I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT ROB FILER PASSED AWAY A FEW DAYS AGO,FUNERAL AT STREETLY CREMATORIAM MONDAY 17TH MAY AT 1 PM.

IF YOU REQUIRE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT HIS SON TIM ON 0777 208 5714.
R.I.P. BOB
DOUGIE
[Submitted by DOUGIE]

Willenhall 42 points Wolverhampton 15

Willenhall were the form team coming into this local derby, with 3 consecutive league wins and 4 from the last 5 outings, and within minutes of the start they were in then groove and looking for a convincing victory. The home team kicked off down the slope and as no Wolves player claimed it, young centre Mike Sadler almost gathered the bouncing ball for what would have been the quickest score of the season. However it did not take long for Willenhall to get on the score board. Wolves tried to move the ball wide in their own 22, lost possession and Tom Cowell and Sadler combined to force a penalty close to the side line which Ben Potts converted comfortably to give the home team a 3-0 lead after only 4 minutes. There was no let up for the visitors as, from the kick off, Townsend, Gilbert and Richardson drove from quick pick and drives. The ball was moved wide where Potts and Dyke ran threatening lines forcing the Wolves midfield into desperate defence. Wolverhampton again tried to punch up the middle but aggressive tackles by Ben Potts and Adam Clewley stopped them in their tracks. From a centre field scrum, Tibbitts broke blind and fed winger Dyke who chipped ahead. Micky Potts put in a good kick chase, pressurising the visitors into a hurried clearance. From the line out it was moved into midfield where Wolves were penalised at the breakdown and Ben Potts doubled the score with his second penalty. Once again from the kick off, Smith, Wharton and Gilbert drove back down the slope and when the ball was moved swiftly to Dyke on the right, he sprinted into the visitors 22 to set up another attacking position. Willenhall’s forwards were dominating possession and the visitors must have found intimidating the likes of Wharton, Richardson, Smith and Reece, barrelling back at them every time they turned the ball over. Even captain Tom Cowell popped up in the centre to blast his way forward. The next try was a peach (but not a Jon Peach). Smith’s clean line out take was moved to Sadler in the centre and he chipped over the defence to collect the ball himself and cross next to the posts. Ben Potts converted to take the score to 13-0 after 17 minutes. Wolverhampton tried to punch up the middle but the home defence of Potts, Sadler and Andy Jones were ready to smash down anything that came towards them and when they reverted to kicking, full back Micky Potts collected the ball and ran it back with interest. On 21 minutes, Willenhall were further in front thanks to the accurate goal kicking of fly half Potts. Tibbits made a searing break on the blind side of the scrum and Dyke supported making a good attacking platform. When the ball was moved left, Sadler sold an outrageous dummy but was held up 5 metres short. However the visitors were caught off side in midfield and Potts delivered to extend the lead to 16-0. Wolverhampton’s defence was now ready to crumble and when Thorley counter attacked, Matt Richardson took the ball on strongly. From the ruck, the home team used good hands via Ben Potts to Sadler who broke to within the 10 metres of the line and great support work from Nick Townsend saw the big flanker take the scoring pass and crash over under the posts. Ben Potts added the 2 extra points to extend the lead to 23-0. Things were going so well for Willenhall that lapses in concentration allowed Wolves back into the game with a penalty and a converted try with 10 minutes left of the half. However within those remaining 10 minutes Willenhall crushed their local rivals with a 19 points spree that saw 3 excellent tries. From a loose pass by the visitor’s scrum half, Thorley, Tibbitts and Clewley pressurised them into conceding a 5 metre scrum. The large crowd knew exactly what was coming and Tom Cowell drove his dominant pack over the line for a touch down that Ben Potts again converted to take it out to 30-10 to Willenhall. The kick off receipt was rifled back into the Wolves 22 by fly half Potts. A great pass by Micky Potts fed Thorley to run strongly and when the ball was recycled it was fed to Alan Dyke who broke a tackle to score in the corner from 15 metres out. Ben Potts missed his first kick of the day but Willenhall were again comfortable at 35-10 and the scoring was not yet finished. From a scrum on half way Tibbitts gave a beautiful pass to Micky Potts who cruised through the gap and drew the full back before giving a well timed pass to Dyke who finished at pace and went under the posts. Potts converted to make the half time score 42-10 to the home team.

