Burton started on the front foot in the Staffs Cup semi-final against Walsall. Matt Davies went close on the right wing, the ball was shipped to the left where Nick Oxley made a half-break and released Loz Betty who gave a scoring pass to Oxley. Skipper Harry Titley’s kick drifted wide.
Walsall ran the kick off back to half way before Ed Henry forced a penalty. Titley made touch and the Burton pack drove from the line-out but were stopped in their tracks. The next fifteen minutes were error strewn and Burton lacked fluency.
Youngster Joe Gorman was making his debut at Open-side and was joined by Prop Josh Shaw who replaced the injured Matt Tivey.
Walsall are currently bottom of the league, having lost by 70 points to Burton on the opening day, but they were up for the battle on Saturday. After making a good touch on the right wing the visiting forwards kept it tight for several phases before spinning the ball and go around Burton to score in the left hand corner. The kick was missed but the scores were level after twenty one minutes.
Buoyed by the score Walsall then kept the ball for several phases before knocking on. Walsall took the scrum against the head and kicked to the corner. The Burton lineout failed and the visitors piled on the pressure. Playing a penalty advantage Walsall crossed for a second score in five minutes. The kick was missed.
Losing the lead seems to wake Burton up and Betty hit a great line going way beyond the gain line and found Eddie Nicholls in support. The play ended in a Walsall lineout in the twenty two, however Burton kept play the play in twenty two and were held up after a line-out and drive. From the base of the scrummage Joe Gazzard, playing No 8, picked up and expertly smashed his way over. Yet another try went unconverted.
Walsall enjoyed a spell where they had the Burton set-piece under pressure and this yielded their third try. Burton chased a score with a bit more urgency than they had showed previously, Gorman made a couple of nice contributions but time ran out and Walsall went into the break leading 15-10.
Liam Hucknall return from injury replaced Jack Neale in the back row and James Davies replaced Ed Saunders at Hooker. Hucknall was soon involved with a nice carry over his twenty two and Titley sent a diagonal kick towards the right wing. The ball stayed in play and Matt Davies took the ball over-head made thirty meters under pressure and then fund Dave Archer inside who converted his own try. This started a period of dominance from Burton, however Hucknall hobbled off in some discomfort and a lot of frustration.
Walsall mounted an attack but Titley held the ball up and Walsall collapsed the scrummage. Gorman, James Davies and Francisco Zeleme combined well to take the ball from one twenty two the other and Oxley managed to squeeze in at the corner. Archer narrowly missed with a well struck kick.
Walsall were successful with a penalty and resumed attacking straight afterwards before Betty relived the pressure with a long kick. The line-out was crooked and having switched the props over the Burton scrum was a lot more solid. Gazzard and Henry made good carries leading to a penalty. Taking the points was the correct decision but Archer’s long range effort slid beyond the right post.
From the drop-out Burton retained the ball and then had the put-in in front of the posts. Slick hands across the line and a well-timed pass from Archer gave Oxley the opportunity for a hat-trick which he was never going to miss. Archer drilled the ball over for the additional points.
Saunders back on as Flanker in place of Gorman seized on a loose ball and the long kick from Oxley was carried over by Walsall. Walsall then conceded a penalty and Titley kicked to the corner. Josh Cartwright took the ball and the Burton pack, with James Davies in the van crossed for a try. Archer found the target again from the tee.
Nicholls was injured and Gorman took his place at Scrum Half. Walsall hadn’t given up and Archer made a try-saving tackle. The home side conceded a series of penalties which Walsall ran, before Saunders held the ball up and Burton could clear their lines.
A long line-out throw was followed by a fifteen metre drive and then the backs were released with Matt Davies off his wing slicing through to score under the posts. Archer converted and was on the score-board moments later as he picked up a loose ball on the twenty two and jinked his way over for a second try which he converted himself.
It’s going to be tough season for Walsall but they showed great heart and deserved their final score with a well worked try at the death. The conversion made the final score 50-25. In the other semi, Stoke cried-off, which presumably pits Lichfield against Burton in the final.