So the destination of the Mystery Tour is now known, Belgium, seeing the KCRFC Vets back upon, what has been over the previous ten years, fruitful European soil. Ghent is to be the team’s home for four nights with today’s fixture being played on the border with Holland against Rugby Club Roosendaal Commando Combinatie (RCC)

Twelve hours door to door courtesy of Whittles of Kidderminster and driver Carl. Who in fairness during the obligatory safety briefing was very informative advising of how to exit the coach, also revealing our arrival time in Dover and DFDS Ferry check in process for our trip to Belgium.

On a dry and cloudy Easter Saturday, the group of highly honed athletes and accompanying supporters left their base and headed to the Dutch town of Roosendaal.

Touring Side
1 Andy Tromans
2 Carl Whitehead
3 Nathan Small
4 Jon Easton
5 Jack Tunstall
6 Giovanni Iacono
7 Tom Maher
8 Neil Mason
9 Chris Pinner
10 James Lloyd Jones
11 Ambro Neri
12 Dave Betson
13 Russ Slater
14 Ishmail Ouhou
15 Rich Sollom

Impact / Bomb Squad
Tom Dalton
Mike Protheroe
Martyn Wright
Stu Law
Warren Delo

I need to start by saying that Warren Delo at the age of 61 announced that this is to be his last game for KCRFC sharing the joint oldest player mantle with John Lloyd who also retired at the same age. Can one of them be tempted out of retirement for year 11 to claim the title? Well done both.

Agreed format with our hosts four quarters of 20 mins.

Clock struck 14:00 and KC kick off. James Lloyd Jones at fly half gets the game underway.

KC awarded a free kick inside the RCC half with quick thinking from and old head Ambro quickly took it putting RCC on the back foot scramble defence, ball though the hands to Jack Tunstall who went over for the first try. Jack took the conversion, less said about that the better.

RCC 0 - 5 KCRFC

RCC kick off, after a number of passages of play Waggy single hand holds up the RCC forwards maul, Scrum to KCRFC.

Fantastic hands from KC seeing the ball smoothly transfer though the hands coast to coast Pinner, Jones, Betson, Slater to Neri and back again making 70 meters with only a last ditch tackle form RCC preventing a try.

Knock on in tackle, scrum to RCC in their 22 who kick to clear their lines. KC line out.

Through the backs again to Ishmail on the wing, who was promptly high tackled, penalty to KC.

Again penalty quickly taken and said Jack Tunstall heads for the corner only to be taken into touch by RCC after bulldozing forward like a man possessed on a mission for a wildly publicised pre game hat trick.

RCC line out not clearing their lines and under pressure, Jon Easton like a cat pounces on the ball to score KC’s second which he followed up with the extra points. Who knew he could kick?

RCC 0 - 12 KCRFC

RCC KO followed by great phase play from KC’s with little off loads and great running lines at speed, found the ball at James Lloyd Jones feet with advantage to kick a cross field ball for Ambro to leap like a salmon; sadly it did not stick.

Back for the knock on. A KC scrum.

Pinner in his trusty manner from the base to James Lloyd Jones after Sollom ran a blind side dummy distracting the RCC back line, onto to Betson for Slater to run into the corner. Conversion missed.

RCC 0 -19 KCRFC

RCC restart, Waggy secured and offloads to James Lloyd Jones ball finds its way to Jon Easton who trundles forward with at least three RCC players hanging from him.

RCC penalty for a high tackle, which they kick for touch from Inside their own half and take the line out which is over thrown, KC’s collect Sollom, onto Easton and Maher breaking the line to offload to Waggy to cross the whitewash conversion good

RCC 0 - 26 KCRFC

End of first quarter time to ring the changes.

Chris Pinner off for Martyn Wright and Ishmail off for Stu Law.

RCC Kick off back and forth in play with KC’s ball collected by Rich Sollom who advances forward with great footwork dancing like he was in the club the night before.

RCC secure a penalty again kicking for touch and their throw into the line out. KC’s secure finding the hands of Neri inside his own 22 and again sets off up the field. Offloading at the breakdown to forwards who are displaying hands like backs, Whithead, Easton and Tromans all involved.

This passage of play continued over the following phases with Small now involved from the forwards union, Jack Tunstall saw the white line and advanced only to the find the white touch line slowing his advance towards the white try line.

Sub James Lloyd Jones off for Chris Pinner.

KC’s continuing play in the same vein were turning it up, similar to prior tours, which resulted in a Carl Whitehead try from a 13 player maul to take the ball over the line. Conversion missed.

RCC 0 - 31 KC’s

Kick off and KC’s collect ball finding Stu Law, who after not playing for a number of months, maybe years, moved forward past 4 players with a run that I am sure was planned!!

RCC breakaway off a scrum and break the back line KC’s on the back foot only for Rich Sollom to put in a try saving tackle and deny RCC their first try.

The back line linked up again started by Pinner, onto Betson, Slater and then Law who again sets off like a thoroughbred the ball eventually finding its self in Pinners hands to cross the line. Conversion good.

RCC 0 - 38 KC’s

End of second quarter.

Law off Ishmail back on
Gio off Protheroe on
Betson off James Lloyd Jones on

Not long into the third quarter the ball was collected by Jack Tunstall who moved on from Ishmail to score their second. Unfortunately the additional points were not secured.

RCC 0 - 43 KC’s

The game after running rugby up till now turned into kick tennis with the ball fired back and forth and forwards gazing at the sky as the ball flew over their heads once and then again.

Ball back in hands, Nathan Small who rolled back the years, playing with time and if he was standing still, displaying his handling skills with cheeky off loads out the back door for others to run onto.

Sollom decided following advice from the sidelines to try a drop goal which was more of a drop than a kick as there was little air between the ground and the ball as it trickled forward.

Slater off for Delo
Sollom off for Betson

The game was shortly interrupted by a kilted streaking Smurf.

Normal service resumed once he was escorted to the sidelines.

KC ball in Pinners hands who connects with boot for a touch finder and RCC line out, ball collected and finding Delo on a crash ball making ground.

KC’s Penalty, Wright through hands again to Neri who runs over Conversion good.

RCC 0 - KC’s 50

James Lloyd Jones off Slater back on.

KC’s collect kick off and immediately advance forward as one, kick through from Jack Tunstall into space over in the RCC backfield resulted in a foot race between Pinner and the kicker to claim the points. Pinner scores and converts.

RCC 0 - 57 KCRFC

There was some concern expressed for Waggy from the sideline as he reacted and put in a tackle on one of his own team’s second row players (Jack Tunstall) to stop the pre-match hat trick prediction.

Delo in his final game continued to carry well and with purpose like it was the late 90’s moving forward with determination and capping off a phase of play with a try but not securing the additional points.

RCC 0 - 62 KC’s

Pinner off Dalton on

Game really opened up and space on the park with some tired legs now, Wright from the base of the scrum, advances, support is on hand and he throws a dummy on his own second row player.

RCC fresher legs off the bench, find space and break the line from inside the KC’s half to score their first try under the posts.

RCC 5 - KC’s 62

Shortly later with time ticking away to the final whistle RCC score from well worked play from the base of the scrum under the posts.

Final score RCC 12 - KC’s 62

A great afternoon’s rugby and as you would expect played in the right spirit, with fantastic travelling support hosted by a great club who made us all feel welcome.

Thank you to Macca, Eddie Ross and Gio for organising.

A massive thank you to Spencer Bell of Bell Plumbing for your sponsorship of the KCRFC Vets over this season and those prior.

Thanks also to Carl our driver and Whittles Coaches.

#BecomeACarolian