Birmingham put Trinity to the sword

A convincing 42-10 win saw the Reds through to the last 16 of the BUCS Trophy.

Cup rugby has rarely been UBRFC’s cup of tea, only the second XV have tasted anything resembling success in recent seasons.

The record of the first XV in the cup has been nothing short of pathetic in the past. First round exits against lower league teams have been the order of the day.

But yesterday’s convincing win marked a departure from previous plights, and a place in the last 16 was confirmed on a gloomy late afternoon on the Bournbrook.

Trinity St David provided robust West Walian opposition. Their spoiling tactics certainly posed a few problems, but fluid play from the Birmingham back line and a typically dominant scrum provided the base for a convincing victory.

Only minutes into the encounter Ben Branfield barrelled his way over from short range for an early score. The game then stagnated for a lengthy period, as much of the play was concentrated around the middle of the park and the referees whistle.

It was youngster Tom King who brought the game back to life with a well finished try in the corner. Brum then began to set the wheels of victory in motion, accelerating away from close quarter game of Trinity.

A penalty from Labron was immediately followed by another try from King, making the most of a kick ahead to touch down in the corner. Trinity then forced a well deserved try before half time, bringing the score to 22-5.

The greasy conditions stalled some of the efforts at flowing rugby early in the second half, a pair of Labron penalties kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Then as some life crept back into the the game, Birmingham grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and gave it a shake.

Phil Earle broke off the back of a line out, surged 40 metres forward and from the resulting breakdown the ball was shipped wide through the hands of Knowles to Tom King, who got on the outside and cruised past his opposite number to complete his hat trick, while also touching down for his tenth try of the season.

A cold day for the outside backs

Osian Davies then completed the Birmingham scoring after a break from Carlise manufactured a two on one and gave the pass for a lovely try.

Chatterton’s touchline conversion brought Birmingham up to 42, but Trinity had the final say with a well worked team try in the corner.

Final score: 42-10

Birmingham will now face Exeter 3’s away from home on 18 February for a shot at the quarter final.