Avon kicked-off their centenary season in style by overcoming visitors Chew Valley 2nd XV 44-33 in their Counties 2 Tribute Ale Somerset opener on Saturday 6th September.
Avon will make the 160-mile round trip to Minehead Barbarians on 13th September| Photo © Richard Briggs
It did not take long for Avon to score the opening try. Quick ruck ball was followed by a long mispass from skipper Kane Book to find Stu Dilloway galloping into space. He offloaded to winger Jack Moore to cross in the corner.
Avon’s powerful pack, despite missing their two regular second rows, then started to turn the screw from driving line-outs and surging scrums. Ben Hurd was the first beneficiary as he crashed over from a thunderous maul.
Then a massive scrum drove Chew back, enabling Dan Griffin to touch down on the blindside. With Rob Fitch adding a conversion, Avon had a 17-0 lead inside the first quarter.
But any thoughts of an easy victory were soon dispelled as Chew dominated the scoring over the next 20 minutes with three tries.
Showing their pace out wide and exploiting some misalignments in Avon’s defence, the travellers struck back to take a narrow lead approaching the interval.
A Fitch penalty on the stroke of half-time restored Avon’s lead.
Chew were energised by their attacking success. But committed Avon defence closed down the visitors’ options before the hosts increased their intensity again.
A huge scrum resulted in the ball being struck against the head and swiftly transferred along the back line for Moore to touch down in the corner.
Clever tactical kicking from Fitch pinned the visitors back and another driving line-out sucked in the defence for scrum-half Kiddie Sheikh to dummy his way over the try line.
Chew responded with a long-range counter attack to add another converted try to narrow the gap to six points, 32-26.
However, Avon reacted with two more tries.
Griffin added his second, this from a scrum pushover, and man-of-the-match Dan Cousineau scored an outrageous try with a rampaging run from halfway, leaving would-be tacklers in his wake.
Chew added a late consolation with a converted try from the final move of the game.
Avon’s Will Hayward made his return from injury off the bench after a lengthy absence, and veteran prop Chris Mutlow entered the action to clock up his 479th appearance for the 1st XV.
Before the match, Avon’s centenary shirts were officially presented by members of the Elizabethan Lodge of the Bath Freemasons, who have sponsored the playing kit this season.
Avon’s next league game is on Saturday 13th September, when they make their longest trip of the season – to face Minehead Barbarians.
The West Somerset outfit are bottom of the embryo table, having started their Counties 2 programme with a 66-3 drubbing at Burnham-on-Sea last weekend.