Willehall knew the second half could not match up to the scorching rugby of the first half, especially playing up the slope and into a stiffening breeze. However they started as they left off, keeping ball and working their forwards in the driving game. Cowell, Townsend and Gilbert were prominent in the forwards and Sadler, Potts and Jones moved the ball well, probing for gaps in the visitors defence. Husband replaced Smith in the second row and shortly after Willenhall were caught sleeping when a quick tap penalty 30 metres out by the Wolves scrum half saw him stepping through a gap and scoring an unconverted try on 50 minutes to bring the score back to 42-15. Willenhall kicked off to the visitors and they immediately sent a long raking return back towards the home line. However Potts showed them what a dangerous ploy that was with a 50 metre run back into the attacking half. With the strengthening wind behind them the visitors kept Willenhall penned in their own half but their attacking play with ball in hand posed no threat to the strong tackling Willenhall side. Barker replaced Jones at centre and Spearman gave Reece a short rest in the front row as Sadler, Townsend and Thorley combined up the left hand side of the pitch with the flanker showing wonderful handling skills to set Thorley away and then being inside to receive the return pass. Tibbitts and Sadler supported well to continue the counter attack which had covered 65 metres and ended within 5 metres of the Wolverhampton line. If any of Willenhall’s attacks on the day deserved a try this one did, but the forwards could not add the final touch from the ruck. An injury to Spearman within 5 minutes of him entering the fray saw Reece returning to the field of play before he had cooled down. After such a breathtaking display in the first half it was always going to be difficult to match it in the second and, although they put some great phases of play together combining incisive back play with good driving forward work, poor final passes and forcing the final play let them down. However the win puts Willenhall safe in mid table (after a start to the season which saw them lose their first 5 matches) and it also sees Wolverhampton in serious danger of relegation.

Eric Field Press Officer, Willenhall RUFC

Lordswood Dixonians 14 points Willenhall 17

Willenhall maintained their recent good form to pick up their 3rd consecutive league win of the season and their 4th in 5 matches. The home team replaced injured Paul Barker at full back with Mike Potts, Harvey Wootton replaced Mike Sadler in the centre, and Paul Husband carried the H2O and warmed the bench after taking his U12 team to Leicester Tigers last week.

Willenhall received kicked off playing into a stiff breeze at UCE sports ground in Moor Lane and within 2 minutes they were behind. A missed tackle in midfield on Dixonians fly half saw the player cruise through the gap and score a converted try to put Willenhall 0-7 down before they could catch their breath. From the kick off the home team spilled the ball and from the scrum Tom Cowell carried through their defence but a penalty at the breakdown allowed Dix to push Willenhall back into the corner. A good tackle from back row Adam Clewley allowed the visitors to turn the ball over and drive the maul 15 metres but handling errors in the strong breeze were giving Dix possession before Willenhall could string any phases of play together. Dixonians had the chance to extend the lead on 11 minutes but the 40 metre goal shot was wide. Willenhall cleared their 22 and from a clean line out catch by Paul Smith, marched Dix back to their own half with a 25 metre line out drive. The ball was then taken on by Cowell and Townsend in turn before feeding Junior off his wing and running powerfully through the middle. The home team conceded a penalty from this first incursion into their half and Ben Potts drilled the kick into the corner. Gilbert took clean ball in the line out and the try looked on but a turn over allowed the home team kick to half way. Dixonians were using high up and unders in the breeze to push Willenhall back but a counter by Mike Potts, supported by Clewley saw them put a number of phases together which ended with Cowell popping to Townsend who was tackled 2 metres short of the try line. Willenhall were now warming to the encounter and their strong driving play resulted in Dix losing a prop to injury on 20 minutes. The home side reverted to their kicking game again and once again Potts countered with Thorley on his shoulder and the winger broke tackles to get to within 20 metres of the line. The home side were now conceding penalties and fly half Ben Potts kicked accurately into the corner to keep the pressure on. Strong drives by front rowers Reece, Wharton and Richardson kept Dix on the back foot but they used the wind well to push the visitors back every time they received possession. However the hard work, controlled play and continuity of the Willenhall fifteen was surely going to break the home defence soon. The try when it came was deservedly belonged to captain Tom Cowell. A line out 10 metres out was driven by Willenhall after a good catch from Gilbert. Ben Potts used Junior to strike through the middle and Richardson and Gilbert took short passes from Tibbitts to drive open. When the ball was recycled, Tibbitts chose to move back to the unguarded short side and Potts and Jones handled to the young captain who crashed over from 15 metres. Ben Potts converted to level the score at 7-7 on 29 minutes. The high kick off was well taken by Smith and the maul was again driven effectively by the Willenhall pack to grind out 15 metres before Jones fed Wootton who sent winger Thorley into Dixonians half. Willenhall were now playing the better rugby by far but it was the home side that took the lead with an excellent try. Dix fly half chipped over the Willenhall backs but it was well read by Junior who took the ball back up the middle of the park. The ball was turned over and moved to the unattended left wing. Short of numbers, Willenhall could match the inter passing home backs who scored under the posts to lead 7-14 with 34 minutes gone. Things could have got worse for them at the kick off when an early hit on the catcher was penalised and the home scrum half took a quick tap. Willenhall were adjudged not to have retreated the required 10 metres but the resulting penalty attempt drifted wide of the posts. With 1 minute left of the half, Clewley was binned for playing the ball on the floor after a general warning from the referee and the penalty was again pushed wide by the Dix fly half.

