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| Season 2000-01 |
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| Lions
24
Newbury
3 |
| National League 2 - 6th January |
| Report by Alistair Bruten |
Lions found it so very hard to
reproduce the scintillating play of some of their previous home
performances. Still, they won by a country mile and it is the old cliche,
good teams still win when they are not playing well.
Dean Watson, recalled in the week when Rugby trumpeted the signing of a
super-young winger, found the ball from the kick-off bouncing awkwardly in
front of him. Solid as ever in defence, that was as much of the ball as he
saw in his 45 minutes.
Rugby struggled to do the bsics and it was already no surprise when
Newbury went ahead with a penalty after 2 minutes. Lions had suicidally
handled on the ground just 18 metres in front of their own posts. No one
would have put money on this being Newbury's only points of the game but
it says a lot for Rugby's defensive qualities that the Blues scarcely
threatened another score for the remaining 78 minutes.
It summed up the way Lions were playing when Jacques Steyn scuffed a very
kickable penalty at about head height in the 7th minute.
Thre was no doubting Rugby's aggressive intent, however. There were a
series of unattractive 'afters' in which Lions seemed to be equal culprits
but the steel in their play that this aspect signalled was surely a vital
element in their eventual success. Shadbolt, Kwisiuk and Greenbury had an
uncomfortable afternoon dealing with the Newbury front row niggling foul
play and dealt with it robustly.
Steyn is a player of undoubted class. He is also not fully on his game at
present and there are some high-profile mistakes. Obviously, his kicking
is under pressure, which underlines suporters' surprise at the dropping of
the dependable Jas as stand-in kicker. Steyn is also making mistakes with
the ball in hand, as when he dropped the ball in the act of crossing the
line with a very ordinary 20 minutes' play gone.
Steyn's pedigree then shone through when broke from a nothing situation in
midfield to goosestep out of a final despairing tackle and score a try he
converted confidently.
Unexpectedly given the early play, but not given his astonishing strength
with the ball in hand, Steve Smith muscled his way over for a second try
which Steyn again converted from in front of the posts.
There was time for Steyn to miss another penalty attempt before half-time
but Lions will have been satisfied to turn round 14-3 up and with the wind
in their favour given their recent record in scoring heavily after the
interval.
A Steve Smith said, the team thought their game would come together now
but "it just didn't happen". He blamed the extended break rather
than the penetrating cold for Lions' flat display.
When Paul Turner replaced Watson to resume his super-sub role, he gave the
game more direction with good positional kicking and one outrageously long
backward flick pass which set Ian Hyde free. Unfortunately the referee
thought the game was better served with a scrum.
Hyde then did well to chase a Turner kick and was only just prevented from
breaking clean away.
As the game started to get over-physical again, the crowd shuffled their
feet a little impatiently and passed around the tots with muttered tuts.
That was the cue for the tireless Dave Muckalt to break yet again. He
achieved what many team mates hadn't and timed and directed his pass to
Eddie Saunders to perfection. Eddie specialises in leaving Berks teams
panting in his wake as he completes a thrilling 60 metre sprint to the
line. Steyn nonchalantly converted to complete the scoring and the game
had been given a finale that will set up lions for the confrontation at
Wharfedale to come.
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| Man
of the Match award -
6th January - Newbury |
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Steve
Smith
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| Very very close, Tim Collier. |
| If we were to award it to the most
influential player, the only nomination could be the Newbury hooker. Lets
be kind and say..... a best forgotten afternoon...and don't try any
dropouts again!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Preview
- by Dennis Keen |
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The
Lions players and supporters memories of Newbury’s Monks Lane home are
not good ones. Monsoon rain with the accompaniment of strong winds are not
ideal conditions anywhere but on that particular site with little or no
shelter for standing spectators it was the pits. Newbury edged the Lions
who were trying to recover from some disastrous away performances. It was
a lottery and “The Blues” drew the right numbers. The Lions team now
have a point to prove and their supporters will cheer them on from the
comfort of the shed whatever the weather dishes out.
So
far this season Newbury have lost two home games out of seven and four
away games out of six. The two lost home games were to Wharfedale and
Rosslyn Park. Away from home, apart from West Hartlepool who hardly count
as real opposition unpredictable Nottingham are their only real victims.
If
Lions are to keep their place at the top of Division 2 this is yet another
must-win game and it will not be a pushover |
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