WEEKEND ROUND UP
REVIEW OF THE WEEKEND 15TH-17TH NOVEMBER
MATLOCK 1XV 33 | 38 LICHFIELD 1XV
Ditch Burton had poignantly made the comment the previous week that no away game in this league is easy and his antidote was to score three tries on Saturday – all from less than five metres – in a game that was testing despite Matlock being third from bottom. For fifty minutes the two sides traded try for try until Lichfield scored three in a row to take them out to 38-26, only for the home side to manage a seven pointer with two minutes to go. Those last 120 seconds were spent in a midfield stalemate, so Lichfield were able to maintain their 100% record.
There was no shortage of endeavour from the Myrtle Greens this week, but some of their one on one tackling was disappointing at times, which on three occasions gave Matlock ‘’easy’’ tries and 19 points. However, Lichfield dogged it out with determination and won with six tries in a game of eleven overall.
With only five minutes gone and the visitors looking comfortable with their efforts, a misread and a missed tackle allowed right wing, Danny McCrea, to escape for the opening try (5-0). The response from Lichfield was based around trying to play quickly and wide, which eventually brought Burton his first, picking a perfect line.
Matlock’s next came from a driven line out finished by Lewis Richardson, converted by George Adlington, before a training ground move left Paul Maxwell-Keys to bash his way through two tacklers. Kai Lucas-Dumolo added a second conversion with two more following after half time. With half time approaching, the city side lost their lead again when they let left wing, Sammy Cunningham, fly down the wing past two tacklers, Adlington converted from the touchline to gain a lead of 19-14 at the break.
Lichfield decided on some changes in personnel and formation at the interval and it nearly worked instantly, but a scoring pass went to ground. Lichfield were now playing with more assurance and Burton proved unstoppable for number two, only for them to lose the ball on the Matlock ‘’22’’ in their next attack and McCrea was scooting away for a long range converted try.
The visitors were now applying pressure regularly and Matlock struggled to cope with the pace the game was now being played at. Lots of patient approach work left Burton with room to squeeze over and Matlock then presented a try to Sam Benson after losing control of a turned over ball. Rhys Davies was now in the scrum half role, making a welcome debut at this level and reviving the half back partnership with Josh Butler from the colts last season.
With Matlock now getting stretched regularly, Ollie Green scored next and Lucas-Dumolo was tackled high to take Matlock down to thirteen players. Perhaps, not surprisingly, Lichfield then found themselves down to the same number in a bizarre few minutes. So, just when Lichfield looked comfortable, they were presented with having to deal with Matlock returning to full numbers. Eventually, pressure told and Harry Houghton’s converted effort gave them some hope of a late steal, but that was not to be.
Next week, Lichfield’s two men’s teams have a week off with league action returning on 30 November with the 1st XV at home to Paviors, KO 2.15pm.
LICHFIELD 2s 26 ATHERSTONE 1s 7 PTS
This was very much a stop, start game with lots of scrums, yet Lichfield 2s were able to score four tries to gain another useful bonus point win against first team opposition.
Harrison Stratford, regularly on the try scoring chart, and a purposeful Jack Hamlet scored two first half tries, both converted by Neil Antcliffe, before the visitors halved the lead. This lead was extended before the break when the speedy James McKenzie scored the third, which was converted by Antcliffe.
With the weather closing in, the game became even more bogged down with scrummages, however, a fourth try was scored by first year ex colt, George Brown, and Jack Barnes also came on for a senior league debut.
At the moment, the 2s have a two week rest, as it is their turn to miss out on a game on 30 November with an odd number of teams being in their league.
WOMEN:
LICHFIELD RED (1s) 17 SALE FC 1861 WOMEN 0 PTS
Three classy tries helped Lichfield to a fifth success in Championship North 1 and some dogged defence ensured the Manchester club remained scoreless for the eighty minutes in a hard fought midfield battle. There is always room in any side for players with real pace and this asset accounted for all of the Red team’s scores. With defences on top, gaps were exposed when Molly Draycott and Zoe Evans were given decent possession.
With six minutes on the clock, Draycott found a small gap through the middle of the Sale backs and she headed off to the try line for a splendid individual effort from her own half and a 5-0 lead. We won’t record what she thought of her goal kicking. Twenty minutes later, it was Evans’ turn to use her speed to fly down the wing and she found Draycott in support to finish this slightly unexpected break out. Draycott did convert it and that took us to half time at 12-0 with most of the play still even steven.
The second period was not vastly different from the first, but with Sale changing their front row, there were signs of a change in the balance of play. However, just before the hour mark, Evans backed herself to go on the outside of two covering players and made it to the line herself this time for another well merited try. That sealed the game for Lichfield and the last 20 minutes was spent with a lot of forward effort, but no hint of further scores in a match reflecting their relative positions of third and fourth in the league
The Reds meet Kenilworth next Saturday away with a 2pm kick off, whilst the Green team go to Hucclecote on Sunday with the same kick off time.
