Sumner builds for the future with new-look Bournville side
DESPITE a difficult season for Bournville in National Two West, the Midlanders have enjoyed high praise for a formidable scrum and are now focused on shoring up their lineout.
Bournville were beaten 24-10 at third-place Exeter University last weekend to inflict a 14th loss in 19 games on Paul Sumner’s side.
DoR Sumner is in his 13th year with the Birmingham based club after 11 years as a player and is now in his second year in a managerial role. A tough season resulted in Bournville lying 12th heading into this weekend, but 16 points clear of the relegation zone.
Sumner told The Rugby Paper: “We lost by 14 points to a team that’s third in the league and could have nicked a bonus point.
“We took a big step forward the week before, beating Loughborough Students at home. We had complete scrum dominance, but didn’t convert our lineouts in the same way – we had eight scrum penalties and you don’t do that very often without winning the game. But in our lineouts, we let the pressure off them and ultimately Exeter are a good, efficient side.
“We’ve had a big turnover in players – 13 of the starting XV before Christmas were new. We’ve left a few results out there, losing three matches in the last play, but our home form is pretty good, taking 19 out of the last 25 points available. Next year, we want to be a top-half team, but this year we’re probably ten points short of where we want to be. A few wins at the end of the season and we’ll get there.”
Having a new-look squad has resulted in a lack of identity for Sumner’s men, but there are foundations to build upon, especially with the performances from the tight five, with new tighthead from Stourbridge, Stefan Thorp, an immovable force at scrum time.
Sumner added: “Speaking to the Exeter Uni coaches, they said our scrum is the best they’ve faced this season. It’s a real weapon for us, we get multiple penalties a game and have seen plenty of opposition props get yellow-carded. A couple of key signings have really helped that and now we just hope to get the lineout operating in the same manner, as if we had that we’d be a top side.
“Our backs are our dangers, especially when we’re on our 4G pitch. We build our game on turnover ball because of our defence. So, we’re reliant on our scrum, but not just a stick-it-up-the-jumper-type team.
“Steff is the perfect shape for a prop, he’s a big guy and gets himself into good positions. I imagine two thirds of the scrum penalties have been from his side. Our other prop, James Burgoyne, has also been really good, so the pair work really well together.”