BRIDGWATER & ALBION v CLIFTON II
SATURDAY 24 JANUARY 2026
KICK-OFF 1400
SATURDAY 24 JANUARY 2026
CLIFTON PICK UP MOMENUM AS BRIDGWATER & ALBION MAKE GOOD START TO SECOND HALF OF SEASON
We welcome Clifton Wanderers to College Way today for the third consecutive season. We nearly lost them last season as they were one point behind runners up to Cleve in this league, having achieved a comfortable 6th place in their first appearance at this level in 2023/24, having been runners up and then champions of Gloucestershire Premier in the two seasons before. This season they are now sitting in 4th place with an 8-5 record and on 44 points. When the sides met earlier this season at Cribbs Causeway, then neither side had won after the opening three matches but Clifton did on that day – winning 55-17 and since then they have lost just twice – conceding the double against Nailsea & Backwell and at Gordano. Last Saturday they clawed back one of their earlier defeats by defeating Dings Crusaders II 31-24 at home. They will certainly be seeking to make further progress up the table over the next few weeks and we wish them well in their exploits.
The game at Clifton earlier in the season was one of the two matches in which we have failed to secure a bonus point (the other was v Old Redcliffians II). Bridgwater & Albion are the highest bonus point scorers in the league – points which have kept us buoyant. Having turned into the second half of the season with just two wins, Albion have now doubled with two close victories in the last two weeks. Firstly, a pulsating 20-19 victory over Taunton II saw us race to a try bonus point before half time and then having to work hard to close out the game in the closing stages; fairly similar at Old Bristolians last week when after both sides had swapped scores in the opening 20 minutes, Albion then proceeded to score 4 tries without reply before half time and with the conversions also going over, we led 33-12. The sensible decision to kick a penalty goal midway through the second half proved vital and once again, we were able to hold off the home side’s considerable efforts to close the gap and win 36-31. This puts Albion now into 7th place and we cannot look back – only forward – starting with today’s match and as the season becomes more fragmented, then it will clearly be more difficult to maintain momentum but we need to target these next few matches with particular reference to the return matches with our North Gloucestershire opponents Chosen Hill and Gordon League next month.
Playing a side like Old Bristolians who like to run the ball through both their forwards and backs is always difficult with their relentless attacking approach; they rarely kick the ball for position, the only way to counter this is with some resolute defence and ensuring that we ourselves have our own share of ball and keep it for as long as possible. This means that the kicking must be precise – wide and long and away from opposition thus denying them the opportunity to run back. We did this well at Failand last week and our pack put the opposition under considerable pressure in both the tight and loose with some long drives and some excellent scrummaging which kept them on the back foot and allowed us those first half tries. The tactical approach in this direction has improved no end over this season.
Last Saturday, we were able to introduce two debutantes – Jay Darrell on the wing and Nathan Golding in the pack and both made full and fine contributions. It is certainly appearance landmark day today as firstly Josh Frost is due to make his 50th appearance; both Jon Hill and Lewis Plece are awaiting their 75th appearances and therefore earn their club badge; at the other end of the scale the mightily consistent George Sluman stands by for his 200th appearance. A profile of these players will appear in our later programmes once we know they have achieved the intended. In recent weeks Gavin Knight has made his 175th appearance and Jay Owens his 125th. We are now growing some consistency in the side and indeed through the club with the experience gained being second to none.
Following today’s match, we now go into a two week void before travelling to Chosen Hill on 14 February and returning to College Way to face Gordon League on 28 February. In the interim, our 3rd XV are due to travel to Minehead in a re-arranged game on 7 February with the Women’s XV taking the centre spot with home matches on 8 February and Friday 13 February. Still plenty of action to come.
UNITED XV CONTINUE GOOD FORM
Our United XV extended their winning run to 7 matches with firstly a Friday night win 19-12 against Westonsuper-Mare II and followed that up with a much more convincing 62-19 victory over Wyvern here last Saturday – both of these results overturning earlier losses to the same opposition. This now pulls the team up to a comfortable fourth place in the league level with Weston-super-Mare. Today the team is due to visit Wellington II and hope that the home side will be able to field a team to honour the fixture – having conceded several of their matches already this season. Like the 1st XV, this side will also be idle until 14 February when Hornets III are the visitors.
ATHLETIC XV STILL PROGRESSING WELL
Our Athletic/Dirtrackers XV started the new year with a comfortable 39-5 victory over Tor II and also put up a good performance in going down 5-27 at Weston-super-Mare III last Saturday. This side will be in action during the short void period with a re-arranged game at Minehead Barbarians on 7 February.
WOMEN’S XV FRUSTRATED BY WEATHER
The Women’s XV have been frustrated by ground conditions for their last few scheduled matches with the home game against Devizes in December and an away match against Chew Valley both having been postponed. However they will be in action on 8 February at home to Swanage and Wareham followed by a Friday 13 February match v Wiveliscombe also on this ground.
COLTS XV BACK IN ACTION
Our Colts XV have returned to action but have gone down in their last two matches v Taunton and then against Chew Valley at home 12-38. The scheduled match v North Petherton was postponed last Friday and the boys now look to regular action during the remainder of the season.
FATHER AND SON APPEARANCE
Fathers and sons appearing in the same senior XV is not an unknown occurrence but a rare one. The club has seen an instance of this in last Saturday’s United XV match v Wyvern when our veteran mainly scrumhalf but utility back Roger Drabble appeared alongside his son Charlie who is playing on our Colts XV and made his first senior appearance in the Athletic against Tor II the previous week. Roger has been an excellent stalwart of the club over many years and has made 155 1st XV appearances. He has been awaiting this moment to play in the same team as his son and that is an ambition duly fulfilled. We hope that there will be more.
The most recent previous instance of fathers and sons appearing were Jerry Phillips and his son Ollie who appeared v Hornets in a Somerset Cup semi-final at Weston-super-Mare on 24 February 2018.
The most recent previous instance of fathers and sons appearing were Jerry Phillips and his son Ollie who appeared v Hornets in a Somerset Cup semi-final at Weston-super-Mare on 24 February 2018.
NEXT MATCHES ON THIS GROUND
Sunday 8 February
Women’s XV v Swanage & Wareham
Friday 13 February
Women’s XV v Wiveliscombe
Saturday 14 February
United XV v Hornets III
Saturday 28 February
1st XV v Gordon League
Kick-off 1400
Kick-off 1930
Kick-off 1400
Kick-off 1400
