Head Coach Dan George will be happier with his charges’ display of discipline and urgency and this improvement galvanised a satisfying performance at least for the first half of this encounter.

A’s faced a heavier pack and countered this threat with good all round technique at scrum time. The lineout was dependable and, though it took a few minutes for Albanians to get into their stride, the lead stretched through an entertaining first half.

Tom White had given the visitors, playing with the breeze, the lead with an early, simple penalty but then the powerful Kaz Henderson finished off a smart three quarter move on the wide right. Shortly after Dan Lilley collected a shrewd kick into the wind and put Sam Adejimi away. He had forty metres to go but beat all comers to the line.

The restart went straight out and A’s were soon assaulting the TJ line once more. Alex Noot found the space he needed to twist over half way out but the third conversion attempt ran foul of the wind again.

On the counter attack the visitors drove to the OA 22 and White’s smart cross kick put Hugo Watson clear on the left.

Then the move of the day saw Noot’s incredible pace and devastating sidestep bewitch the defence from forty five metres giving Sam Jones a simpler conversion attempt. Bonus point achieved the Albanian concentration lapsed and White crossed near the posts and duly converted.

The hosts now had use of the wind and, thus aided, tore once more to the TJ line where Adejimi’s mighty charge removed the final defender. Jones again improved.

There followed a long passage of play when discipline and precision deserted both sides. Hugo Watson picked up a ball no forward would claim near the Home line and calmly crossed in the corner. A Jones penalty with ten minutes left ended the scoring. By then it was a match for the purist only!

Brian Quinn,

Roving Reporter