1:00pm Friday 26th February 2010
Ross-on-Wye 5 pts Tewkesbury 10.
AFTER two straight wins, Ross went into this M50 derby looking to avenge a narrow High Bridge Jewellers Gloucester League Premier Division defeat at Tewkesbury earlier in the season.
But, on the day, it was the Gloucestershire visitors who came out on top in a dour game.
Ross failed to make much impression on a rugged Tewkesbury pack. They struggled to get any quality ball and, on the odd occasion when they broke free of the shackles, the referee penalised them, handing the initiative straight back to the visitors.
It was from one such situation that Tewkesbury broke the deadlock.
They took a penalty to set up a lineout 10 yards from the Ross line, won the ball and drove over. They kicked the conversion.
Ross reduced the deficit to 7-5 in the closing stages of the first half. For once, they strung a number of phases of play together and, when Luke Grey was tackled short of the line, scrum-half James Hughes wriggled over after the ball was recycled.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Ross failing to break down a resolute defence.
A late penalty to the visitors sealed the win, giving them the double over the south Herefordshire club.
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