Bracknell want revenge after 'demolition job'

Published 23 Mar 2010 14:00 0 Comments

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Bracknell 76, Sutton & Epsom 0

BRACKNELL head coach Ken Hopkins is confident his side can make it three wins on the bounce in National Three London as they make their longest trip of the season on Saturday.

Following on from a 76-0 'demolition job' over struggling Sutton & Epsom last weekend, the Lily Hill Park side travel to Norfolk for something of a revenge mission against mid-table North Walsham.

The east coast outfit were the first side this season to leave Bracknell without suffering defeat when they drew 16-16 in Berkshire in early Decmeber.

That proved to be a blow to Bracknell's promotion hopes and Hopkins admits his side are keen to set the record straight on Saturday.

He said: "When we played them earlier in the season we only got a draw, which was quite frustrating. We had won all our home games up to that point, so it was definitely one we were expecting to win, but they got a last minute penalty to make it a draw.

"It was one of our more disappointing results this season, so we will be looking to make amends on Saturday."

And Hopkins is confident the 348-mile round-trip to deepest Norfolk will not knock his side out of their stride.

He said: "It is our longest trip of the season. We moved to this division because overall there is less travelling than in South West.

"This is the one obvious exception. But it is something that North Walsham have to contend with every other week.

"For us it is a one-off and it is just something we have to deal with."

Bracknell will certainly go into the clash full of confidence after a 12-try thrashing of lowly Sutton & Epsom last time out.

Top try-scorer Kevin McKenzie led the way with a hat-trick as nine different players crossed for Hopkins in a dominant display.

He said: "It was a mixture of us playing exceptionally well and them not playing as well as they played when we met earlier in the season.

"The conditions were extremely difficult and the ball was very greasy. If we had dry conditions I can only imagine what the score could have been.

"We played some very good rugby. There was good link-up between the forwards and the backs.

"We were ruthless and clinical, it was a real demolition job."

McKenzie took just six minutes to open the scoring with his first try of the game, while two scores from scrum half Dan Ap Dafydd and one each from prop Richard Hoskins and lock Leo Bailey wrapped up the bonus-point before the break.

What pleased Hopkins most, though, was the fact that his side maintained their level of performance in the second half.

He said: "It was 29-0 at half-time so we had the game tied up by then.

"Sometimes when that happens it is easy for a team to lose concentration or become a bit complacent, but we did not do that, which was good to see.

"We never allowed the opposition a chance and became even more dominant as the game went on."

Stuart Mackay ran in the sixth try two minutes into the second half, while Kenny Barry and Graham Sparks quickly added to that tally before the hour mark.

Two tries in three minutes on 63 and 66 gave McKenzie his hat-trick as Bracknell continued to pile on the pressure.

Fly-half Jervis Manupenu and make-shift winger Luke Carter then ran in late tries, while skipper Ben Nowak finished with eight conversions.

Bracknell: Mackay, Carter, Jones, Nowak, Mckenzie, Manupenu, Ap Dafydd; Mirza, Surman, Hoskins, Bailey, Barry, Sparks, Diack, Maybury. Replacements: Brambley, Staples, Aiono

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