News: Barbarians bow out with Mobbs Memorial Match win

Bedford Blues  35 Barbarians 43

THE Barbarians ended their long association with the Mobbs Memorial Match with an entertaining win  at Goldington Road this evening.

The 90^thanniversary of the match, which honours the memory of Lt Col Edgar Mobbs, the former Olney, Northampton, East Midlands and England player, who was killed leading an assault on an enemy machine gun post at Passchendale in 1917, co-incided with the Barbarians’ decision to withdraw from their longest continuous fixture.

The Mobbs Memorial Match will continue with East Midlands playing the Army with the match alterntating between Bedford and Northampton,

Nick Mallett, the Italy national coach, took charge of the Barbarians for the third time this season and maintained his unbeaten record following wins over South Africa in December and Richmond last week thanks to a hat-trick of tries from Jersey’s former England Sevens winger David Doherty.

The famous invitation club were first on the scoresheet when Sale Sharks centre Tommy Bell ran out of defence and allowed Doherty, who played Premiership rugby for Leeds, Wasps and Sale, to accelerate to the line.

Former Leicester and Cambridge University player Ross Broadfoot, who impressed for Richmond against the Barbarians last week, added the conversion but soon hobbled off to be replaced by former England centre Ayoola Erinle, who is seeking a new club following his release by Biarritz.

Bedford, bolstered by the inclusion of a strong contingent of guests from Saracens, hit back strongly with tighthead prop Alex Brown dummying his way through then Saracens flanker Don Barrell crossing from close range, both tries improved by Brendan Burke.

Barbarians winger Charlie Ingall stole over to reduce the deficit but former England scrum-half Nick Walshe, Bedford’s captain for the night, then ghosted through which, with Burke’s conversion, gave the Championship club a nine points lead at half time.

An interception from centre Henry Staff, which Tom Bedford improved, stretched Bedford’s lead but the dangerous Doherty, a former England Sevens international, crossed for his second try after good work by fly-half Gareth McCarthy of Neath.

McCarthy’s long-serving club-mate Euros Evans then stepped out of tackle and stepped over which, with Bell’s conversion, reduced the deficit to just two points.

The Barbarians regained the lead when Royal Navy flanker Greg Barden, another England Sevens international, was driven over by the pack and Doherty completed his hat-trick when he was given just enough room to squeeze in at the left hand corner.

Bedford’s response was spirited with Staff making all the running for replacement full-back Steve Smith to cross. Elliott Bale’s conversion reduced the Barbarians’ lead to a point.

But the Barbarians were determined to avenge last season’s 50-14 defeat and a close range 73^rdminute try from Barden helped them secure it. Bell added a difficult conversion from an acute angle.

It was fitting on the 90^thanniversary of the fixture that George Hall, a great great nephew of Edgar Mobbs, played for Towcestrians against Ampthill in the Mobbs Mini and Junior Tournament Under 8s final against Ampthill which was played as one of the curtain-raisers to the main match.

Bedford Blues. 15 Brendan Burke; 14 Mark Kohler, 13 Tiger Bax, 12 Henry Staff, 11 Josh Bassett; 1 Tom Bedford, 9 Nick Walsher (captain); 1 Deon Carstens, 2 Harry Allen, 3 Alex Brown, 4 Sean Tomes, 5 Ollie Cooper Miller, 6 Don  Barrell, 7 Ryan Long, 8 Josh Leszczuk.

Replacements used: Robin Boot, Laurence Ovens, Sean Flatman, George Messum, Harry Peck, Elliott Bale, Steve Smith.

Barbarians. 15 James Loxton (Cardiff Blues); 14 David Doherty (Jersey), 13 Tommy Bell (Sale Sharks), 12 Ross Broadfoot (Richmond), 11 Charlie Ingall (Newcastle Falcons); 10 Gareth McCarthy (Neath), 9 Dave Pascoe (Royal Navy); 1 Neil Fowkes (Nottingham), 2 Craig Hawkins (Llanelli), 3 Ross Davis (Neath), 4 Euros Evans (Neath), 5 Adam Powell (Llanelli), 6 Ben Maidment (Cambridge University and Moseley), 7 Greg Barden (Royal Navy), 8 Stan McKeen (Oxford University and Canada).

Replacements used: Chris Ritchie (Rosslyn Park), Richard Barrington (Hartpury College), Tom Bason (Blackheath), Ayoola Erinle (unattched and England), Tom George (Richmond), Kieran Campbell (Dungannon and Ireland), Jonan Boto (Richmond).

Referee: Mr C White (Cheltenham)