Dixonians now had the problem of the strong breeze in their faces and they conceded a penalty from the kick off which Tibbitts tapped quickly, catching everyone out including the Willenhall players. However they recovered sufficiently to win the second phase for Thorley to attack the short side with a chip and chase. The home team now could not get the ball out of their own half. Willenhall were back to 15 players after 49 minutes as Clewley was restored to the back row and veteran Paul Husband replaced Smith in the second row. Husband was soon in the thick of the action as he apparently covered across to take out Dixonians flying winger – however this could not be confirmed on later review. Willenhall continued to pressurise the home team with good inter play between back and forwards and as the penalties mounted Ben Potts took the chance to shorten the lead to 10-14 with a well taken penalty goal on 50 minutes. It was now the time for the forwards to take the battle to Dixonians and they did it royally. Potts attempted a 50 metre penalty on 57 minutes and for the next 13 minutes Willenhall hammered the home line until they scored to take the lead. From the 22 drop out Jones chipped to the try line and a great chase by Tibbitts and Clewley forced a hurried clearance by Dixonians. From the line out a further indiscretion by a home forward saw him resting in the bin for 10 minutes. Opting for another line out, Willenhall drove for the line only to be stopped by another penalty conceded by Dix. Again they went to the corner and this time Cowell broke and went for the line – his supporting forwards claimed the try vociferously but the referee was unsighted and awarded a scrum. Willenhall drove – the scrum collapsed; the scrum was reset, Willenhall drove – Dix conceded another penalty – no penalty try yet. Willenhall opted to scrum, drove, scrum collapsed – another penalty. Scrum option. This time the scrum drove and the ball became loose so Tibbitts moved it through the backs for Wootton to feed Thorley who was tackled out of play. From the line out first Ben Potts and then Mike Potts tried to make half breaks and the Dixonians resistance was finally broken with a push over try grounded by Cowell and converted by Ben Potts from the touch line to take Willenhall into a 17-14 lead. The last 10 minutes turned into a farce with Dixonians refusing to scrummage despite having a full front row and the referee not knowing the Law which states that the side going uncontested must lose a player. This was amazing in a Level 7 league match and although Dixonians failed to get into Willenhall’s half, they won enough clean “uncontested” scrum ball to threaten to break out and their back row who now did not have to scrummage were more able to get away from the scrum to bolster their defence. Despite failing to reach the heights of last weeks performance the win was sufficient to move them to 6th in the table and 2 points clearer of the relegation battle. Well done Boys.

