Stourbridge 52, Hoppers 12: Disastrous spell in first half seals Hoppers’ fate

Despite a solid opening 30 minutes playing intro the wind, a poor 10 minute display before half time saw Stourbridge head into the sheds 26-0 up.

Arnold said: “Playing into the wind in the first half, we actually played some good stuff for the first 30 minutes.

“However, we folded like a deck of cards in the final ten. (first half). We gifted them two tries after they capitalised on our mistakes.

“As a team we make an error and then we concede another straight after or concede a penalty.”

Hoppers found themselves behind after five minutes after Stourbridge turned over possession in their own half. An opportunist punt forward was aided by the strong tailwind allowing Daniel Rundle to chase after and score.

To make matters worse, influential hooker Chris Taylor injured his hamstring chasing the ball and was forced to leave the field.

A penalty concession gave the hosts the territory needed to score their second. A dominant scrum created space for Callum Morris to dive over in the corner.

Mistakes in the final ten minutes of the half by Preston allowed Stourbridge to claim their try bonus point. Losing possession on their own five metre line allowed Josh Trinham to score in the corner. Missed tackles then allowed Trinham to score his second.

Grasshoppers got themselves on the scoreboard in the second half with a well worked try from a penalty. A quick tap in their own half by Jordan Dorrington and nice hands saw Tyler Spence score in the corner.

Sam Stott also went over the whitewash with Jake Squirrel slotting the difficult conversion from the touchline. However, a comeback was not to be on the cards as the hosts sliced open the Hoppers defence on four more occasions.

Winger Daniel Brundle scored a brace. The best being a blast of pure speed in a tight area, taking him well clear of the defence.

Jack Lea and Arthur Morgan both got themselves on the score sheet with well taken tries. The scoreboard started to look a little one sided despite the effort of Hoppers players.

Arnold added:” The boys are still trying and they worked hard until the end but Stourbridge played the conditions better and deserved the victory. They are a decent side and had a dominant scrum.

“We showed glimpses but not enough throughout the game. I learnt some things today with trying different players that I can take forward.”

“We are looking to rebuild and sign some players to improve the squad.”