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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 20th October 2007

League Match

LUTTERWORTH  1st : 36pts  V  Northampton Casuals 1st 10pts

The writing was on the wall when outside centre Sam Perry narrowly failed to make the line seconds after kick off for what would have been possibly Lutterworths’ fastest ever-opening score. Minutes later flanker, Adam Conway did ground the ball to set in motion the homes side’s best forty minutes of the season typified by fast open running and handling that left Casuals in total disarray. However this style of rugby, entertaining and thrilling that it is, does carry risks and it was only a bone crunching tackle by winger, Phil Daffern, that denied Casual’s centre, Jack Kitely, an equaliser from a sharply taken interception. Daffern was in the action again linking superbly with Perry for the next try. On the other wing Ben Stretton carried the ball strongly into Casuals twenty-two, stayed on his feet long enough for support to arrive and get the ball out to Perry for his second score. Number eight; Dave Stannard capped the side’s first half performance with an unstoppable carry from the back of a five-metre scrum for a fourth try. Bobby Williams was in fine form with the boot and his three conversions gave the home side what looked like an unassailable lead of twenty-six to nil.

A professional, ruthless attitude from the hosts after the break would have resulted in a fifty-point victory but it was not to be. Although Casuals did step up their game it was chalk and cheese for Lutterworth whose second period performance was as dire as the first had been outstanding. After fifteen minutes of uninspiring directionless play a bout of ill discipline gifted Casuals a reversed penalty decision then ten metres for dissent and ultimately seven points. Scrum half, Jez Bell, made some amends when he pinched the ball from the back of a Northampton scrum and quickly off loaded to Adam Conway who pounced over for his second of the day. The Lutterworth pack uncharacteristically fluffed three easy opportunities to score from lineout catch and drives in the visitor’s twenty-two and a drop goal by Casuals matching a converted penalty by Jim Croucher left the second half honours equal at ten points each.

Next Saturday Lutterworth travel to Wellingborough, they will have to perform for a whole eighty minutes, not just half that time, to have any chance against their hosts who currently head the league.

  Scoring:   5-0; 12-0; 19-0; 26-0; 26-7; 33-7; 33-10; 36-10.

  Team:                   Randle  Riley  Renshaw

                                     Husthwaite  Gregory

                              Conway    Stannard   Evans

                                            Bell   Croucher           

                          Stretton  Williams Perry Daffern

                                              Ford

Reps:     Stevens  Donovan  Ellis