Claverdon RFC

Claverdon hosted Upton on Saturday in their first Vice-Presidents Day of the 2025/2026 season. Claverdon were the in-form side going into the clash, with a strong win over Bournville II the weekend before. 

Upton were the first to strike following an early penalty just inside the Claverdon half. The outside centre connected well and claimed the first points of the day. The Lions regrouped soon after going 3 points down. Quick thinking from Stan Lawrence saw the back rower pick the loose ball up and shirk off three opposition players while charging over the line. Fly-half, Luke Sibley added the 2 points from the conversion. However, in the back and forth nature of the game, Upton quickly added a further 3 points following a Claverdon penalty almost immediately after the restart. Claverdon, determined not to continue making life difficult for themselves maintained a good level of possession for the next 10 minutes. This culminated in a scrum deep in the Upton half and a beautifully worked backs move, seeing winger, George Evans rely on his pace to dart around the defence and score under the posts. Regrettably, during the play, outside centre, George Redwood went down injured clutching at his calf to be replaced by Ben Hawkes. 

Following the restart, Claverdon conceded two tries in alarmingly quick succession, stunning both the team and their loyal supporters on the sideline. The halftime whistle sounded as the score read 14-23. 

Claverdon, knowing that a meaningful second half performance was required, banded together and dug deep. Some individual brilliance from Sibley saw him use what is fast becoming his trademark show-and-go to fool the defence and dive over the try line. With the score-line set at 21-23, Upton found some more momentum, amplified by Claverdon penalties. The Upton centre obliged and took 6 points from penalty kicks, increasing the arrears once again for Claverdon. The Lions fought back, using the VPs crowd as a 16th man. A scrum to Claverdon on the halfway line gave another opportunity for George Evans to show his immense speed, making light work of the three defenders’ attempts to tackle him. Another try under the sticks allowed Sibley to take the additional 2 points, and suddenly, a Claverdon comeback looked possible. With 15 minutes to go, another scrum central to the pitch enabled James Williams to put Hilton Garner-Jones through the defensive line. The line break quickly developed into a two-on-one, which Garner-Jones executed to put Evans in for his third of the day, completing his hattrick. The crowd erupted as Claverdon reached 38 points. 

In the dying minutes of the match, Upton, after a bombardment of forwards carries, managed to claw back a try to take the score to 38-36. However, some careful game management and a crucial turnover from Williams in the final play of the game, ensured Claverdon could claim victory. A splendid match of rugby with impressive displays from both sides.