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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 10th February 2008

League Match

LUTTERWORTH  1st : 20pts  V  Leicester Forest 1st 27pts

On a day more reminiscent of early spring than February the conditions were set perfect for a fine game of rugby and that was exactly the treat in store for Lutterworth’s ever-growing army of loyal supporters. After some disappointing post Christmas performances, Lutterworth picked themselves up and threw themselves into the fray with fire in their belly and gritty determination. Outstanding for the home side were; Paul Wilford who, fully justifying his nom de plume ‘Bull Dozer’, put in a gargantuan effort, Paul Riley switching from his usual spot at number two was a revelation on the open side flank as was winger Phil Daffern, whose two tries sliced open the defence like a hot knife through butter.

From the whistle, into battle with all guns blazing, Lutterworth looked unstoppable and after only two minutes an infringement by Forest allowed the home side a lineout some ten yards from Forest’s line, the ball found the safe hands of Riley who bored through the defence for the first points of the day. Lutterworth continued in the ascendency until ten minutes in, a last ditch tackle by centre Grant Nolan to stop a Forest breakaway attack was judged as high by the referee who, rather harshly, proceeded to award a penalty try and yellow card. In the final analysis the subsequent seven points ended up as the difference between the two sides’ scores.  

Encouraged by their unexpected lead, Forest’s standoff, Jean Botha, inflicted more punishment by way of a converted penalty and a well worked converted try. After thirty minutes, Bobby Williams struck back with a penalty and then Riley was in the thick of it again, combining well with scrum half, Jez Bell who found fly half, Jimmy Croucher. Croucher, sensing Phil Daffern steaming in, held the ball for just the right amount of time finally off loading to Daffern who flew the forty yards to the line bringing his side to within four points of the visitors just before the half time whistle.

Early into the second period, Lutterworth lost Jez Bell with a dislocated shoulder; Dan Ford who did a fine job for the remainder of the afternoon in his unaccustomed position at number nine replaced him. Lutterworth’s Achilles heel of the day, first up missed tackles, allowed Forest’s number eight to increase their lead to eleven points but it was the Crouch/ Daffern combination that with another fine score, converted by Williams brought Lutterworth again to within striking distance. The game in the final quarter was so finely balanced that it could have gone either way but unfortunately for the home side it was that man Botha who slotted a final penalty attempt to win the day by that irritating seven points!

 Scoring:  5-0,  5-7,  5-10,  5-17,  8-17,  13-17, 13-24, 20-24, 20-27.

 Team;                      Wilford   A.Johnson   Stevens

                                         Evans          Conway

                                    Jones       Gregory     Riley   

                                              Bell    Croucher

                                Prince  Williams  Nolan   Daffern

                                                    Stanley

Reps:    I.Johnson  for Jones

               Ford    for   Bell

               Renshaw