers’ defence at Thermopylae in stemming the tide of AEI scores.
The AEI started the match brightly with a lineout on Spartans’ 5 metre line resulting in A Clark barrelling over for the first of his two tries. Two further scores quickly followed to give an indication of what was to come. However AEI took their foot off the pedal and allowed Spartans a glimmer of hope with some lax defending to allow Spartans two tries of their own.
While AEI continued to penetrate the Spartans back line and demonstrate a hitherto unknown hunger to compete for the ball at the breakdown, the turning point in the match was J Bott’s crunching tackle on the Spartans no. 10 near the end of the first half which resulted in him not reappearing after the break and reducing Spartans to 14 as well as depriving them of any proper direction in their backline.
AEI used the numerical advantage and space the missing player inevitably left to good effect, rattling up 12 tries (J Bott 4, J Stretton 2, A Clark 2, J Jenkins 2, G Bott 1, P Stander 1) with 9 conversions. However, an otherwise awesome display by the whole team was blotted by the Spartans having the last word with a consolation try.
AEI’s next excursion will be away to Old Leamingtonians 3 on Saturday 8 October.