BRAINTREE RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB 2016/17 SEASON.
Any copy queries to BRUFC Publicity Officer John Troup on 07860-179347.

STANFORD-LE-HOPE...21 BRAINTREE...54 (Canterbury Jack Essex 1 Prem)
BRAINTREE extended their lead at the top of Canterbury Jack Essex 1 Prem to 12 points with a nine-try blitz of opponents Stanford-le-Hope on a sunny afternoon down by the Thames Estuary.
The black and ambers Braintree put the home side under pressure straight from the kick-off, turning over possession at the first line-out.
A strong carry by number eight and captain John Smillie put Tree on the front foot and quick passing found inside centre Craig Willis who scored after just two minutes. 5-0.
The game then settled down and it wasn’t until the 10th minute that Tree added to their advantage, Willis converting a penalty to give his side an 8-0 lead.
On 14 minutes the visitors began to dominate and a well executed catch-and-drive move saw the ball spun out wide for winger Fergus Rollit-Mason to score in the corner. 13-0.
Seven minutes later strong pressure on Stanford’s scrum led to turnover ball and another slick move saw fellow winger Tom Drew chip over his opposite number to re-gather and score. 18-0.
Soon after fly-half Joss Adams got in on the action, scoring a try after a fine individual break which Willis converted to put Tree 25-0 to the good.
It took Stanford until the half-hour to finally get on the scoreboard when a knock-on followed by some sloppy defending saw them score under the posts for an easy conversion. 25-7.
But it was Tree who had the last word in the first half with a strong break out of his own half by full back Dominic Dann , Number 8 Smillie then gathered loose ball just inside the opponents twenty two and carried just yards from the line before a fine offload was finished off by young flanker Dylan Moss.
James Abbott took over kicking duties and duly bagged the extra points to give the black and ambers a 32-7 half-time lead.
After the break the traffic continued towards Stanford’s half with Abbott scoring a try out wide on 50 minutes to stretch the visitors’ lead to 37-7.
Six minutes later he was back in action when a penalty for the home side failed to make touch and was run back at them, Braintree forwards carried to within feet of Stanfords try line when Wes Apps at second row used a deft pass to Abbott to enable him to score wide and Willis converting. 44-7.
The home side then rallied to mount a period of sustained pressure on Tree’s 22, culminating in a converted try on 68 minutes. 44-14.
But any hopes of an unlikely comeback were quashed two minutes later when a loose kick by the home full-back was run back with some slick handling, enabling Willis to touch down. 49-14.
Stanford then crashed over for a converted score from the back of a wheeled scrum to reduce the arrears to 49-21.
But Tree notched the last score of the game, a turnover at a scrum and a strong carry by replacement Dan Johnston enabled Tome drew to finish his 2nd of the game. 21-54
BRUFC Chair of Selectors David Gilder said: “It was a good game to watch and it was nowhere near as one-sided as the scoreline suggests.
“Stanford are a decent side but we looked very dangerous with the ball in hand and scored some great tries.
“It was a very satisfying victory considering we were forced into a number of changes from last week.”
BRUFC Joint Coach Brian Joslin added: “To go away and put in a performance like that and score nine tries was very pleasing.
“The foundations of our victory came from the pack where Daryl Coote, Will Turner and Wes Apps were all outstanding, but the pace of our attack was what Stanford really struggled to live with.
“Joss Adams, Craig Willis and James Abbott cut through on numerous occasions but it was an 18-man effort and I'm proud of the whole team.
“Credit to Stanford who were an organised outfit who fought until the end and put us under a lot of pressure at times.”
Tree have a break from league action this weekend when they entertain Writtle Wanderers in the semi-finals of the Essex President’s Shield.
Braintree’s second string also had a successful weekend as they beat Old Cooperians IIs 29-5 at Robbs Wood to leave them second in Essex Merit 2.
BRUFC: Dann, Drew, Abbott, Willis, Rollit-Mason, Adams, Crane, Coote, W Turner, Baker, Apps, Fitzearle, Moss, Benfield, Smillie. Reps: Martindale, Johnston, Carslake.