Playing Squad Reports – AGM 2016 Lutterworth RFC
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Playing Squad Reports – AGM 2016 Lutterworth RFC Contents – Team reports o 1st XV – Steve Russell o Ladies – Adam Lawrence o 3rd XV – Del Marsh o Colts – Leon Brown o U16 – Mike White o U15 – Kevin Jones o U14 – Nick Hutt o U12 – Helen Scutt o U10 – Daniel Siddons o U8 – Craig Dyke o U13/U15 Girls – Debbie Bucknall 1st XV (Manager; Steve Russell) Pre-season seems to come round quickly. Overall numbers attending were good and the lads seemed to enjoy it. Sadly we'd lost a couple of players to other clubs in the closed season but on the plus side, we'd also gained players, some returning to the club having played at a higher level and several making the successful transition from Colts to Seniors. We'd further swell the ranks recruiting throughout the season, all of these players being key to the performance of the 1st XV in the League. 2 pre-season games were arranged, Leamington at home and Daventry away with both fixtures resulting in a win for Lutterworth. On to the season properly now and the obligatory first and last games of the season against Olney. In previous years we'd played away in September and at home in April but this had been changed in favour of a home fixture to kick the season off. We'd lost to Olney twice last season and were keen to make an impression, comfortable winners in the end, 32 - 16. A bonus point win and a great start to the league. Off to Peterborough next in reasonably confident mood. We played all the rugby in the first half but at the break, found ourselves down 19 - 7. The 2nd half started badly and with 55 minutes played we were 45 - 7 down. The lads then dug in and started to play with flair against a tiring Peterborough side. Our fitness proved key and helped us to score 31 unanswered points in the final 5 minutes, final score 45 - 38. Relief on the faces of the home side players and supporters alike. If the game had continued, I'm sure Lutterworth would have won. We snuck 2 all important bonus points helping to keep us towards the top of the league table. Back to Ashby Lane the following week against Rushden & Higham, a side promoted to Midlands 2 East South at the end of last season. A delight for the home support saw Lutts score 11 tries to 1 with Nick Southern scoring a hat trick, resulting in a 73 - 10 rout and helping to consolidate our league position. A week off then Belgrave away! Never an easy place to go and having been relegated at the end of last season they were obviously going to provide some stiff opposition. The lads played a clinical game, were Page 1 of 14 Playing Squad Reports – AGM 2016 Lutterworth RFC fitter and faster than Belgrave, scored 6 tries to Belgrave's 2 and were comfortable winners 15 - 39. Biggleswade next, a team that lost to Lutts at home but just beat us away last season. Lutterworth bagged 8 tries and dominated their opposition to win 46 - 8. Into November now and a visit to Leicester Forest, a team that always proves to have a dominant pack but this season they seemed unable to perform like the Forest of old, or perhaps is was just Lutts were so much better. Another 6 tries scored and easy victors 10 - 38. We seemed to be scoring tries for fun now as Vipers were next on the receiving end, Lutterworth 39, Viper 0! The League was starting to take shape now. A 3 horse race between Lutterworth, Melton Mowbray and Market Harborough with Melton top of the table and unbeaten, Lutterworth and Harborough swapping between 2nd and 3rd on a weekly basis and with Harborough the next opponents to visit Ashby Lane. Without a doubt the best side we'd played to date. Lutts started well with a try after concerted pressure from the kick off but Harborough were quick to reply and were 5 - 15 up at the break. I will say, and it is only my opinion, but the Harborough pack were in no way a match for the Lutterworth 8. Instead it was the visitor's backs that had given them the lead and kept them in the game. The 2nd half was a tight affair. Harborough unable to score again and when the visitors infringed in the dying moments of the game, up stepped Robin Eager to convert the penalty and gift Lutterworth the win 16 -15. December now and an away trip to Melton Mowbray on an unbelievably blustery day. Lutterworth started well and had the home side on the ropes but Melton eventually gathered their composer and fought back to win 36 - 17. Our 2nd defeat of the League so far. Oadby Wyggs then made the short journey to Ashby Lane. A side who were currently sat 4th in Mids 2 East South, waiting for the top 3 sides to slip up. Wyggs is never an easy fixture but we snuck the win 22 - 11 and scored 4 tries giving us another all important bonus point. The last game of 2015 and with confidence running high, an away trip to Oakham, a side who we dominated 12 - 47 away the previous season. From the off Lutterworth played with flair and pace and the home side were truly floundering with both home and away supporters predicting a cricket score! What went wrong I don't know and it was truly against the script but in the end Lutterworth found themselves beaten 24 - 21 after a pretty poor performance against a side that dug deep to get the win. The only consolation was the losing bonus point but perhaps not the best result to finish the year on. At least we were still in the league running, comfortably holding 3rd position, although we'd dropped back a little from the league leaders. Christmas out the way and a home draw against Market Harborough in the County Cup, it wasn't the best of performances to be fair and we went down 20 - 39 and out of the competition. A point worth mentioning is this is the only time we'd lose at home all season, unbeaten at Ashby Lane in the League. Normal service resumed the following week at home versus Peterborough and a point to prove losing away in the first half of the season. A dominant Lutts performance resulted in an easy 38 - 5 win with 5 tries scored helping to add to the bonus points. Page 2 of 14 Playing Squad Reports – AGM 2016 Lutterworth RFC A week off and then another home fixture, this one against Belgrave who certainly came to prove a point playing their usual physical game, with Lutterworth picking up 3 early injuries in the first 15 minutes and all replacements used things weren't looking great. Fortunately, despite the early set backs, the lads dug in, scored another 5 tries and grabbed the spoils 25 - 17. End of January and we needed nothing less than a win away from home against Biggleswade to keep league hopes alive. Well, another 11 tries scored and total domination of the home side saw Lutts thrash Biggleswade away from home 0 - 61! Credit to Biggleswade who didn't give up until the final whistle. Another away fixture the following week against Rushden & Higham who had started to find form of late and according to their coach, were reasonably confident they'd win on home turf.. Playing with the slope and in difficult conditions the visitors started well and at half time were up 5 - 26. We'd scored 4 tries in the first 40 so the bonus point win looked safe but the 2nd half was certainly a different affair. Rushden now playing with the gradient, launched wave after wave of attack with sterling defence being the only thing to keep the home side at bay. Lutts worthy winners 15 - 26 after an incredibly physical encounter. Leicester Forest at home was next on the agenda and although they were floundering at the bottom of the league table they'd had some mixed results to date. The visitors started well scoring a try perhaps against the run of play but it definitely was a wake up call for the lads. The opposition failed to score again for the rest of the afternoon and Lutts scored an impressive 10 tries to the visitors 1, Olly Jempson bagging a hat trick to finish the game 69 - 7. A short trip down the A426 to Vipers next who were probably still licking their wounds from the 39 - 0 drubbing they received at Ashby Lane in November of last year. The home side didn't allow Lutterworth to play their normal game and although Vipers didn't score a single point they made it incredibly difficult for Lutts to get the 4 tries and the bonus point win needed to keep League hopes alive. Stand up 1st XV Captain Joe Sullivan who really did put his body on the line and show a bit of magic to touch down in the corner in the last play of the game to give Lutterworth the 4 tries needed and the win 0 - 24. The eagerly awaited trip to face Market Harborough was the next fixture on the cards and as Melton Mowbray were still unbeaten this game was likely to be the decider for the league runners up spot. Again, the home side were unable to live with the Lutterworth pack and were lucky on numerous occasions not to lose players for repeated infringements and cynical play.