MATCH REPORT

MATCH REPORT
LICHFIELD 50 | 14 MATLOCK
MEN’S 1st XV – REGIONAL 2 MIDLANDS NORTH (ROUND 22) SATURDAY 6TH APRIL 2024

Lichfield men’s first team racked up another fifty point home victory in their final league game of the 23/4 season, so finishing second, and there was more really good news from other sides in the club. In particular, the women’s 2s regrouped in the second half of their crucial final league game against Rugby Lionesses and managed a draw having been 19-0 down at one stage, so winning their league by four points.
On Saturday, storm Kathleen tried her best to disrupt the two games taking place at Cooke Fields, but in both cases the players won the day. In the 1st XV game, both Lichfield and Matlock played better into the elements and produced an entertaining denouement to this part of the campaign. The home side won, scoring eight tries and kicking five conversions, by having more all round quality and they also defended better, conceding just two tries and scrambling well they needed to.
The home side had first of the wind and made an ideal start, as David Mott cleverly evaded his opposite number and sprinted 30 metres to the posts; captain, Adam Spinner, added the first of three first half conversions. Matlock came to play some intelligent rugby, driving either side of the breakdown, keeping the game tight and stacking the blindside with numerous runners. As happens quite often in the first half, Lichfield didn’t see much of the ball. It therefore took them another 15 minutes to widen the margin and, following some goal line pressure, Rich Burton crossed from an opportunistic offload.
Five minutes later, the visitor’s policy of ganging up on the blindside worked really well and their captain, Luke Howard, raced over from the ‘22’ unopposed. Fortunately for Lichfield, they responded immediately with Cal Turner picking off a pass on the blindside and cantering home from nearer 40 metres, with no one to beat. Half time was reached at 21-7, Matlock would have hoped that the game was still undecided and Lichfield knew they could play better than they had.
It did not take long for the home side to show that Hemo had redirected them appropriately. Some good support play and quick hands/offloads broke through the Matlock rearguard and Mott provided another classy finish. In a rare attack, Matlock full back, James Fairclough ran a clever line off his stand off and went clean through to the posts and he added the extras for the second time.
Lichfield were now playing some flowing rugby, based on support and keeping the ball alive and the visitors could not cope defensively with this and started to fade. Paul Maxwell-Keys benefited from such an attack for a try and Freddie Wilson, part of an annoyingly effective back row (from Matlock’s point of view), stretched over a try following another breakout, which started in Lichfield territory. Kai Lucas-Dumolo, now on at full back, converted the first of two tries.
The hosts did not relent in the final few minutes and more clinical play ended with scores for Dylan Whittington, too quick for the cover, and finally Turner to bring up the half century of points. This was the 113th try of the 21 game season and the points total was 755, they were the only side to concede less than 400 points. Maxwell-Keys and Burton ended with 15 tries apiece, with Lucas-Dumolo on 11 and then Mott and Turner on ten. Lucas-Dumolo contributed 142 points in total. All very satisfactory, as there has been disruption throughout from an availablity and injury point of view and it became very stop/start owing to the weather after Christmas. Long Eaton won the league and Sutton and Wolverhampton were relegated. We await to see whether we remain in this middle/northern part of the Midlands league, which is likely, and then the three sides joining us – Ilkeston is very probably one of them.
This coming Saturday, the Papa John’s cup starts, the format of which is each side plays in a pool of four teams. We start with a home game against Long Eaton at 3pm, which is also President’s Day and Barry Broad’s final home game in this position, there are places still available for the pre match luncheon at £15 per head at 12:30pm. The following two Saturdays, we are away to Stow on the Wold and Northampton Old Scouts, both of whom play at the same level as us and finished second and fourth in their respective leagues. Given how we have finished the season, our ability to score tries for fun and then defend strongly, we could be a force, if we ‘’want it’’ and remain mentally calm this coming Saturday.
In other action this last weekend, a young 2nd XV lost 28-45 to Dudley K and there were tries for Chad Southam, Jack Hamlet, Isaac Craig and Kieran Higgins, all four converted by Southam. This Saturday the 2s are at home to Burntwood 2s in a county cup competition at 3pm.
On Sunday, the women’s 1st XV, already league winners and going to Twickenham on 12 May in the Papa John’s cup, had a routine win against Bury Foxes by 72-5 after blowing the visitors away in the first half against the remnants of Kathleen. Abbie Lamb and Charlotte Gauja were voted the two most effective players and the side’s final league game is at home against Hitchin on Sunday at 2:30pm. As mentioned above, the 2s needed at least one bonus point from their home game against 2nd place, Rugby Lionesses, to win the league. They faced the wind in the first period and turned around 12-0 down having played some decent rugby, but neither side could make space for themselves. Rugby had four powerful runners and they were the difference at this stage. This very soon became 19-0, so the signs were not too positive. However, as players became more tired, the game opened up more and this suited the Green team. They scored two tries from Kim Walton-Evans and Alice Hodgkinson, but the visitor’s scrum half was adjudged to have crossed the whitewash in between these tries, so going into the final quarter, it was now 24-12. There was no throwing the towel in and it became more and more one way traffic. Ella Woodward added an unconverted try and the Green team had a further try in the corner ruled out by the referee. The bonus was that the game restarted with a goal line drop out and, after more pressure, Woodward scored under the posts. The drama was not over ! Phoebe Weaver’s conversion hit the crossbar, but there was enough momentum for the ball to sneak over with a little help, maybe, from Kathleen.
The girl’s under 14s drew their county cup final at Stafford, 12 apiece, after a determined effort from both sides in the 2nd half to settle the game in normal time. It was decided that there had to be a winner and, as Burton had scored first, they won the trophy. The 14s, who are a new club side, performed above their station before and on the day.
The colts host Longton on Sunday in the county cup semi final at 2pm, so the there are two afternoon games requiring support, please, as well as the Saturday fixtures.
Report c/o Dave Lewis