Yorkshire Division Two: Sheffield Medicals 11 Old Grovians 6

THE break in league fixtures for the World Cup final can't come quickly enough for Old Grovians.

Although centre Anthony Griffin and winger Dom Copsey returned, they were still only able to muster two of their three allowed replacements for this trip to south Yorkshire.

As if that was bad enough, Ollie Pratt had to retire in agony with pulled tendons, while Alex Hewitt ended up with an arm in pot to the elbow after playing for too long in pain due to the depleted reserves.

The game was very even in the first half, with Old Grovians defending well at times and looking to use their backs to good effect in attack.

Medicals built their attacks on well-constructed phases that gained valuable ground, with the constant pressure forcing mistakes and not allowing Old Grovians to compose themselves.

This was to prove very effective in the second half for Medicals as there wasn't much to comment on in the first half, with the hosts scoring from two penalties and Old Grovians from one.

However, Old Grovians did have a good opportunity when Griffin broke through and put in winger Dean Hogg, who was stopped two yards out by good cover.

From the subsequent line-out, the visitors managed to ground the ball over the line but, for some reason, the referee pulled it back for an infringement by Medicals, resulting in a yellow for their player when most of the somewhat thin crowd thought that playing advantage would have been a better call.

The second half was a mix of Old Grovians getting close but not quite scoring and Sheffield Medicals gaining practically the whole length of the pitch with well supported and clinically-built phases, and if it wasn't for plucky defence, they would have scored more than one try.

Old Grovians, on the other hand, played with a bit more effort and had at least three opportunities, only to be thwarted by errors that were penalised.

Ben Brown hit the upright from a penalty that rebounded and was pounced on by Grovians, only for them to be halted again for a knock on. However, they did gain a losing bonus point.