Eric Field
Press Officer, Willenhall RUFC

Willenhall 39 points Stourbridge Lions 16

Willenhall maintained their recent good form to pick up their 6th home league win of the season and their 3rd in 4 matches. The home team replaced Paul Husband in the second row with Paul Smith and welcomed Andy Spearman back onto the bench after injury.

Willenhall kicked off down the slope in the first half and, as Lions tried to make ground a crunching double tackle by Potts and Sadler on a driving forward brought an immediate penalty for holding on. Potts put the penalty into the corner but Stourbridge recovered the ball only to knock on whilst moving it wide on their 22. This was the start of some direct and powerful running by the Willenhall outfit which resulted in a score after only 6 minutes. Cowell ran strongly from the base of a scrum into the heart of the visitors defence and when the ball was moved wide the pass was put down with a 2v1 overlap. However a massive drive at the scrum stood Lions front row up and the tap was taken on by Gilbert and recycled. Sadler chipped into the corner to cause panic in the visitors defence and Adam Clewley claimed his first try of the season by diving on the loose ball to score in the corner. Willenhall 5 Lions 0. However Willenhall team were not having it all their own way. A series of line outs and scrums in Willenhall’s half needed a good defensive show before Potts cleared his lines and winger Alan Dyke put a great kick chase in to recover the ball in the Lions 22 to set up another good attacking position. Gilbert, Cowell and Clewley carried the ball well, whilst the front row of Reece, Wharton and Richardson were beginning to dominate the scrums.
Stourbridge conceded another penalty at the scrum on 20 minutes but Sadler’s kick drifted wide from 35 metres only to be knocked on by a Lions player as he fielded the kick at goal. From the scrum Tibbitts and Cowell combined to send the young captain hammering at the line. Willenhall conceded a penalty at the ruck and Lions broke out with a quick tap forcing Dyke to tackle his man into touch only 20 metres short of the home try line. As Stour attacked through their backs a dropped pass was cleared up by Barker but he conceded a penalty for holding on in the tackle and Stour converted the kick from 35 metres to leave the home team with a narrow 5-3 lead. A second Stour penalty from 45 metres in the 30th minute put the visitors ahead 6-5. Townsend gathered the kick off and fed Cowell who drove to the posts, stepping through tackles and a Sadler kick into the corner kept the visitors in their own 22 until a line out steal allowed them to clear to the half way. On their next possession, Sadler made a big tackle on his opposite man who was penalised for holding on – the penalty by Potts was held up in the wind but a score looked on the cards for the home team. The break through was made by Sadler in the dying minutes of the half. Fed by Junior after collecting an attempted clearance the young centre counter attacked the space and raced into the Stour 22. Tom Cowell acted as the link to Barker and from the resulting ruck the opposition were too stretched to defend their left hand side and the ball was moved to Dyke who gave Andy Jones an easy run in to regain the lead at 10-6.

The lead changed hands again within 2 minutes of the restart. A defensive line out was lost by the home team and although Townsend stole the ball in the maul and broke to the 22, Stour regained possession and moved it to their centre on the left who broke 3 tackles to get over in the corner. 11-10 to the Lions. Full back Barker was injured in the tackle and was replaced on 43 minutes by Wootton with Andy Jones moving to full back. Willenhall regained the lead with a try by Townsend on 47 minutes after Potts had kicked to the corner. Potts converted to extend Willenhall’s lead to 17-11. For the next 5 minutes the Stourbridge fly half put some long tactical kicks down the slope but Jones and Tibbitts dealt with them with ease. On 50 minutes Reece was replaced at prop after the loose head had given his opposite number a torrid time in the set piece. The Stour player must have been mightily relieved at the end of Reece only to see him replaced by Andy Spearman – he must have wondered what he had done to deserve such treatment. The replacement immediately stole the ball in a maul and set Cowell away. Good hand s by Potts and Sadler set Jones away but the ball went down with an overlap on. Thorley replaced Junior on the wing on 55 minutes and he received early ball on the short side of a scrum 30 metres out. Cowell, Tibbitts and Jones combined to set the replacement powering through only to be well tackled 15 m short. Willenhall kept the pressure on and a line out 25 metres out was the launching pad for another score. Gilbert took a clean catch and the driving maul took the pack 15 m towards the try line. Nick Townsend finished it off by breaking from the maul and powering over from 10 m. to extend the lead to 22-11.

