Lucs 22 v 13 Sedgley Park
Luctonians RFC
22 v 13
Sedgley Park RUFC
Saturday 29th February 2020
By Geoffers
Where does one start? Three storms in the last few weeks and the rainfall and winds from each creating havoc with the previous 2 weekends fixtures both cancelled away to Otley. Back home to Mortimer Park for the next encounter versus Sedgley Park ‘Tigers’, grrrrrrrrr…!
I arrived Saturday lunch time to find Knocker and Smithy once again covered from head to toe in ‘bledger’, both soaked through as they attempted to make the Twos’ pitch playable, as all hope of playing on the centre stage had long passed, with areas of water more akin to the Florida Everglades abundant on the main pitch. I was told that Knocker and Norm had been hard at work since Friday afternoon and volunteers aplenty had also been helping to get the game on. No rugby for two weeks and we needed to play to avoid fixture congestion at end of season and, as Knocker told me, he wants his beloved Cricket Season to start promptly in May, “so it’s got to be played today!”
It was also to be our first home fixture since the sad loss of club legend, David ‘Burkie’ Burke. He will be sorely missed by all at the club, not least for his presence around the clubhouse during pre-match banter, but afterwards and after a few jars. We send our condolences to his wife Anne and family, and will be holding a minute’s silence to his memory at our next home game on 21st March as this was not possible Saturday owing to the conditions.
Following much debate between the referee and club officials, and with Sedge wanting to play on the ‘road pitch’, where the Twos would be taking on Bromsgrove 2nds, it was eventually settled that it was to be game on, with no budging from next to the orchard.
And didn’t Storm Jorge play its part. It blew and it rained, it sleeted and it hailed, and then the sun came out and we wondered what all the fuss was about, especially those who chose to sit in the stand and watch from afar, well there were 5 of us! [Yes, I noticed. Ed.]
With the strong wind at their backs, Sedge kicked off and didn’t touch the ball again until they restarted after 5 minutes, following Luctonians early dominance with ball in hand. The Black and Whites showed great character to play into the wind without kicking the ball away, and drove Sedge back relentlessly towards their line, allowing their forwards to set up Drew Cheshire who picked a great line to cross, with Louis Silver adding the extras to give us an early 7-0 lead.
Sedge clawed their way back into the match with their influential 10, Collins, setting up their backs with some intelligent kicks into Lucs territory and using the wind to keep Lucs pinned deep. When he landed a penalty on 12 minutes following a Lucs scrum infringement, they looked as they might play as their position in the league suggested as top four challengers.
Their No2, Gallagher, then capitalised on a poor Lucs clearance kick that blew back over their heads in the storm-force winds, when he was first to the ball to run in unchallenged allowing the away side to increase their advantage. Collins added the extras. And when Collins added his second penalty on 32mins to give them the lead by 6 points, they looked well placed, going into half time in the lead.
Half Time Score
Luctonians 7 v 13 Sedgley Park
Half time, and the crowd dispersed to the warmth of the clubhouse. I couldn’t argue with that and did wonder how many would return for the second 40. Two members of the Bicyclists then appeared at the back of the stand with a biscuit tin full of draw tickets, I noted their lack of lycra and crash helmets which I rather hoped they might wear, to at least make us all aware of their presence; after all the draw was for their benefit. Perhaps we should suggest this for all future draws that whoever is the beneficiary should dress as per their chosen sport. I have my doubts however about seeing the attire for the over 60’s mud wrestlers.
Back to the sport [About time too. Ed.], and it was Lucs’ game plan, second half, which saw them deservedly secure the result with a very intelligent and managed performance in atrocious conditions. Tomo told the BBC, “it was a magnificent performance” and that “they did it for Burkie”, and I can’t argue with that.
They were rewarded from an excellent kick and chase by Seb Robinson who was held back over the line with the referee having no other choice than to award a penalty try. This gave the Black and Whites a lead they would not relinquish, with Collins seeing yellow for his part. Then Josh Watkins was unfortunate not to score almost straight from the restart, when he chased another kick through but was adjudged to have been in front of the kicker after touching down.
Lucs kept driving forward and were duly compensated for their endeavours with their second try when the hard-working Callum Young was rewarded for his efforts when he was driven over from a maul, to increase the home side’s lead after 54 minutes. This following a spell of possession where Lucs showed great maturity in handling the abysmal conditions. Louis Silver was unlucky with his conversion attempt, which bounced off the uprights.
Sedge came back into the game and worked hard in gaining ground in driving sleet conditions, having Lucs on the ropes in their own red zone for long periods of play mid-way through the half. But the home side’s defence was simply superb; they chopped their attackers down time after time with some excellent tackling, and didn’t concede a penalty while camped on their try line.
This was the turning point, and for the last 20 minutes Lucs ran the show. They used the storm to their advantage to finish the final quarter camped in Sedge’s half, with the only added points coming from a Louis Silver penalty. The Black and Whites couldn’t quite get over for a bonus point try, although to all the world it appeared that Johnny Morris had touched down from a despairing dive following a Will Burton tickle kick, which he chased down on the last play, but the officials deemed he hadn’t and it was all over.
It was cracking result after a lean two weeks off, which moves the Lucs up to 11th, with Sheffield Tigers, Huddersfield, Otley, Preston Grasshoppers and the doomed Scunthorpe now all below us in the league.
Full Time Score
Luctonians 22 v 13 Sedgley Park
Luctonians Man of the Match
Owien Harriott-Davis
Referee: Mr Iain Kiy
Luctonians Scorers
Tries: Drew Cheshire (4), Penalty Try (48), Callum Young (54)
Conv: Louis Silver (5)
Pen: Louis Silver (62)
Sedgley Park Scorers
Try: Matthew Gallagher (16)
Conv: Stephen Collins (17)
Pens: Stephen Collins (12, 32)
Luctonians
Josh Watkins, Charles Meredith, Drew Cheshire, Rob Lewis, Frank Kelly, Will Burton, Louis Silver; Connor Deignan, Guy Kirkby, Ryan Smeilus, Owien Harriott-Davis, Conor Turner, Callum Young, Seb Robinson, Sam Jones
Replacements
Joe White, Cameron Tawfik, Tom Furnival, John Morris, Owen Randell
Sedgley Park
Simpson, Ormsby, Holloway, Glasse, Cheshire, Collins, Openshaw; Ashcroft, Gallagher, Rushton, Birtwell, James, Goodman, Lees, Ailes
Replacements
Coe, Berry, Powell, Crowe, Harrison
Next week a toughie away to Fylde who are looking for the second spot and possible playoff for promotion. But looking at how the Black and Whites played this Saturday they could well go and roll them over and secure their position in mid-table to remove any doubts about a relegation issue in late April.
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Geoff Vickress
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