COLTS:-
LICHFIELD COLTS RED 17 WHITCHURCH 19 PTS
The Red team lost this last 32 National cup game and their unbeaten record in a rather unexpected finale after controlling affairs very effectively for the first fifty five minutes. The wheels then came off as they conceded three quick fire tries and, whilst there was time for one last effort, they could not squeeze out that vital score despite Alfie Mitchell going close and a drop goal missing by inches.
Their control in attack and defence meant that the Reds led 17-0 at the mid point of the 2nd half, but they then allowed Whitchurch, who contributed fully to a really good game of rugby, the chance to burgle three tries. A yellow card did not help the cause, however, they were also starting to lose the battle of the collisions, so the breakdown became a problem, which resulted in an increasing number of penalties going to the visitors. With that came momentum.
Lichfield started with real purpose. At the second of close range line outs, Luca Mayer was driven over for an early lead. Lichfield maintained the ascendancy for most of the half, yet it took a marvellous try saving tackle by Mitchell on Whitchurch’s influential scrum half to save the day. Overall, the pressure of the home defence was purposeful and allowed Sam Bray to intercept a pass for a walk in under the posts, converted by Rhys Wynne.
Twelve to nil seemed about right as the second half started. The lead – and the control - was extended with a clever kick pass out to Leni Payne to score in the left corner. Whitchurch were now starting to lack direction, especially in the backs.
Was it a lapse in concentration or a slightly unlucky bounce, which gave Whitchurch a chance. A rather hopeful, rather than meaningful, kick into the in goal evaded a Lichfield hand and the visitors had found a way back potentially. Moments later, the Lichfield defence parted too easily and a Whitchurch centre was scoring try number two and it was now 17-12. Once again a speculative kick from Whitchurch ended as a 50-22 and the Shropshire side rumbled over from the line out, which now had become one of their main weapons, for the winning try.
LICHFIELD GREEN (2s) 20 BOURNVILLE 0 PTS
After the disappointment of the Red’s result, it was the turn of the Green team to defend the colts squad’s corner. With Bournville arriving short of numbers, they were lent players so that the game could take place. By doing so, they had to concede the game and the score line is officially 20-0 so that Lichfield can take maximum points from the game. The actual score line had a similar margin of victory to it, although the Greens notched up more than 40 points.
The Reds go to Hereford, which will test how much they can bounce back, whilst the Green team are at home to Newport, both at 2pm on Sunday.
JUNIORS:-
The boys under 16s arranged a late friendly fixture at home to Melbourne on Sunday morning and, with a strong first half performance, were able to build up a healthy lead, which eventually saw them to victory by 36-12. The 15s, who had won the county cup plate
competition last season, lost the chance to repeat this when they went down to Telford 17-24.
The 14s made up for a defeat at Burton on Friday night by going to Kenilworth on Sunday and winning 42-12. The 13s, with two county cup victories already, won 35-5 at Eccleshall to advance to a home semi final against Burton at the end of January.
The girls under 18s won their first round regional cup match at home to Walsall, whilst the impressive 14s won comfortably away at Mansfield 39-19.
In the minis, the 11s were in action against Derby and enjoyed the higher percentage of tries.
c/o Dave Lewis
WEEKEND RESULTS
FRIDAY 15TH NOVEMBER
UNDER 14 BOYS | BURTON 31 | 17 LICHFIELD
SATURDAY 16th NOVEMBER
LICHFIELD 1XV | MATLOCK 33 | 38 LICHFIELD
LICHFIELD 2XV | LICHFIELD 26 | 07 ATHERSTONE 1XV
SUNDAY 17th NOVEMBER
LICHFIELD LADIES 1XV | LICHFIELD 17 | 00 SALE FC 1861 LADIES
LICHFIELD COLTS RXV | LICHFIELD 17 | 19 WHITCHURCH
LICHFIELD COLTS GXV | LICHFIELD 20 | 00 BOURNVILLE
UNDER 13 BOYS | ECCLESHALL 05 | 35 LICHFIELD
UNDER 14 BOYS | KENILWORTH 12 | 42 LICHFIELD
UNDER 15 BOYS | TELFORD 24 | 17 LICHFIELD
UNDER 14 GIRLS | MANSFIELD 19 | 39 LICHFIELD
UNDER 16 BOYS | LICHFIELD 36 | 12 MELBOURNE
UNDER 16 GIRLS | LEEK / LONGTON 62 | 24 LICHFIELD
UNDER 18 GIRLS | LICHFIELD 35 | 27 WALSALL

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