1st TEAM Match Report
Saturday 18th September 2004
Round 1 NPI CUP
SHIPSTON ON STOUR 1st XV: 0 LUTTERWORTH 1st XV: 23
Another convincing away victory makes it three on the trot for Lutterworth who have yet to step foot on home soil. After a scrappy opening five minutes the tone of the game was set by the Lutterworth pack taking a scrum against the head on their own five metre line denying Shipston the chance to score. The home side soon found themselves defending against the pace of the Lutterworth backs, especially Phil Daffern and Charlie Roberson, and the power of the forwards. Penalised first for bringing down a driving maul and then for an infringement in a ruck, they were punished quickly in succession by Tim Jeff’s clinical kicking.
Lutterworth carried the 6-0 lead into half time and the second period belonged to the Lutterworth forwards who destroyed Shipston in the scrummage. The back row of Rob Sands, Dennis Hall and Adam Conway took command of the attack and punched hole after hole in the home side’s defences. Reward came with two fine tries from set pieces, one by Hall and the other from Conway. The game ended with more immense scrummaging from Lutterworth resulting in a final penalty which Jeffs duly converted.
Despite being delighted with this emphatic win as well as with keeping the clean sheet, coach Dave Turner was less than happy with his side’s discipline which threatened at times to spoil a superb performance.