Willenhall were now playing their best rugby of the afternoon with backs and forwards combining to string numerous phases of play together to drive the Lions back. Gilbert, Richardson and Townsend carried well and Smith looped round the centres to drive up the left wing. The visitors were now conceding a stream of penalties and Potts put them back in their own corner on 65 minutes. Another catch and drive got them to within 5 m and Cowell was held up over the try line. From the 5 m scrum, the home pack drove Lions into their own in goal and Tibbitts dived on the ball to score. The try was converted by Potts for a 29-11 lead. From the kick off, Cowell fed Clewley who popped the pass to Townsend – the big blindside again broke the Lions defence and fed to Sadler who carried 40 metres up field. It took a fine tackle by the full back to ankle tap 10 metres out. Stourbridge gave a warning that the game was not over with a 90 metre try of their own. The fly half avoided Cowell and Clewley on his own line and set off on a 50 metre run supported by his centres and wing. Despite last ditch tackles by the Willenhall chasers, the ball was shipped right for an unconverted score in the corner to bring the visitors back to 29-16. Another 40 metre break by Sadler saw him foiled by the full back again and a maasive bomb by Wootton into the in goal area which Thorley failed to ground correctly promised more for Willenhall and it came on 75 minutes. 18 year old Colt Harvey Wootton stepped inside his man from a scrum ball and sprinted 30 m to score under the posts for his first 1st XV try – converted by Potts to take the score to 36-16. Willenhall were still not finished and from the kick off Cowell fed Spearman who sprinted 15 metres up the touchline and popped the ball back inside to fellow prop Richardson. Not to be outdone the human cannonball powered 30 metres up the slope into the Lions 22. When the ball was recycled, Potts coolly dropped a goal from 30m to register the biggest win of the season – Willenhall 39 points Stourbridge Lions 16.

Eric Field
Press Officer, Willenhall RUFC


2nd XV v Walsall 2nd XV Won 35-15
3rd XV v Walsall 3rd XV Won 33-10
4th XV v Trentham Vets Won 27-0

Willenhall 13 points Ludlow 5

Willenhall picked up their 5th home league win of the season against a 3rd placed Ludlow side that had only lost 3 league games this season before visiting Bognop Road.
After a successful debut off the bench, Colt Harvey Wooton was again selected as replacement and he was joined by another of the club’s successful Colts side, Joe Slater. Also back in the starting line up were back rower Adam Clewley, scrum half Mike Tibbitts, prop Mark Reece and centre Andy Jones.

