Bletchley delivered a powerful and composed performance on the road to secure another league win on the road, shutting out Oxford with a clinical defensive display in cold, wet and miserable conditions.

The match could not have started any better for Bletchley. After early pressure inside the opposition 22, the forwards set a solid platform from a lineout, and at 6 minutes, hooker Jordan Murray was driven over the line from a well-controlled maul to give the visitors a 0–5 lead.
The conditions made handling difficult throughout, but Bletchley adapted better and asserted dominance at scrum time. Oxford struggled to cope with the pressure up front, allowing the visitors to control territory and tempo through structured forward play and accurate kicking.

Fly half Cameron Watkins, serving as vice-captain, controlled the second quarter smartly despite the driving rain, putting up several powerful contestable kicks that turned Oxford and forced mistakes. In defence, Archie Barrett, John Waite, and Elliott Hales worked tirelessly, repeatedly halting Oxford’s momentum with aggressive line-speed and strong contact. Captain Hugo Govett also led from the front with dominant carries and key contributions around the breakdown. The score remain the same for the remainder of the first half before a quick half time break and warm up in the changing rooms.

The second half saw Bletchley extend their lead as the pressure told. At 49 minutes, prop Josh Sprules powered through the defensive line after sustained forward phases, finishing from close range to make it 0–10.

Sprules struck again at 66 minutes, this time finishing off another spell of heavy carries from the forwards to push the advantage to 0–15. All conversion attempts throughout the match were challenged by the swirling wind and rain, and none were successful - but the tries themselves proved decisive.

Bletchley were forced into a strong rearguard action late in the game. At 68 minutes, John Waite was shown a yellow card for hands in the ruck, and just five minutes later at 73 minutes, Barrett was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle — reducing Bletchley to 13 men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage and an Oxford side throwing everything at them in the final stages, Bletchley’s defence was outstanding. Discipline, organisation and collective effort saw the visitors hold firm inside their own 22, ultimately completing a hard-earned clean sheet and securing a huge away victory.

The introduction of the so-called “Bomb Squad” in the final quarter brought fresh energy. Adam Downing replacing Ed Findlay, Toby Short coming on for Ollie Britten and Wade Twiselton substituting Jordan Murray all entered the contest together with 15 minutes remaining and immediately strengthened the scrum and breakdown, helping Bletchley maintain control in the closing stages.

This excellent away performance - built on physicality, patience and unity - gives Bletchley the perfect platform to build on heading into next week.

Next Up:
Bletchley return home to Manor Fields where they welcome Gosford All Blacks in their next Counties 1 fixture.