Luctonians 10 v 10 Rotherham

Luctonians RFC  v  Rotherham RUFC

Saturday 19th February 2022
Mortimer Park

Match Reporter: Geoff Vickress

It was a case of was we robbed? After slugging away and matching our heavyweight opponents for 80 minutes in atrocious conditions the penalty count in the last 5-6 minutes against the Black & Whites was unusually high –  those in the know who were closer to the action than me – I was the one in the back of the stand while the game was played on the Two’s pitch [Ed: He did have binoculars though] felt that while we were pinged for everything in our red zone, Titans got away with murder with their big forwards launching tap and drive tactics to try and level the scores after being behind 10-5. Did they push the limits of the law? Many thought they did, by going over the top, hands possibly in the ruck etc who knows, but they got away with it, nearly with all the points

However, Rotherham will rue missing the last kick of the game from a hurried conversion in front of the posts, when the ball went under the crossbar. Despite the touch judges signalling the ball had gone over (well one did, then didn’t) the referee, who was behind the kicker, over-ruled them both after querying their decision and the match finished in a 10-10 draw.

But it will be Luctonians who will feel somewhat robbed of the victory their efforts deserved in what was a turgid forwards game throughout, played in a gale force wind on a sodden pitch following heavy rain before the match, the game already having been moved from the main pitch as this was waterlogged. Knocker and his team of water sweepers take a bow by making it possible to play at all.

Minogue for the Titans missed an early penalty from the half-way line with the wind behind him, and they continued to use the wind to their advantage early in the game by kicking deep and not allowing Lucs any territory advantage. But the home side were defiant in the muddy conditions and kept Titans at bay, often in their own red zone, with some excellent defensive work.

Lucs started to come back into the game and by using simple kick through tactics from Tom Jones and Owen Randell to clear their lines instead of high kicks into the wind, they started to claw their way back into the game. And on the half hour their efforts were rewarded when Lucs No9 Owen Randell spotted a gap in the Titans defence and kicked through behind their lines, and the chase saw him first to the ball to touch down, or was it Giles Morell? These anyway were the first points of the game. Watch Greggers’ video on BookFace HERE to make your own mind up. The difficult conversion was missed for a 5-0 Lucs lead at half time. But not before Harry Dunne of Titans was shown a straight red card for serious foul play Don’t know what he did or didn’t do, but the referee didn’t like it.

Half Time Score

Luctonians RFC  5  v  0  Rotherham RUFC

Despite being down to 14 men Rotherham played to their big forwards strengths and kept the ball in hand for much of the second half. Using punishing drive after drive at Lucs’ defensive line, but Captain Mat Hackley superbly marshalled the defensive line to allow Titans little gain. Lucs defended stoutly and, when the opportunity arose, using the wind to their advantage kicked sensibly to push back their opponents back deep into their own half. But Titans were always dangerous in the Lucs 22 and, when Matt Challinor was driven over by his fellow forwards on 65 minutes to level the scores at 5-5, they were back in contention.

With numerous handling errors and penalties being awarded due to the conditions, neither side looked like adding to their score until Ben Owen of Lucs stole through when presented with a half chance following good work by Lucs’ forwards following a line out with 5 minutes to go to put the home side in front 10-5.

Titans however stormed back and put Lucs under great pressure with time running out, and were fortunate to perhaps be given the opportunity to score at the death.  As mentioned we were pinging for numerous penalties in the red zone and Titans continued to use tap and drive tactics to level the scores for a try. The Lucs learned heads felt their do or die last driving maul with all their 14 players involved came up short – one Titan fan was heard to say they got away with that one. It was quite literally in the dying seconds when they went over just to the left of the uprights through Zak Poole to level the scores at 10-10.

But the gods favoured Lucs when the death kick was missed and the home side who have now taken points off 3 of the top 6 at home will have put a dent in Rotherham’s title ambitions.

More top teams still to come to Mortimer Park with both Sedgley Park and table toppers Hull still to visit.

Full Time Score

Luctonians RFC  10  v  10  Rotherham RUFC

 

Luctonians Scorers

Tries: Randell (29), Owen (75)

 

Rotherham Scorers

Tries: Challinor (4), Poole (80)

 

Star Man

Mat Hackley
(Luctonians)

 

Luctonians

15 Giles Morell; 14 Rob Bengry; 13 Nick Yeoward; 12 Ben Owen; 19 James Wheeler; 10 Tom Jones ; 9 Owen Randell : 1 Connor Deignan; 2 Ben link ; 3 Joe White; 4 Tom Smith ; 5 Owien Harriott-Davis;6 Jack Forsythe ; 7 Mat Hackley ; 8 Sam Jones

Replacements: 16 Brad Smith; 20 Henry Powell; 30 Cheick Kone; 17 Aiden Cheshire; 21 Josh Nott

Rotherham

15 George Tucker; 14 Conner Field; 13 Richard Hayes; 12 Harry Dunne; 23 James Cooke; 10 Matthew Minogue; 9 Sam Boxhall: 1 Alastair Donkor; 2 Harry Newborn; 27 Richard Stout;4 Matthew Challinor;5 Theodore Nwoshu-Hope; 6 Zakery Poole; 7 Lewis Wilson; 8 Joseph Carlisle

Replacements: 16 Jack Bermanas; 17 Colin Quigley; 18 Matthew Williams; 19 Tomos Richardson; 20 Joseph Carlisle

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