1st TEAM Match Report
Saturday 23rd September 2006
League Fixture
LUTTERWORTH 1st XV: 50 v ASHBOURNE 1st XV: 18
Lutterworth delighted the Ashby Lane crowd with their best performance of the season so far, eventually demolishing a spirited Ashbourne side by eight tries to two.
The visitors started well and quickly notched up six points thanks to a ragged opening by the home side who were conceding penalties at an alarming rate but it was an infringement by Ashbourne that turned the tables. From the penalty kick to touch, Lutterworth’s well executed lineout set up the backs and full back, Jim Croucher ran in the first of his hat trick of tries. As usual it was the pack that gained control and seized the initiative with an awesome display of scrummaging, the second score coming when an Ashbourne defensive scrum in their ten metre box was taken against the head, Captain, Dennis Hall, returning to his best form in his favoured number eight shirt, went over at full stretch to give the home side the lead. Croucher displayed clinical finishing with two more tries before half time, moving with ease and pace through the holes smashed in the Ashbourne defence by centre, Morne Barnardo. By the break Lutterworth looked likely to inflict a landslide of points over the beleaguered visitors.
However Ashourne came back strongly at the start of the second half and it took Lutterworth some ten minutes to slowly but inexorably regain the advantage and thrill the spectators with some fine open attacking rugby. Replacement scrum half, Jeremy Bell, broke over a try-line ruck for the first of his two tries and Barnardo for once took the glory for himself with an unstoppable run in. Another new boy, Geraint Davies capped a businesslike performance at number seven with his well deserved debut try. The last ten minutes belonged to Ashbourne, who came back with great character and resilience, second row, Rose, bagging two consolation tries before the final whistle.
Bobby Williams’s contribution of five conversions helped Lutterworth to their first fifty point total for some eighteen months and they look forward to entertaining unknown quantity, Glossop, at Ashby lane next Saturday.
Scoring: 0-3, 0-6, 5-6, 12-6, 19-6, 24-6
31-6, 38-6, 45-6, 50-6, 50-11, 50-18.