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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 8th January 2005

LEAGUE:  MIDLANDS 3 EAST (South)

LUTTERWORTH  1st XV: 43    RUSHDEN & HIGHAM  1st XV: 12

After a three week Christmas break expectations for the outcome of this game were mixed. Lutterworth  very much the team in form going into this game, were looking for ten wins out of ten games since October last year but upsets in this league are not rare.

The home side started with the very high wind at their backs and although they took a 24 to 12 lead by half time there was concern that this might not be a big enough margin after the break when they had to face not only what had been a spirited Rushden attack as well as the gale which was gusting to 40-50 miles per hour. However it was Lutterworth who took control illustrating the old maxim that you can’t play football without the ball, their dominance was awesome and they kept possession of the ball for ninety per cent of the half, giving Rushden no chance to score.

The first of Lutterworth’s seven tries came after only four minutes when they robbed the ball from a Rushden lineout, hooker, Paul Riley set off on an incisive run and popped the ball up for Ian Johnson to score. Tim Jeffs converted but shortly afterwards sloppy defence allowed Rushden to equalise. Number eight, Adam Conway and lock, Ben Husthwaite (without doubt, man of the match) combined superbly taking the ball from the back of a half way scrum and setting up scrum half, Gareth Court for a clinical finish. Try number three started when Ian Johnson pinched the ball in a tackle, popped it up to Court who with a clever kick over the defence found a charging Husthwaite to take it over. Rushden replied with a second score but Court finished the first forty with another deftly aimed box kick this time collecting it and scoring himself. Adam Conway scored twice during the second period, firstly once again interacting with Ben Husthwaite and then picking the ball from the back of another unstoppable Lutterworth scrum. Flanker, Rob Sands, capped yet another great performance with the final try, typically he was first to arrive in support of one of many defence breaking runs by centre, Nick Hutt. His effort followed by another fine kick by Tim Jeffs completed a comprehensive victory by Lutterworth.