When Lincoln visited Ashby Lane last year they looked a lot better than their bottom of the table position suggested; add to that a three-week Christmas break, a two hour bus trip and wet slippery playing conditions, the Lutterworth banana skin effect was a distinct possibility!

After a tentative opening five minutes Lincoln took the lead, converting a penalty awarded against Lutterworth for a lineout infringement. The next decision went Lutterworth’s way and a quick tap and go by scrum half Will Newman was taken on by Jim Croucher; the fly-half’s pass was snapped up by winger Ben Stretton who went over in the corner, Bobby Williams neatly slotted the difficult conversion. The Lutterworth pack were in no way daunted or diminished by the new scrummaging laws and the Lincoln front row found itself in all sorts of trouble against the irresistible force of Wilford, Johnson and Stevens. Half way through the period,  number eight, Dennis Hall collected the first of his afternoon’s hat trick of tries from the back of a push over five metre scrum, minutes later he repeated the trick for his second score. Full back Charlie Roberson was on hand to receive Paul Wilford’s spearing, deadly accurate pass and take the ball over giving the visitors an unassailable first half lead of twenty four to three.    

A typical twenty metre defence busting run by Morne Barnardo was well supported by flanker, Chris Gregory who scored a well deserved try before leaving the field injured. Hall repeated his now well-rehearsed trick at the back of an almost too fast moving scrum to complete his hat trick. The game now was well beyond Lincoln’s grasp but due credit to them for the next ten minutes of spirited attacking play that came to nothing due only to the visitors determination and massive effort on the try-line to keep them out. The final nail was administered by replacement scrum half, Adam Higgins who dived over having snapped up the ball from that man Hall again struggling to keep up with the fast forwarding Lutterworth scrum. Lock, Ben Husthwaite was unlucky to have a try disallowed but narrowly took the Lutterworth man of the match award from open side, Geraint Davies who was all over the field like a rash!      

Scoring: 3-0; 3-7; 3-12; 3-17; 3-24; 3-31; 3-36; 3-41.

Team;                     Wilford    A.Johnson.  Stevens

                                       Husthwaite    Conway

                                  Gregory    Hall      Davies

                                          Newman     Croucher

                     Daffern      Barnardo  Williams  Stretton

                                              Roberson

Reps:    R. Jones   Evans   Higgins