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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 17th January 2007

League Fixture

OAKHAM 1st XV: 17    V  LUTTERWORTH  1st XV: 12pts 

Lutterworth’s Christmas hangover can find no cure; the team that looked invincible last year sank to a new low on Saturday beaten by an Oakham side that had been handed out a fifty point drubbing when they visited Ashby Lane last October. The irony is that since the New Year they have found themselves in trouble against sides that have played simple route one rugby, a game that Lutterworth know well but seem unable to bring to the park. Like Daventry last week, Oakham were worthy winners, not only outwitting the visitors tactically but also playing with determination and enthusiasm; qualities sadly lacking by Lutterworth. There was consolation in the performance of Phil Daffern who switched from his usual position on the wing had a fine game at full back and youngster, Andy Burgess, dropped in at the deep end with the number ten shirt, did little wrong in his debut game for the first team.

Playing against the wind Lutterworth started promisingly, despite once again handing out penalties at a rate of nearly one a minute they dominated the set piece. As is the norm the pack won several scrums against the head and robbed Oakham’s first four line-outs with some fine work especially from lock, Ian Evans. During this period Oakham took the lead pretty much against the run of play thanks to two converted penalties. The Lutterworth pack set up some good phases of play which were squandered with basic handling errors and knock-ons and despite an incisive fifty metre break by Daffern which ended tantalisingly close, Lutterworth could not find the try line. They were however rewarded on the stroke of half time when the referee awarded a penalty try for a series of Oakham infringements in and around a five-metre scrum.

After the break Dennis Hall took the ball over from another five-metre scrum giving his side a six-point margin. This was not enough; Oakham dominated the remainder of the game especially after Lutterworth prop, Paul Wilford, was replaced and skipper, Hall dejectedly spent the last ten minutes in the sin bin. 

Lutterworth will look to repair the damage next Saturday but will be acutely aware that bottom side, Belgrave will be looking to leave ‘Bitteswell Egg’ on Lutterworth faces. (Kick-off; 2.15pm.)

Scoring: 0-3; 0-6; 6-7; 6-12; 9-12; 14-12; 17-12..

Team:                    Wilford    A.Johnson.  Stevens

                                       Husthwaite  Evans

                                  Conway    Hall     Davies

                                          Newman    Burgess

                     Stretton   Williams  Roberson   Van Heerden 

                                                   Daffern

Reps;    I. Johnson  Riley  Bell