Evesham 8 Rugby Lions 8
Midlands Three West (South)
EVESHAM seemed on course to finally get the better of promotion rivals Rugby, only to concede a late penalty.
Evesham’s only two defeats last season had come at the hands of the Lions, without getting across their rivals’ line.
But Evesham scrum-half Sam Hopkins Ended that sequence at a windswept Blind Lane as they led 5-0 and then 8-5 until a penalty minutes from the final whistle levelled the matters.
The conditions meant plenty of errors and for the first ten minutes, it was very much a game of kick and counter-kick.
Evesham forced Rugby into defensive mode, kicking downfield and waiting for the inevitable mistake and it duly led to a penalty from Hopkins and a 3-0 lead at half-time.
The second half started in much the same way, with errors aplenty and plenty of kicking downfield.
Though the Lions had the edge in the scrimmaging, they didn’t really look like scoring until they surprisingly went ahead when Adam Attenborough crossed wide on the left.
Evesham’s response was swift with a break down the left flank for Hopkins to scoot over the line for an 8-5 advantage.
After weathering an inevitable fight back, Evesham again seemed to gain the ascendancy, only for Steve Coleman to coolly convert a penalty late on, having earlier sent one effort just short.
Evesham will feel they were the better side but two points keeps them in the race for a top-two place alongside Old Coventrians, Ledbury and Lions.
On Saturday, Evesham travel to Shipston on Stour.
