After last weekends stern test at Burton, Stone took the trip west down the A5 to visit Shrewsbury. Another team new to Stone, Shrewsbury were looking to get back to winning ways after losing the previous weekend to Newport. With Tamworth keeping up the pressure at the head of the table Stone were looking for their fourth win on the bounce to maintain their championship aspirations.
After a disjointed forwards performance last weekend Stones pack immediately set upon their hosts, after the Kickoff went straight to touch the resulting scrum saw Stone exert huge pressure on Shrewsbury and forcing them onto the back foot and requiring them to kick away to ease the pressure. Stone took full advantage of their position and were ahead in 5 minutes, prop Jim Holmes breaking the gain line before passing to Jake Pedersen who cut back inside went through 2 defenders to score his second try of the season. With the conversion good Stone seemed to have a strong footing in the game however they released it within 5 minutes, with the wind holding the ball up from the restart the Home side were able to turn over possession and after a few phases ran the ball in under the posts, with the conversion levelling the scores. This would be the Hosts last real attack of the half as Stone unleashed a barrage of attacking play for the next 30 minutes, running in a further 7 tries and kicking 3 conversions before the half was done. Firstly John Bekalo cut through the home defence and over the line before Chip Laidlaw squirmed his way through, John Bekalo added his second of the day and 14th of the season. Joseph Powell scored his first try of the Season, having too much pace for the home defence before Joe Barr, standing in at scrum half, evaded the touch line to ground in the corner to complete Stone’s first half dominance.
Half Time: Shrewsbury 7 – 38 Stone
A new season but an old problem for Stone, after such a powerful first half display they eased off the pressure and allowed Shrewsbury back into the game. Lapses in defence and poor decision saw two tries conceded in the first 10 minutes of the second half making the score 19 – 38. With the home sides renewed confidence the second half was a lot more evenly contested, both sides exchanging blows in the half way region of the pitch. As time wore on the game began to open up, gaps began to appear and the younger Stone back line began to profit, halfway through the second half Joseph Powell added to his and Stones account after a surging run from Ed Borgman, taking a pass from the latter and crossing the line. As the game entered the last 10 minutes injuries to the stone pack forced the scrums to go uncontested, having lost Kevin Davies earlier to a split eye prop Jim Holmes was taken off after a hard knock to the head. The uncontested scrums worked in the visitors favour as from the first scrum Ed Borgman, standing in as a prop, inexplicably managed to be the first man out of the scrum, secured the ball before popping it to Rhys Evans for the last try of the match.
Full Time: Shrewsbury 19 – 48 Stone
