LUCS 40 – 10 OLD REDS
A SUPERB SECOND-HALF PERFORMANCE
Luctonians RFC vs Old Redcliffians RFC
Saturday 14th December 2024 – Mortimer Park
Match Report by Geoff Vickress
Luctonians entertained the large home crowd with a superb second-half performance on a cold but dry day at Mortimer Park; this after being behind at half time to a gallant Old Redcliffians side who, on the balance of play, probably deserved to lead at oranges.
The home side’s skipper, Ben Link, was first over the whitewash to give Lucs an early lead following a trademark driving maul, with the conversion being missed (5-0). However, they were under the cosh after their early score for most of the half, with Old Reds having plenty of possession and looking dangerous with ball in hand.
However, they never looked like troubling the Lucs’ tight defensive line despite some excellent line breaks from scrum half Andrew Butler and fullback Harrison Murphy. It was from such a foray into the home side’s red zone that Old Reds scored their only try, when Owien Harriott-Davis was penalised for ‘hands in the ruck’, to give the referee no choice but to award them a penalty try (5-7).
Lucs looked to be under pressure with their talisman off the field from the resultant yellow card, and they were further punished when prop Connor Deignan followed shortly after for foul play at another ruck; this seeing the home side down to 13 men. But the away side couldn’t take any real advantage and, despite the 2-man difference, Old Reds could only add to their slender lead with a penalty from Jack Gapper to lead at half time 5-10.
Half Time Score
Luctonians RFC 5 – 10 Old Redcliffians RFC
The Lucs’ half time team talk must have been brutal, as they came out for the second half looking a different animal. They were superb at times and didn’t allow Old Reds one single opportunity to get anywhere near their try line in the second 40 minutes.
Bryn Goodall intercepted on halfway an Old Reds loose pass, and cleverly put Rob Bengry away for the home side’s first score of the second half, with Jack Park converting to lead 12-10. And it was only 5 minutes later when the ever-alert Lucs scrum half Owen Randell spotted a gap from behind another Lucs driving maul to swerve his way through under the posts to increase the home side advantage to 19-10; Park again converting.
The home side continued to dominate proceedings, and the home support were ecstatic when their No8, Jack Goodwin, touched down at the back of a driven scrum from 10 metres, Park converting and the home side were bonus points in the bag with a 26-10 lead.
Murphy saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on with 10 minutes left on the clock. This didn’t help Old Reds’ cause as they conceded another two tries in the descending light; firstly when the prolific Ben Link again came up at the bottom of another Lucs driving maul after 72 minutes, with Park again kicking the extras (31-12), before the home side scored the try of the game with the final play, when fullback Josh Watkins dotted down under the posts, following an entertaining flowing passing movement across the pitch, Park converting to give the home side a 40-10 result.
Full Time Score
Luctonians RFC 40 – 10 Old Redcliffians RFC
Lucs will be well pleased with their second-half performance, following their unusual lacklustre first half, while Old Reds will lick their wounds before both sides go ahead next week in their pre-Christmas derby games with Old Redcliffians entertaining Clifton in the Bristol derby, while Luctonians welcome Cinderford, who sit two places above them in the league, although Lucs have a game in hand.
Star Man
Jack Goodwin
Luctonians
On our Facebook page you can check out the Live scoreline with goal-line video footage of the Lucs tries. Shortly a Grandstand view of the tries, together with a selection of Match Pics by Andrew Hargraves and Nigel Mee will also be appearing.
Picture Credit – Andrew Hargraves. Luctonians