ROUND UP…
Please see below our extensive Results for the Weekend 31ST JANUARY – 1ST FEBRUARY
WEEKEND FIXTURES 31ST JANUARY – 1ST FEBRUARY
SATURDAY 31ST JANUARY
LICHFIELD 1XV | LICHFIELD 47-27 NUNEATON

SUNDAY 1ST FEBRUARY
LADIES
LICHFIELD LADIES L1XV | NOVOCASTRIANS 12-38 LICHFIELD
LICHFIELD LADIES L2XV | LICHFIELD 17-22 ASTON OLD EDWARDIANS

COLTS / U18
LICHFIELD COLTS XV | LICHFIELD 45-14 WOLVERHAMPTON
LICHFIELD LIONESSES XV | LICHFIELD 50-07 SOLIHULL VIXENS

JUNIOR BOYS
UNDER 12 BOYS | BARKER BUTTS V LICHFIELD
UNDER 13 BOYS | LEEK 05-35 LICHFIELD
UNDER 14 BOYS | LICHFIELD 29-29 OLD SILHILIANS
UNDER 16 BOYS | LICHFIELD 50-00 ECCLESHALL

JUNIOR GIRLS
UNDER 14 GIRLS | MARKET BOSWORTH 20-37 LICHFIELD
UNDER 16 GIRLS | MANSFIELD 50-12 LICHFIELD

REPORTS

LICHFIELD 47 NUNEATON 27 PTS
ROUND 16 REGIONAL 1 MIDLANDS
(1XV Report by Martyn Gabbitass)
With a downpour shortly before kick off adding to an already greasy surface, Lichfield kicked off in front of a crowd swelled by past players attending their annual lunch.
Lichfield conceded an early penalty for not rolling away and the early exchanges went the way of the visitors, Nuneaton. Lichfield’s defence held firm, securing a turnover but in countering, they lost the ball in contact. Unfortunately Charlie Milner suffered an injury during this period and had to leave the field to be replaced by Michael Turner. From the resultant scrum, Nuneaton took advantage of the enforced positional changes to Lichfield’s backs’ line up and switching their lines of attack, created an overlap for their pacy right wing to run in unopposed. The conversion was missed.
Lichfield upped their intensity and took play deep into Nuneaton territory. The ball was lost in contact and Nuneaton took full advantage with an outrageous ‘50/22’. However, both sides were having difficulty holding onto the ball and solid defence by the home side saw Nuneaton spill the ball in the tackle. Lichfield were able to clear their lines from a resultant scrum penalty.
Nuneaton continued to press as Lichfield, perennial slow starts, struggled to gain any rhythm. Matters were not helped when wing Tyler Moseley was yellow carded, ostensibly for a deliberate knock on. The visitors took advantage of this further disruption to the host’s back line up and having opted for a scrum, crisp passing saw their left wing score with ease. The conversion was successful and Lichfield found themselves on the wrong end of a 12-0 scoreline.
Lichfield raised their game, forcing errors in the tackle and gaining ascendancy in the scrum. From a scrum penalty when Nuneaton collapsed under the drive from Lichfield’s front five, Lichfield kicked into their opponent’s 22. The lineout produced clean ball and Lichfield powered towards the line. Nuneaton held, but quick thinking by Ditch Burton, who was first to the breakdown, saw him pick up, punch through the last line of defence and canter over near to the posts. Henry Nevitt added the points to reduce the gap to 5 points.
Lichfield were starting to find their rhythm and putting Nuneaton under pressure. Scrum half Seb Smith broke up the blind side on half way and kicked through towards the Nuneaton line. Their defender fumbled the ball and loose head prop Jack Hurst was up quickly to force a 5m scrum to Lichfield. From the resultant scrum, Lichfield’s pack forced their opponents to retreat and concede a penalty try: overall, a passage of play to the front row union.
Nuneaton’s loose head was given a yellow card and with their hooker off injured, scrums went uncontested for a period.
Lichfield continued to press and were unlucky when following a break by Paul Maxwell-Keys and kick through from which Nuneaton again conceded a 5m scrum, Michael Turner was held up in the act of scoring.
Nuneaton were proving to be dogged opponents. They regained the lead when Lichfield failed to clear their lines and conceded a penalty for not releasing at the ruck. Nuneaton converted the penalty to lead 15-14.
Lichfield fought back and a series of impressive phases took play into their opponent’s 22. Quick ball created openings in Nuneaton’s defence and Henry Nevitt was able to sell a dummy and reach over the try line with a second motion to regain the lead. He also added the conversion.
Lichfield added to their score straight from the kick off. Lichfield secured the ball, working it quickly left. Maxwell-Keys broke the line, drew the defence and fed Tyler Moseley, who ran in from 30m. Nevitt added the points to extend Lichfield’s lead to 14 points after 35 minutes.
There was still time for one more score before the break. Following a Nuneaton knock on, Lichfield again found success working the nearside. Swift passing and recycling of ruck ball took play deep into Nuneaton’s 22 where the impressive Jack Hurst was in support to crash through the last line of defence and over the line. The conversion was missed but Lichfield went into the break leading 33-15. Their position was also helped by another yellow card, this time to Nuneaton’s stand off for an illegal tackle in the build up to Hurst’s try.
Lichfield started the second half on the front foot. A series of slick passing and powerful drives ended with Jack Hurst on hand to take a pass from captain Kieran Reynolds to cross near the posts. Nevitt added the points to increase Lichfield’s lead to 25 points after only 3 minutes.
However, Lichfield were unable to capitalise further with both Reynolds and second row Chris Bennett receiving yellow cards in quick succession for high tackles, reducing the home side to 13 men.
Unsurprisingly, Nuneaton took advantage, working an opening wide left to reduce the deficit to 20 points.
Both sides battled to gain the ascendancy and Lichfield brought on their remaining substitutes Jack Dace and Sam Benson for the final quarter. Lichfield went close when Michael Turner intercepted, but the Nuneaton defence recovered and Turner was tackled into touch. Not to be outdone, Nuneaton knocked on in the act of scoring.
With Lichfield back to full complement, they lost another player to a yellow card, again a high tackle. The influential Ditch Burton had to spend the majority of the final minutes in the sin bin.
Nuneaton raised their game and Lichfield had to defend stoutly. From a lineout on the Lichfield line, the forwards won a turnover. However, the referee awarded a try when an alert Nuneaton player reached into the ruck and touched down with the ball ‘in goal’ and therefore in play. The conversion was successful and with 10 minutes to play the visitors had reduced the deficit to 13 points.
With player advantage, Nuneaton attacked hard but the Lichfield defence, a feature throughout the season to date, held firm. Lichfield had chances to put the game to bed with Paul Maxwell-Keys failing to hold onto a pass with the line at his mercy. They also continued to infringe, particularly in the tackle.
Not to be outdone and with Burton back on the field, Lichfield finished with a flourish. Stringing together a succession of passes and swift offloads, they powered into the Nuneaton 22. A series
of close driving phases and trademark quick recycling ended with Ben Bourne crashing over near the posts. Henry Nevitt added the points and the referee blew for ‘no side’.
Final score 47-27; a hard earned bonus point win.
Lichfield remain 6th sitting only 3 points behind Newent in 3rd. They continue to enjoy a successful return to Midlands 1 Rugby.

