The game, which had been rescheduled earlier in the year, has now been awarded as a 1-0 victory, and the team will now move into the business end of the season, likely entering the playoffs with the #2 seeding, after clinching the Division 1 South West title.

“It’s unfortunate that the Warriors needed to pull out, but we understand and respect their decision. Obviously we are disappointed that the game will not go ahead, but we’ll make the most of it and get another solid week of practice in before starting our playoff campaign. Going in as the likely #2 seed is great, but at this stage of the season anything can happen, and we as a staff are working hard to ensure the team is ready. We are aiming at our second finals appearance, but there is a long, tough road ahead of us.” said committee member and coach Ryan Baker.

The game will be the last regular season game for the Phoenix, who are currently sitting at 9-0 and leading the Division 1 South West table.

Coach Ryan Baker said: “We are glad we could finally get the game rescheduled. South Wales are always a tough test and losses to them in recent history will be at the forefront of our minds. We are taking nothing for granted and preparing as hard as we can to try and finish 10-0. It will be a great achievement for us, but with the play-offs looming we are focusing on making sure we are in the right frame of mind for this game, and those beyond it.”

The game will be played on Sunday August 22nd at Lichfield Rugby Club. Kick-off is at 2.30pm.

The result takes the Phoenix to a 9-0 and clinches them the conference title.

However the performance was far from what they Phoenix faithful were used to watching, with the team stealing victory on their last offensive drive, having been 21-20 down. Running Back #28 Adam Hope had a career day, finding the endzone 3 times and racking up 176 yards on the ground.

However, the platform for this victory was set by an outstanding performance by Tamworth’s “Orange Crush” Defense, who matched their hosts in shutting down the run game, whilst EIGHT different players recorded sacks on the Bulls’ Quarterbacks. Youth Team graduate Linebacker Jon Hurley led the team in tackles with 5 along with a sack, whilst another product of the Youth Team, Steve Gregory, wasn’t too far behind with 4.5 and a sack. Andy Mortimer had 4 tackles and a sack, whilst Greg Freeman and Team Captain Matt Davis had 3 tackles each – the latter also adding a sack as he celebrated his call up to the Great Britain squad. Tom Owen, Steve Mills and Chris Thacker added further sacks, whilst veteran Ed Winter continued his return from injury with a sack of his own.

Head Coach Jay Alexander was pleased to come away with another victory, but was well aware of the need for improvement in his team’s offensive performance: “Any time we can get a shutout win, you have to be pleased with the defensive effort. Those guys played amazingly well today, and as frustrating as the lack of offensive production was at times, we never felt under threat as we always had confidence that our Defense wouldn’t let the Bulls capitalise on our poor execution. Still, we know that we need to be much more consistent on offense if we want to close out this Conference and make a serious run at the Division 1 Title. That’s not to take anything away from the Bulls – their defense and the way they played had a great deal to do with us not moving the ball at times today. They made some big plays and they’re a great unit, but last time I checked, you have to be able to consistently move the ball on great defenses if you want to win championships. We’ll address our development needs as a coaching staff, make adjustments in practice with the players and make sure that we improve for next time.”

For the first time in a long time, “next time” is not next week for the Phoenix, as they now have a 3-week break from games after a run of six games in seven weeks. They will have time for a brief rest, followed by some key practice sessions as they look to put the finishing touches to their regular season, and attempt to win the South West Conference Title for the second consecutive year. In their way next are the Oxford Saints, who will be looking to even the score with the Phoenix after the first meeting between the two sides earlier this season. Then, an under strength Oxford side lost their unbeaten record to the Phoenix in spectacular fashion by a scoreline of 39 – 7, with only a last second consolation score keeping them from being shut out. The Saints should have a full squad ready for the Nix when they visit on August 8th, and need a big victory to stand any chance of being able to win the conference. However, Victory for the Phoenix will guarantee them the Conference crown, and put them in pole position for the #2 seed in the playoff rankings.