September 12, 2016
Clayton Bootleggers Beat Fort Bragg in Opener & Gain First D3 Win
Photo: Clayton Bootleggers
Doug Coil
This article is based on a Clayton Bootleggers match recap.
The Clayton Bootleggers opened their first Division 3 season at home against Fort Bragg and debuted in style with a 48-10 win. This win will long be remembered by the club as it was their first official D3 win.
Fort Bragg played an aggressive defense during the match and the victory margin doesn’t reflect how the match was contested.
Clayton Head Coach Rich Munro said “There are things we need to work on and improve. But, it was a good start to the D3 season . We need to regroup and start getting ready for Cape Fear.”
The Bootleggers took the early lead as flyhalf Brian Beauregard slotted a penalty kick three minutes into the match. He then added a try a few minutes later for a 8-0 lead. By the eleventh minute, inside center Manosh Premachandra added another try and Beauregard made the conversion to give the Bootleggers a 15-0 lead.
Fort Bragg defense then settled in for the next almost 20 minutes until outside center Stuart sliced through the defense for a try that was also converted as the Bootleggers increased their lead to 22-0.
Just prior to halftime, hooker Eric Hile raced 50 meters for a try and the conversion gave Clayton a 29-0 lead at the intermission.
The momentum for the Bootleggers continued into the second half as Beauregard added his second try two minutes into the half. Several minutes later after several phases, scrumhalf Brendan Fitzpatrick touched down in the corner increasing the Bootleggers lead to 41-0.
With thirty minutes remaining, Rich Munro went to his reserves and brought on fresh legs. Fort Bragg took advantage of the new players and the penalties that ensued and was able to score their first try in the 61st minute. A second was scored in the 73rd minute as the lead narrowed to 41-10.
The Bootleggers managed to add one more try as eightman Gareth Davies created space for flanker and captain Simon Potter to score under the posts. Beauregard converted and the Bootleggers entered their record book with a 48-10 win.
Club captain Simon Potter said “It was a great game. We’re still not at full strength and not firing on all cylinders, but the guys put in a good effort.”
Stuart McKenzie was named Back of the Match, while Jeff Cosgrove garnered similar awards as a forward.
The Bootleggers D4 side and Fort Bragg’s B side then played with Fort Bragg winning the match 31-17. Wing Marlon Norman scored a try on his first touch of the ball in his first game playing rugby. Bragg then scored a try that was converted for a 7-5 lead. Prior to halftime, Bragg extended their lead to 12-5 with another try.
The Bootleggers scored first in the second half as Clayton second rower Pat Cunningham picked up a loose ball out of the scrum for a try and with Ed Dixon’s conversion, the match was tied at 12 all.
Minutes later, prop Matt Artero broke through the Fort Bragg line and was headed in for a try, only to knock on the ball in goal. The try for the Bootleggers followed as Eric Hile scored to give Clayton a 17-12 lead with 15 minutes to play in the match.
This is where the it all fell apart for the Bootleggers defense. Fort Bragg scored three tries to turn a possible win into a 31-17 loss. The match provided valuable playing time for some of the less experienced players and for others provided an opportunity to challenge for a D3 spot.
On September 24 the D3 Bootleggers will host North Division Cape Fear, while the D4 side plays New Bern in the D4 season opener.
Clayton D3 48-10 Fort Bragg
Tries: Beauregard (2), Premachandra, McKenzie, Hile, Fitzpatrick, Potter
Conv: Beauregard 4/6, Fitzpatrick 1/1; Pen: Beauregard
Clayton D3 Lineup
1: Stillwell (Dixon @ 60) 2: Hile (Sanyer @ 60) 3: Cosgrove 4: Morrison (Bartles @ 50) 5: Taylor (Shelton @ 70) 6: Hardy (Tansey @ 58) 7: Potter (C) 8: Davies 9: Fitzpatrick 10: Beauregard 11: Castellana (N. Smith @ 70) 12: Premachandra (Rogers @ 60) 13: McKenzie 14: Crumity (Haskins @ 70) 15: Chapman
Clayton D4 17-31 Fort Bragg B
Tries: Norman, Cunningham, Hile; Conv: Dixon 1/3
Clayton D4 Lineup
1: Artero 2: Sanyer 3: Liverman (Koczanski) 4: Klingenbeck (Cunningham) 5: Shelton (Bartles) 6: Rogers 7: Allen (Cowan) 8: Artos 9: Haskins 10: Dixon 11: N. Smith 12: Rinehart (Tansey) 13: Castellana 14: Norman 15: Crumity (Hile)
