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Under 16 Match Report

SUNDAY 1st April 2007 

COUNTY PLATE Final

Lutterworth RFC 55pts  v  Market Harborough 3pts

 Lutts too hot to handle in Final!

Lutterworth under 16’s travelled to Hinckley RFC on Sunday to meet local rivals Market Harborough in the Final of this season’s Leicestershire County Plate. Harborough, formerly Kibworth were celebrating there first season playing under the changed name but they new it would be a tough battle against last seasons East Midlands Champions. And so it proved, as Lutts were too hot to handle in running out 55-3 winners.

Lutts dominated the first half scoring six tries to Harborough’s lone penalty kick reply. The opening score came from a superb solo effort by Connor Smith. He received the ball on half way and broke down the wing and in under the posts. Greg Littlewood kicked the conversion. Market Harborough immediately replied as Luke Bishop kicked a penalty to reduce the deficit to 4. Try two came from a great run by Captain Matt Everard who’s well timed pass found Gareth Clarke who raced in to score in the corner. Lutts then scored two similar tries from there lively winger Luke Ball. His first came as Littlewood linked up with Smith before releasing Ball into the corner. Ball’s second was a virtual replay of his first as Will Keeling linked up with Smith before putting Ball clear to again score in the corner. Littlewood converted this score. Score number 5 came from quick thinking by Keeling as he kicked over the Harborough defence and won the chase to the ball, which bounced perfectly for him to catch and dive between the posts. He converted his own score. Just before the end of the half Clarke scored his second as the ball was moved from quick scrum ball, through four sets of hands out to the wing, were Clarke raced through and into the corner to make it 36-3 at half time.

After such a one sided half it showed the character of this Harborough side that they came out and frustrated Lutterworth keeping the second half scoreless until 20 minutes in. However the score finally came as Everard powered through to score under the posts. Keeling converted. Clarke then inevitably made it a hat trick as lovely passing from line out ball found its way to Clarke who crashed his way through. With seconds to go Lutts sealed this emphatic win as the forwards powered towards the line and Peter Rowe peeled off and darted over the line. He dropkicked the conversion to make it 55-3 to Lutts at the close.

Head Coach Chris Everard said, “I was very pleased with the lads who scored some lovely tries, with a couple of our scores showing some superb handling and it was a fully committed display from all the squad. Well done also to Market Harborough who never let there heads drop, despite the one way traffic”.

Lutts next game after the Easter break will be a Friday night home game against Hinckley on 13^th April, with the kick off at 6.45 pm. The last time these two powerful sides met it was a 9-8 thriller, so an exciting game is anticipated !