There was a sad inevitability about this game. From the team that won their first game of the season last week, injury and unavailability saw just eight of that team take the field against the League leaders. Vigo’s patched up side were no match for this young team – that marvellous old warrior, Haydn Wiles notwithstanding – full of pace, power and skill. Vigo gave it a go but any time they had the audacity to come close to Elthamians’ line, any thoughts of scoring were ruthlessly stamped out. But for a superb display of defensive tackling by Freddie Barrett and the guts of Will James, suffering from a chest infection, but four square and defiant in the scrums, it could have been worse.
It didn’t take long for the home side to breach Vigo’s line. Vigo had started pretty well, pressurising the home side into coughing up a couple of penalties, but, perhaps foolishly, they opted to take a quick tap, lost the ball, coughed up a penalty and Cam Hancock cleared down field. They won the line-out, the ball found flanker Luke Cooper, who showed indecent speed for a back-rower and outpaced Vigo’s cover. Within a few minutes hooker Chris Sweets was at the base of a catch and drive to score. Vigo were already looking as if was a lost cause when the electric Prince Ncube, electric of pace, diminutive of stature, shot through a gap to instigate an excellent handling move resulting in Ben Adamson sweeping over the line. Sweets added another, converted by Hancock, and Elthamians had their bonus point by the first quarter. Elthamians are obviously a side on the rise, after tasting life in the National division and having to restart after economic travails saw them disband and reform. They now have a side that looks capable of moving up towards their previous heights and Vigo were not about to impede their progress. It didn’t help when some of their attempted tackles were more suitable for touch rugby.
Will James was forced off struggling with illness, and Vigo’s scrum really began to fall apart. The home side were running from all parts of the pitch, counter attacking if any Vigo relieving kick was not finding touch. Fortunately, Elthamians were rather partial to giving away penalties, the excellent referee, Mr. Taylor, totally in control. Sometimes their ambitious attacking lines resulted in a forward pass, sometime Freddie Barrett pulled off another great tackle, but generally Elthamians were in control. Again Vigo showed odd flashes of defiance, Jake French and Nathan Covill driving for the line but running into a blue and yellow brick wall. Ncube again escaped to score, Hancock converting and at 31-0, Vigo could be forgiven for thinking they had been let off a bit, such was home dominance.
With that in mind, they started to ramp up a bit of pressure at the start of the second half, and for ten minutes they had illusions of grandeur. Again French drove hard, Will James returning to shore up the scrum, Whitehead , now at scrum half, probing and kicking. But Elthamians had just been biding their time, having made a raft of changes at half time, seemingly allowing the new faces to bed in. Once they found their rhythm, they became an unstoppable force. Debutant Connor Huane and Kieran Hall did their best, putting in a sterling effort but there was just too much skill and pace in the home team.Mitch Coppard finished a good handling move by scoring. Hancock started a move from a quick throw in on his own ten meter line and then finished it with a try after a dazzling passage of passing, then threw an outrageous thirty metre pass to set up Cam Hames. Sam Ryan joined in the fun after selling an equally outrageous dummy and Joe Lee scored a couple of minutes later. Elthamians had scored 4 tries in nine minutes and there was little Vigo could do. Replacement Archie Rowbottom added another, before Liam Wiltshire, who had had a decent game, was sent to the cooler for a high tackle. Hancock converted four of the second half tries and then Sweets completed his hat trick in the last move of the match to complete a thoroughly dispiriting day for Vigo.
Vigo team: F.Barrett; S. Keelam, C.Cutts (rep: S.Tye 41’), T.Whitehead, L.Pitchell; H.Pattison, N.Covill (rep: W.James 41’); W.James (rep: C.Huane 24’), G.Rawlings (capt.), D.Norton; B.Howe, J.Tawney; L.Wiltshire, K.Hall; J.French

Referee: Matt Taylor (Kent)

Tries: Elthamians: Cooper (5’), Sweets (8’, 17’, 80’), Adamson (15’), Ncube (28’), Coppard (50’), Hancock (60’)Hames (65’), Ryan (67’), Lee (69’), Rowbottom (75’). Cons: Hancock (7)

Man of the Match - Elthamians' Luke Cooper. Vigo's Supporters Choice - Freddie Barrett

MOG’s view: Vigo had their moments but were thoroughly outclassed by a very good Elthamians side who will doubtlessly win this League and, in my opinion, prosper in Kent 1. Vigo just do not have the reserves that Elthamians obviously have – they too were missing key players apparently. To be fair, this was the first real thrashing they have suffered this season, whereas last season they had a few beatings like this. If they can get their star players back, there is a chance they could avoid the drop as the teams just above them continue to drop points as well.