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Under 16 Match Report

WEDNESDAY 20th December 2006

Hinckley 8pts v Lutterworth 9pts 

Lutterworth under 16’s travelled to meet rivals Hinckley and produced an excellent performance to win the match with the last kick of the game,   9-8. This exciting Christmas Challenge Match was played under floodlights and despite the atrocious foggy conditions produced a thrilling match.

Both teams were stripped of their players who took part in the Leicester Tigers Academy trial, so the game was a great reward for the squads who had seen them through the last couple of months of County and Midland duty. 

With the difficult weather conditions it was always going to be a forward dominated game. Lutts excelled themselves in that department and took an early lead through two Bradly Milner penalties. They looked like getting to half time at that score before Hinckley crossed the line with their first attack of the game. Prop Andy Stevens made a bullocking run to cross the line, making it 6-5 to Lutts at half time.

Hinckley came out with added vigour and a much more even 10 minutes saw them capitalise with a penalty kick, converted by scrum half Chris Cooke, giving the home side a slender two points lead. Lutts then stepped up the pressure and had two penalty attempts to regain the lead but both were narrowly missed by Milner. Lutts continued to push towards a score that would win them the game and there efforts were rewarded as a penalty kick was awarded with seconds to go. As Milner had been replaced the kicking duty was passed on to Dan Holmes, who calmly stepped up to kick a beautiful penalty straight through the middle of the posts. The whistle went and Lutts had won by the narrowest of margins 9-8.

Lutts Head coach Chris Everard said, “This was an exceptional game played in very testing conditions. Both sets of players contributed massively to make this a very successful inaugural Floodlight Challenge.”

Hinckley spokesman Dave Marsden commented “A great game of rugby played by two very committed teams which was won by the closest of margins. As ever between these two superb sides, the game was played in the best of spirits.”

The Lutts win meant they completed this half of the season undefeated and they meet Market Harborough at home on Sunday 7^th January.