MATCH REPORT | MEN’S 1st XV | SATURDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2023

MATCH REPORT | MEN’S 1st XV | SATURDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2023
REGIONAL 2 MIDLANDS NORTH (ROUND 13)
TAMWORTH 24 | 10 LICHFIELD
Tamworth deservedly won this most local of local derbies on a perfect rugby afternoon to consign Lichfield to a second defeat in recent weeks. Both sides scored two tries, but the boot of Danny Norton (fly half) was able to chip in with 14 points from three penalties, a drop goal and a conversion. It was his influence, based on an ever increasingly easy armchair ride from reliable front foot possession, that was significant and he controlled the direction of the game as a consequence, especially from the 30 minutes mark.
Lichfield started well and had manufactured a smart try within five minutes with Kai Lucas-Dumolo scooting over from 25 metres out. On the back of this try, they looked purposeful with ball in hand, even on less than 50% possession. The Lichfield line out just did not function well all afternoon, losing seven line outs on their own throw in the game, which produced telling momentum swings at key times. Their scrum was always on top, but Tamworth coped well enough with a retreating front eight. For 50 minutes, their defence snuffed out everything Tamworth had to offer.
The away side extended their lead on the half hour mark when Paul Maxwell-Keys used his guile to glide through a porous home midfield defence to score a fine solo try. This was, however, the end of the good news for ‘’Lich’’, as they had already started to struggle in the tackle area. Their hopes of victory disappeared north about the same time as the 2:45 train pulled out of Tamworth station, with the referee giving the visitors a lot to think about with his breakdown rulings. The Tamworth forwards, with Josh Roe, Macauley Green and Kit Smith (numbers 2, 7 and 8 respectively) always willing runners, thrived on the consequential additional possession and in the final ten minutes of the half, Norton brought the score back to 10-9.
In the early part of the second half, the whole of the Tamworth side seemed further enthused and much more confident in their systems and processes and was now winning the collisions. After ten minutes of mounting pressure, Tamworth went blind in the Lichfield ‘’22’’ and left wing Jack Dalton squeezed in the corner to give the hosts the lead for the first time.
Unfortunately, the writing was on the wall for Lichfield, as they were forced more and more into their own half – only visiting the Tamworth ‘’22’’ once in the second period. The Tamworth forwards continued to batter away with purpose and it was no real surprise when Smith barged over from close range, Norton converted and then added a final penalty, as the Lichfield error and penalty count mounted.
In the final moments, Lichfield sought to rescue a bonus point, but were by now forcing passes from messy possession, so their efforts came to nought and they had to go home with some salutary lessons to be learnt and in need of some returning personnel to at least keep their 2nd position.
The men’s 1st XV have a two week break and their next game is at home to Mellish on 6 January, KO 2:15pm, with fixtures for all the weekends in that month. There was no other men’s rugby on Saturday, but both women’s teams continued their unbeaten league form. The Red team (1s) defeated Long Eaton 41-7 and the Green team won at Oadby Wyggestonians by 50-7, so both sides go into the Christmas break at the top of their leagues.
REPORT C/O Dave Lewis