Kings Norton 12

Birmingham Medics 24

NORTON'S fitness was sorely tested in this fast moving open game with the talented student side looking to run the ball in Barbarian style at every opportunity.

The visitors to Ash Lane gave notice of their intentions in the very first minute as the ball was swiftly turned over from the kick off and some fine interpassing saw the ball finally moved along the students back line to provide space for their left winger to race away to score a converted try.

Norton's stronger pack quickly got to grips with their opposition and began to control the tight play. But the Students' forwards were still able to forage and regularly turned the ball over to force Norton's midfield defence to work overtime to keep their attackers from adding further points.

An exciting game developed as both sides entered into the spirit of non-league rugby.

And it was the Medics who eventually broke through again after 25 minutes to add an unconverted try.

Kings then upped their workrate and hit back by taking the game to their opponents. Scrum-half Tim Hodson's persistence gave him the scoring chance to finish off a fine move in the right hand corner which he had begun from a scrum way out on the left. Ken Whitehouse converted from the touchline to bring the score back to 12-7.

The game ebbed and flowed with the home side matching the ball skills and enthusiasm of the visitors for long periods. However the Medics eventually scored another converted try just before half-time with an excellent overlapping move to go into the interval 19-7 ahead.

The second half saw Kings make a couple of changes and No 8 Mark Waudby scored a pushover try after 10 minutes.

But this was to be the final score until the Medics went over again the dying seconds to claim victory.

Norton 2nds beat the University's Mechanical Engineers 34-7 in another fast flowing open game.