THE PLOUGH AT HUDDLESFORD MAN OF THE MATCH – HENRY NEVITT
This coming Saturday, Lichfield 1st XV are at home again & host Burton in the semi final of the Staffs Cup at 2.15pm, whilst the 2nd XV visit Oswestry in a rearranged league game.

LICHFIELD COLTS 45 WOLVERHAMPTON 14 PTS
Lichfield produced a special first half performance, as they raced into a 33-7 lead by the break, scoring four long range, team tries and a Rhys Wynne solo effort from his own ‘’22’’. It was not a perfect performance against a useful Wolverhampton side, but they did show some admirable skills to counteract a solid visitors’ defence.
The second period was much more even with some fierce competition up front. The home side, after a quiet spell, took their score out to 40 points to put the game to bed. This was cancelled out by a gutsy effort from the Wolves forwards before Lichfield added a final try right at the death.
So, the colts remain unbeaten and top of the league and now face Hereford away on Sunday at 2pm.

WOMEN:-
NOVOS (NEWCASTLE ON TYNE) 12 LICHFIELD RED TEAM (1s) 38 PTS
CHAMPIONSHIP NORTH 1 ROUND 15
Lichfield women made it six straight victories on the bounce against Novos on Sunday afternoon, winning relatively comfortably on this very long away day fixture in the north east. Bryany Chalk (2), Jess Panayiotou (2), Grace Collins and Molly Draycott accounted for the six tries from the Red team, whilst Draycott added four conversions. Waddell and Ishida grabbed scores for the home side, which leaves them bottom but one of Champ North 1, whilst this win took the visitors up to fourth with 42 points with five games to go. Sale’s victory over Cheltenham makes it very interesting in the race for top spot.

LICHFIELD GREENS (2s) 17 ASTON OLD EDS 22 PTS
NC 1 MIDLANDS WEST – round 11
Aston won the reverse fixture in October with a last minute try and, guess what, did the same at Cooke Fields on Sunday. Having been camped on the home side’s line for ten minutes, the visitors eventually battered their way over to win this entertaining match. This defeat definitely removed any hope of winning the league for the Greens.
Aston controlled the first half and this led to three tries for them before Rachael Squires got one back just before half time. Twelve minutes into the 2nd stanza, she added another, converted by Issy Davies, and ‘’Lich’’ took the lead with 18 to go with a long range effort from Sarah Baugh. It was Aimee Tudor, who broke the home resistance in the dying seconds, converted by Grace Harris, after Amy Garratty, Jennifer Parry and Katie Curzons had provided the 15 points.
The girls U18s proved too strong for Solihull, winning 50-7, a weakened 16s group lost away 62-12 to Mansfield, whilst the 14s were winners at Market Bosworth 37-20.
In the morning, the U16s boys comfortably defeated Eccleshall to qualify for the county cup semi final against Walsall in a fortnight, whilst the 13s won at Leek by 7 tries to 1 to go through to the county cup final – the first of the boys’ sides. The 14s, in an exciting and quality game against Old Silhillians, were deprived of victory by a late try, so the game was drawn 29 all.
Both the 15s and 14s have home county cup semi finals this coming Sunday, both at 11am. All support welcome.
The minis went away to Barkers Butts and one of the home parents was particularly impressed by the under 8s !! Extracting the conclusion to the post, ‘’so just wanted to commend your young squad of players and their coaches and parents for creating an environment where kind, inclusive and polite young players are clearly thriving.’’ Well done to the minis section, as I know this reflects the whole group.

REPORTS C/O DAVE LEWIS
Please Like & Share...
@lichfieldrugby @lichladiesrugby @lichfield_touch @followers
Club Website | Lichfield RUFC www.lichfieldrufc.com
#weareichfield #lichfieldrugby #getinvolved #lichladiesrugby #lichfieldtouch #lichfield150 #aquapura #roxaneuk #frielhomes #downesanddaughters #brickability #tonksbrothers #theploughhuddlesford #cotonhousefarm #jukesfuneralservices #BistroNumber19 #canterburyrugby #1874
Lichfield Rugby Union Football Club, Cooke Fields, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS14 9JE