BIRMINGHAM and Solihull RFC produced a strong defensive performance to limit local rivals Old Yardleians to a single score in a 24-3 victory which lifts the Bees back to the top of the table.
Jae Pritchard, PJ Hatch, Deaglan O’Brien and Jonnie Mills all touched down for the Bees in a ill-tempered affair that saw the referee brandish three red cards and a series of yellow cards at Portway.
The result means Solihull lead the Counties 3 Midlands West (South) table, three points clear of Rugby Welsh who have a game in hand.
Just three miles separates the two teams with the visitors keen to avenge Solihull’s 40-18 win in the Vase last season.
And Old Yardleians were more than up for the challenge in the first quarter of the match as they dominated territory but were only able to come away with a single penalty score.
From the restart, Bees sprung into life as Lewis Edwards controlled a brilliant move that was finished off by Pritchard who broke the line with the former adding the conversion.
And Solihull utilised the windy conditions to score their second try when Hatch scored in the corner to send Bees into the break with a nine-point advantage.
Bees nullified everything Old Yardleians threw at them in the second period before Edwards passed to O’Brien who ran in Solihull’s third try from his own 22-metre line to score a superb try underneath the posts with Edwards adding the extras.
The game became a scrappy affair thereafter as tempers boiled over which led to two Old Yardleians being sent off along with one Bees player whilst a couple of yellow cards were also brandished.
And Solihull scored a bonus point try when Mills was rewarded for a fine performance with a try to cap off an excellent afternoon for the Bees.
Bees are next in action against Pershore on Saturday, November 12 with kick-off at 2.15pm at Piddle Park.
