The Bootleggers were back in action this past weekend, making the long road trip to face division rivals Gaston County RFC. Whenever these two sides meet, it’s guaranteed to be a physical affair—and this matchup was no exception. Both teams brought intensity and physicality from the opening whistle, setting the stage for a bruising 80 minutes of rugby.
Clayton’s forward pack laid the foundation early with a massive effort at scrum time and in defense. The opening exchanges saw both teams trade possession and territory as handling errors disrupted attacking momentum. Neither backline was able to find rhythm early, with defensive pressure forcing mistakes on both sides.
The Bootleggers struck first in the 10th minute when center Quincy Poe intercepted an errant Gaston County pass and raced 60 meters for the opening try. Captain Ben Roach slotted the conversion to give Clayton a 7-0 lead.
A few minutes later, Gaston County clawed back three points after a series of Clayton penalties, narrowing the score to 7-3. The Bootleggers responded with continued forward dominance and strong defensive work that kept their hosts pinned back. In the 20th minute, Roach extended the lead to 10-3 with a penalty goal.
Ten minutes later, Roach again made his mark—this time with a moment of brilliance. Spotting open space behind the defense, he chipped ahead, chased down his own kick, and dotted down for Clayton’s second try. Rupert Kilburn added the extras to push the lead to 17-3, a scoreline that held through halftime.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with scrums dominating the contest and both sides testing each other’s defensive lines. Gaston County enjoyed long stretches of possession but found no way through a disciplined Clayton defense.
In the 55th minute, the Bootlegger pack delivered a statement moment. With Gaston County scrummaging deep in their own territory, Clayton’s forwards drove over and stole the ball, allowing No. 8 Christian Copp to dive over from close range. Kilburn converted to extend the lead to 24-3.
A yellow card to Andreas Chauffey in the 60th minute forced Clayton to play down a man, but the defense held firm. Even while shorthanded, the Bootleggers managed to add another penalty goal from Roach to seal the result at 27-3.
As the final whistle blew, Clayton’s defense turned away one last Gaston County attack near the try line, putting an exclamation point on an outstanding team effort.
The win improves the Bootleggers record to 3-1 (3-0 in league play) just a month into the new season. The club has a couple of tough friendly matches coming up against D3 teams before they return to league play on November 15th against the Raleigh Redhawks.
Captain Ben Roach:
“It was a great defensive effort from our guys from beginning to end. We held our lines strong and made our tackles. Gaston County is a solid side, so I’m proud of the effort from our lads making the long trip with a full squad and putting in a big effort.”
Hooker Doug Stillwell earned Man of the Match honors after an 80-minute performance that anchored the scrum, stole multiple Gaston County feeds, and produced key turnovers throughout the contest. One of the few remaining original Bootleggers still active, Stillwell’s work rate and leadership epitomized the club’s spirit.
Clayton RFC 27 Gaston County RFC 3
Reserves: B. Culkin, M. King, E. Hunter, C. Belcher, F. Duruobasa
The Bootleggers are back in action on October 18th at home as they host Raleigh RFC D3 side in a friendly match. The Clayton Old Boys take the pitch this coming weekend against the Freeport RFC Old Boys from the Bahamas. Come out to the Johnston County Rugby Park to cheer on our Old Boys as they host their first-ever international side. Kickoff is at 1pm.
