FOLKESTONE 27 pts. V AYLESFORD BULLS 20 pts. 21st December 2024

Folkestone earned another 5 points in their charge up the league table with an impressive win against a determined Aylesford team who had won the reverse fixture all too easily in September.

Playing in front of the largest crown of the season to date, The Stones put on a display of fast, open rugby coupled with some ingenious kicking to win against a muscular team, playing their strength to good effect.

From the kick off Stones attacked the Bulls, forcing them to defend their 22 metre line where they conceded an scrum. Stones capitalised in this and spread the ball wide down their backs for winger Harry Dean to touch down in the 3rd minute giving them an early 5-0 lead. Bulls regained their composure and began to pressurise Stones defence, gaining possession, and attacking through strong forward runs towards Stones 22 metre line where Stones conceded a penalty which Bulls converted in the 8th minute, 5 – 3.

The wind and rain made handling difficult - Folkestone gaining possession from Bulls errors, and with some good positional kicking from Ollie Jordon-Smith Stones they took and held territorial advantage. Winning a line out they released the ball to their fast moving three quarters, finally to the left wing for Seyhan Fell run in for a try in the 15th minute. Ollie Jordon-Smith converted. 12 – 3.

Bulls were effective in attack around the fringes of the rucks forcing Stones to sturdily defend their try line but the pressure was relentless, and from a ruck Bulls spread the ball wide to score an unconverted try in the corner in the 23rd minute reducing Stones to a slender 4 point lead. Bulls then took advantage of a midfield handling error and caught Folkestone without a defence, running round to score under the posts and converting the try to give them a 12-15 lead

From the re-start Stones penned the Bulls into their 22 metre and in trying to force their way out, Alex Price stripped the ball from them which was quickly passed through the backs to Seyhan Fell to touch down in the 35th minute giving Stones a slender 2 points lead, 17 - 15

Stones began the second half in the same vein as the first, but play was disrupted for 5 minutes through an injury to a Bulls player. The game resumed with a Stones scrum that set up some strong forward drives eventually passing the ball through to Callum Palmieri who, with a well-judged kick towards the corner, allowed Seyhan Fell to gather it and slip over for a try in the 50th minute extending the Stones to 22-15. Bulls then had a long period possession reverting to their game plan of forwards forcing through the fringes of the ruck. Folkestone were caught off-side but Bulls missed the penalty in the strong cross wind.

Folkestone had a better variation of tactics and through good interplay they moved into Bulls red zone setting up their forwards and trying force their way over but The Bulls were formidable in defence of their line but had no answer when the ball was passed to Ollie Jordon-Smith who cross kicked 50 metres to the far touch line for Seyhan Fell to make a good catch, dodge his opposite number, and score his hat-trick try in the 70th minute of the game giving Stones a 27-15 lead.

Bulls were not going to concede defeat they came back at Stones and scored an unconverted try in the 75th minute leaving the score at 27-20 to Stones. And in a thrilling finish Bulls strived for a draw but Folkestone dug deep defending valiantly from Bulls onslaught and securing a deserved victory.

Team: - Tom Snare James Cousens Harry Illman Jarvis Mason Colchester-Long Scott Stewart Owen Chapman Alex Price Jordon Godden Ollie Jordon-Smith Harry Dean Callum Palmeri (C) Louis Watson Seyhan Fell Jack Hobbs Subs Jack Hines James Stewart Greg Wood