Ludlow kicked off playing down the slope and immediately went on the offensive with their forwards winning and maintaining good ball and bringing their backs into play to stretch the home defence. Willenhall weathered the initial pressure with effective and aggressive defence. After repelling a number of defensive line outs and scrums, Matt Richardson disrupted a Ludlow line giving them untidy possession. Fly half Ben Potts picked up the loose pass and fed Junior to carry into the Ludlow half for the first time in the game. With 10 minutes of the game gone the visitors were still looking lively and their backs threatened again looking to move the ball to wings but Potts, Jones, Sadler, Dyke and Sadler tackled well to keep the opposition out and Junior and full back Barker worked together to clear attacking kicks. Willenhall were starting to work their own share of possession and get onto the front foot – Townsend sent captain Tom Cowell through but he was ankle tapped as he showed the visiting centres how to line break. Jones, Barker and Sadler combined to find the first gap in the Ludlow defence. Sadler stepped his way into the Ludlow 22 and the referee spotted an offence at the tackle area to give Willenhall a chance to open the scoring from a penalty but ill discipline saw the penalty reversed and the chance gone. On 15 minutes Tibbitts fed inside to Cowell on the blind side of a scrum and Ludlow conceded another penalty which Sadler put over from 30 metres to give Willenhall a 3-0 lead. From the kick off a good take by Husband was set and Potts put a chip through which was chased by Dyke and Jones, forcing the visitors’ full back to make a hurried clearance. Ludlow came powering back and a great double tackle from Jones and Sadler dislodged the ball. Tibbitts cleared up to feed Cowell and Husband and Potts continued the play to feed Barker and then Sadler who put the inside pass back to Jones to take play back to the visitors’ 22. The game was turning into a real battle with both sides driving the ball and not afraid to use their backs when they had space. On 18 minutes Potts sent Dyke away with a well timed overlap pass and the winger ran 35 metres breaking tackles as he stepped across the field looking for gaps but the pass to opposite winger Junior was not taken cleanly with a scoring chance on. The forwards came into their own in the last 10 minutes of the half. Ludlow threatened with a 5 metre scrum but a magnificent drive turned the ball over and Cowell picked at the base to feed Junior to carry play out of the 22. Scrum half Tibbitts was causing his opposite number plenty of problems at the base of the scrum and the back row of Clewley, Townsend and Cowell capitalised on this to give Ludlow constantly poor ball. Ben Potts’ kicking game combined with an enthusiastic kick chase by the outside backs pressurised Ludlow but good handling and support brought Ludlow back down the hill. Willenhall still held on to their precious 3-0 lead as half time approached. Another counter by Dyke beat several players and a great cross field kick by Sadler put Willenhall on the attack and a steal by Husband at the line out gave Willenhall a great attacking platform but the visitors turned the ball over at the ruck to end the half.

Willenhall restarted the second half and Ludlow immediately tried to move the ball through their centres but excellent midfield defence drove them back and Potts stole possession to set the home side on the offensive. On 45 minutes, from a scrum on half way, Tibbitts and Cowell combined to feed Barker on the blind side. The full back drew the Ludlow winger and sent Dyke screaming for the line but in beating the full back and diving over he was adjudged to have stood on the line and the try was disallowed. Ludlow’s line out throw was “crooked” and Willenhall set siege to the their line. The pack drove the visitors back over the try line at scrum time but a collapse saw it reset. The next drive wheeled clockwise and Cowell had to pick and go back into the waiting defence but he could not get over. Ludlow managed to clear their line but from the line out Potts fed a flat pass to Sadler who stepped through the gap and dummied the full back only to drop the ball 10 metres out and unopposed. A fantastic break by the talented youngster but the score still remained 3-0 and one Ludlow score would undo all of Willenhall’s hard work. With 55 minutes gone the home side were still hammering at the line for the try that would take them more than one score away from Ludlow. From another 5 metre scrum, Cowell picked and got to within a metre of the line and Richardson, Reece, Wharton and Gilbert in turn drove for the line. Ludlow weathered the storm and managed to get upfield as the home forwards tired. After 60 minutes Adam Thorley at flanker replaced Clewley, who had worked tirelessly all afternoon, and Harvey Wootton replaced Barker. Within 2 minutes of coming on the field, Thorley was in the bin for 10 minutes for not releasing at the tackle and Willenhall were again under pressure. With 15 minutes left Ludlow got into the home 22 and a series of penalties and scrums led to their giant number 8 picking up and heading infield. He was well tackled by Cowell but they moved the ball back to the blind where they were queuing up to score in the corner. Ludlow led 5-3 but Willenhall were not going to be denied. They forced the visitors back making them concede ground and penalties and with 10 minutes left Sadler had the chance to put the winning kick over from 30 m. The kick looked good but drifted across the posts but the second chance shortly afterwards was bang on to give Willenhall the lead again at 6-5. Sadler took a dead leg with 8 minutes left and Joe Slater entered the fray for his 1st team debut. The play was now confined to Ludlow’s 22 and Wootton cut back from Potts to get to the line but he could not reach over. Willenhall were now hammering at the line from scrum after scrum and, with time almost up Cowell drove for the line and the recycled ball was carried strongly by Townsend and Richardson – Cowell went back on the short side and his pass to Tibbitts was flipped on to Junior who dived over in the corner. A magnificent conversion from the touchline by Potts concluded the scoring at 13 points to 5 to Willenhall.

Eric Field
Press Officer, Willenhall RUFC