UNDERSTRENGTH Cleve were still too strong for Oxfordshire side Witney as they kept up their title challenge.
The game at the Hayfields on November 22 brought in a number of older ex-players, as Witney’s past president was 70-year-old Gareth Lewis, who played for Cleve and whose dad was a past chairman. His old team-mates arrived to talk to him and have a meal.
The game looked to be a tough encounter, with Cleve missing some players but committed.
Witney started strongly and gained a number of lineouts in Cleve’s 22, but as the clock reached five minutes, Cleve struck, moving the ball from their own 22 to Witney’s line.
Harry O’Donnell picked up and went over, then Matthew Jarvis converted.
Cleve now started pressuring Witney.
A poor clearance kick was fielded by Cleve’s winger, who ran it back. The ball then popped out to Jarvis, who scored and then converted his try to make it 14-0 to Cleve.
The home side was also dominating in the scrum, pushing Witney’s eight back.
A centre-pitch interchange of passes allowed full-back Henry Williams to score under the posts, making it 21-0 to Cleve.
Witney got back into the game after a yellow card saw Cleve go down a player.
The visitors went into Cleve’s 22 and, with a pickup and drive, scored an unconverted try to make it 21-5 at half-time.
Gareth stated that Witney usually regrouped to play well in the second half. Cleve, however, were not going to let the game go so easily.
Harry O’Donnell drove relentlessly into Witney’s defence, and was joined by his dad, Andy, in the front row.
This spurred the team on, and a breakthrough led to a Josh Davis try to make the score 28-5.
Cleve were not going to let Witney off the hook. Movement across the backs led to a Matt Davis score and in the final minutes, an interception by Josh Davis saw him score under the posts.
Jarvis, who must be close to a 90% kicker, completed Cleve’s tally, with the final score Cleve 42, Witney 5.
The following week Cleve completely overwhelmed Newbury: after 30 minutes the score was 60-0, believed to be a club record, as Cleve had never scored two points a minute in the first half of a league game before.
The final score was Cleve 110, Newbury 5.
A 31-20 away win over Longlevens on December 6 was Cleve’s seventh in a row since losing to Trowbridge – the only team above them in the Regional 2 Tribute Ale Severn league – at the beginning of October.
Trowbridge’s highly-anticipated visit to the Hayfields is on January 10.
Steve Bateman