MATCH REPORT: London Skolars vs London Broncos Reserves

London Skolars (0) 6, London Broncos (22) 38

London Broncos Reserves travelled to Europe’s most valuable sports ground – the Honourable Artillery Company Grounds, just off City Road, in the centre of London, a venue surrounded by an ever-growing number of skyscraper office complexes. The annual fundraiser for London Skolars includes a match, dubbed the Capital Challenge, has featured, more often than not a London Broncos team as the Skolars’ opponents.

With Skolars returning to the amateur ranks after 21 seasons in the professional game, their season doesn’t start until April, so the Broncos sent a team of mainly reserves and a few players who weren’t involved last weekend. It meant starts for players such as Gideon Boafo and Jack Hughes and they helped the Broncos to a very comfortable 38–6 victory on a pretty miserable afternoon.

The Broncos probed from the start, but the Skolars’ defence was resilient, until the second set, when the ball was passed out to the right wing. Instantly, the pace of the game changed as Boafo gathered the ball, turned on the afterburners and flashed through three or four tacklers and ground the ball for a real poacher’s try.

After 10 minutes, the Skolars defence was breached again, Jenson Monk stretching over the line near to the right corner after a period of sustained pressure. Connor Flanagan’s attempt, after improving Boafo’s try, drifted just wide of the uprights.

As the rain intensified, the game became somewhat quiet and Skolars enjoyed better field position. When the starters began to tire their tackling became a little less disciplined and the third of a trio of high tackles was punished when Josh Hawthorne was sin-binned after 27 minutes. Taking advantage of the extra man, the Broncos scored two long-range tries. Morgan Jackson went 70 metres through the middle of the field, brushing through a handful of attempted tackles after 31 minutes. Three minutes later, the hard metres – more than 40 of them – were carried by Sam Winney, and when the ball went to the right, Boafo was on hand to finish. Both tries were improved by Connor Flanagan.

Just before half-time, the Skolars were convinced they had scored following a frenetic scramble in the in-goal area, but the referee decided there had been two knock-ons, first by the Broncos just inside the field of play and Skolars were awarded the ball. Once more they went over the line but the player was held up and there was no chance of another play before the half-time whistle was blown.

In the second half, Skolars defended well and were not without chances themselves. One good scoring opportunity was blown by a pass out wide which bounced behind the winger and rolled into touch; another ended with a forward pass when there was a two-man overlap.

Two tries in three minutes from Boafa, the first, in the right corner, backing up as the ball was passed out of a tackle, the second a more routine winger’s try and he was able to touch down close enough to the posts to allow Connor Flanagan to kick his fourth conversion.

The biggest cheer of the afternoon came when veteran forward Lamont Bryan (Broncos Heritage number 478) – who played almost all of the 80 minutes at prop as well taking responsibility for kick-offs – forced his way over the line and, this time, the referee was happy the ball had been grounded. Adam Simm added the conversion.

With six minutes to go, Broncos crossed for their seventh try, David Slater going over from dummy half. The try was improved and that proved to be the final score.

London Skolars squad: 1 Callum Dockerill, 2 David Bofenda, 3 Liam Seabrook, 6 Archie Walker, 16 Brandon Angol, 20 Adam Simm, 22 Lamont Brian, 9 Dougie Chirnside, 10 Charlie Whittington, 21 Fraser Piercey Farley, 12 Craig Montiero, 13 Josh Hawthorne, 19 Aaron Small, 18 Ciaran Mylod, 5 Orson Fairlamb, 15 Ody Georgiou, 4 Nico Motta.

Tries: Bryan (67)

Goals: Simm 1/1

Sin-bin: Hawthorne, 27, high tackle

London Broncos Reserves: 1 Morgan Jackson, 2 Gideon Boafo, 3 Adam Yule, 4 Dan Hoyes, 5 Tristan Okomian, 6 Connor Flanagan, 7 Jenson Binks, 8 Huw Worthington, 9 David Slater, 10 Jack Hughes, 11 Joseph Stocks, 12 Sam Winney, 13 Jenson Monk. Replacements: 14 Will Peasey, 15 Ed Brown, 16 Jasper McClachlan, 17 Dafyd Morgan, 22 Charlie Randall, 23 Shea Cotter, 24 Will Baildon, 25 Dylan Morgan, 26 Marcus Clarke, 30 Shay Flanagan.

Try: Boafo (2, 34, 58, 61), Monk (10), Jackson (31), Slater (74)

Goals: Flanagan 4/6, Unknown 1/1

Sin-bin: None

Referee: Peter Hamer

HT: 0–22

Penalty awarded count: 10–6

Attendance: 300 (est)