2nd TEAM Match Report
Saturday 14th January 2006
Lutterworth 2nd XV: 27pts v Barker Butts 2nd XV: 17pts
Lutterworth 2nds played the Barker Butts from Coventry. This side is a couple of leagues above the home side and so a hard game was expected. This was also the last game for one of Lutterworth’s players of the season. Jansen Branders was heading back to Start university in South Africa.
Lutterworth started a little slow and within a couple of minutes the visitors had scored from out wide on the wing and left Lutts wanting. This was converted also. Lutts spectators thought this was going to be the pattern of the afternoon, a one way rout. But half way through the half Lutterworth found some resolve and after a mammoth run from prop Jansen to take the ball deep into the Butts 22. The resulting ruck that formed allowed a platform to be made to draw in the opposition and when the ball was released by Jezz Bell the pass went to second row Faulds to crashed through two defenders to cross the line close to the post. Bell converted.
This score certainly lifted Lutts spirits and even the spectators were thinking that some thing great was going to be witnessed that afternoon. From that point on the Lutts team continued to pick and go form the base and kept taking the ball on deeper and deeper into the half but to be halted by giving away a penalty for being offside of handling on the floor, all dubious calls of course!!!
On the stroke of half time the Butts got a penalty which they converted.
Lutterworth made a couple of substitutions and the game took on a more intense feel. The two new wingers Dan Ford and Andy Burgess were able to inject a bit more pace into the back line. From the back of a ruck John Dalby was able to hack the ball through, the resulting chase allowed Dalby to gather the ball to score. The crowd were screaming for the Prop Jansen to kick the conversion as it was his final game. Unfortunately he missed the kick. Jezz Bell was able to convert a penalty mid way through the half; this really did lift the team as they were starting to build a lead.
Later when the Lutts pack had taken the ball deep into the Butts 22 and then turned them over from a lineout, Ady Sheasby’s quick thinking allowed him to poach a try from beneath the Butts feet. This was not converted. The last Lutterworth score came when the ball was passed to winger Dan Ford, who jinxed and weaved through a couple of tackles before putting on an injection of pace to beat the last defender to score. Jezz Bell converted. Just before the final whistle though the Butts were able to get a consolation score and this was converted.
An excellent team result especially as it was Jansen’s last for the club and the visitor came expecting to put a load of points on Lutterworth.