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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 7th October 2006

League Fixture

BELGRAVE 1st XV: 15   V   LUTTERWORTH  1st XV: 41

It is not coincidence that twenty-one of the points from this seven try thumping of local rivals Belgrave were notched up by the centre pairing of Morne Barnardo and Bobby Williams. This latest double act, aided and abetted by some incisive running by wingers, Phil Daffern and Ben Stretton, wrought havoc in Belgrave’s stretched defences. Despite the impressive scoreline, it was no walk in the park for the visitors who for the first time this season came up against an experienced and streetwise pack which managed on occasions to give as good as it got. The two players wearing number eight shirts gave their team-mates ‘man of the match’ performances, for Lutterworth, skipper, Dennis Hall, out of the side due to injury for most of last season, is returning to his vintage form of a couple of years ago and with fellow back row, Adam Conway, was instrumental in setting up whole bunches of scoring opportunities.

Belgrave drew first blood, touching down and converting after only two minutes but it was Hall who opened up the visitors’ account with two successive tries after fifteen minutes. Belgrave had added a converted penalty to their tally to keep the score level but the floodgates started to swing open when Williams set off on a steaming run, sucking in defenders and offloading to Barnardo for the first of his two tries. His second owed much to Williams but more to a surgical sprint forward from winger, Ben Stretton and settled the first period at 10 points to 24.  

Belgrave came back strongly at the start of the second half and their greatest strength, the driving maul, rewarded them with five points to get within striking distance but Lutterworth switched to overdrive. Gareth Court now starting to make the ten shirt his own personal property showed outstanding vision with an inch perfect kick that should have opened the second period score for Lutterworth but it was great interlinking by forwards and backs that allowed lock Ben Husthwaite to burst through for try number five. Winger, Phil Daffern, known for his clinical finishing, this time found himself the provider for the next score, setting up Adam Higgins for a well deserved try capping a fine grafting performance at scrum half. Fittingly a scrum taken against the head of the now well beaten Belgrave pack set up Williams on a loping run over the line and his share of the spoils which he duly converted. According to the possibly somewhat fallible memory of the more mature fans, they had been witness to Lutterworth’s first victory on this ground in living memory!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Scoring:   7-0, 7-5, 10-5, 10-10, 10-17, 10-24.15-24, 15-29, 15-34, 15-41.