Lutterworth took their long standing unbeaten record to Coalville for the first game of 2008 and the New Year could not have begun in a worse fashion as Fraser Kennedy broke his wrist after falling awkwardly in the warm-up.  Our best wishes go to Fraser for a speedy recovery and return to action.

This was the first game since our bruising encounter with Hinckley prior to Christmas and it was anticipated we would face a similar test of forward aggression from a large Coalville side. The Lutterworth boys however started this game in a much more confident fashion than they had at Hinckley with the backs finding a little more space to play. The tone for the first half was set by Sam Webb picking up a loose ball in open play and bursting through the blind side before being tackled into touch just short of the Coalville five-metre line. The Lutterworth side then set up camp in the home side’s 22 for the majority of the first half in which some stylish open rugby from the backs was matched by determined ball retention and recycling from the forwards.

Coalville had already thwarted a couple of lightening bursts from George Ball and Tom Bingley before the ball was moved swiftly across the back line for Tom Bingley to run in his first try for the side.  Tom’s strong running was a feature of the first half as Coalville struggled to cope with the pace and power of our centres. An almost identical move with the ball passed across the backs led to the second try this time scored after a trademark jinking run by George Ball.   This try converted by Tom Bingley was the final score of the first half to give a half time score of Coalville 0 Lutterworth 12.

Lutterworth made six changes at half time, which seemed to disrupt the fluency of the side and resulted in a scrappy second period. However there was no change in the end result with George Ball scoring two further tries running from deep, neither of which were converted. The final score of the morning came as a result of a cross kick from James Gamble which found Jamie Jameson in an unfamiliar role on the wing.  Jamie cut inside and was held up a couple of metres short of the line however following some great set up play it was James Gamble who came off the side of the maul to score in the corner.

It was nice to see the Lutterworth Under 13 Team begin 2008 as they had ended 2007 with another convincing win against a very competent Coalville side. Coalville were perhaps the first side this season to seriously trouble the Lutterworth scrum, which despite wholesale changes to the front five, remained competitive throughout the game.  Final score Coalville 0 Lutterworth 27