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Lions

25

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Otley

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Put out the flags……..ring the church bells……break open the champagne…….Lions are back on the winning trail again!!  After scoring two early tries, Lions saw a determined Otley claw their way back into the game.  Lions then had to withstand a torrid last 10 minutes as Otley strove desperately to get the score that could have given them victory.  In the end it was another superb defensive display by Lions that secured the all-important points. 

Lions had Tim Collier back in the second row following his one match suspension, and full back / wing Fa’atoto Moananu partnered fly half Richard Davies in yet another centre partnership in an attempt to provide more of a cutting edge to the attack.  This gave an opportunity for Craig Jones to step into the fly half berth. 

On a glorious sunny autumn afternoon, Lions started at breakneck pace, with Cliff Richards making a mark from a high kick and taking a quick tap.  He made good ground as he caught the Otley defence napping, and first Steve Smith and then Fa’atoto Moananu continued the move to set up the opportunity for Craig Jones to attempt a drop goal. 

The bad news is that the kick went like an exocet ……it never got more than a foot off the floor.  The good news is that the Otley defence spilled the ball as they tried to gather the speeding missile.  First scrum to Rugby.  With Necky Mee at prop the set piece looked far more solid that it has done for weeks, and Steve Smith was able to pick up from the base and drive hard towards the Otley line.  The rest of the pack was not far behind as Steve was stopped just short, and Tristan Prosser-Shaw was last man up as he claimed the opening try.  Cliff Richards added the simple conversion. 

Otley tried to move the ball wide to test the Lions’ defence, but they hadn’t reckoned on Trim Collier being in the centre position.  As the Otley full back came into the line, he obviously fancied his chances of going round Tim.  How wrong can you be!!  Tim grabbed the poor man by the scruff of the neck and plucked the ball from his grasp.  When Otley were penalised as they tried to retrieve the situation, Richard Davies set up an attacking line out with a good kick to the corner.  The throw was good as Tristan Prosser-Shaw was hoisted high to take a good catch.  The drive was equally as good, and Lions secured the put in at the scrum. 

Another good drive by Steve Smith, who is starting to look his old self again, set up the ruck for Tom Walsh to dart through a gap on a good run.  Unfortunately he lost the ball in the tackle as he tried to round the last man, and Otley were able to clear.   

In a far cry from last week at Worcester, the first penalty against Lions was given on 10 minutes for offside.  Up stepped the League’s leading points scorer Simon Binns to coolly slot the kick from 35 metres. 

Unfortunately, now that the penalty “duck” was broken, Lions quickly gave away 2 more in quick succession allowing Otley to take a quick tap and drive for the line.  When Otley realised that they were wasting their time battering down the middle, they suddenly moved the ball wide only to be stopped by a crunching tackle by little Phil Reed on the wing as he took man and ball. 

Otley still kept the pressure on, but when Lions stole a line out ball, a poor clearance kick allowed the visitors to drive back.  Again Otley pushed the ball wide, but again they found the Lions’ tacklers in determined mood.  A back row move from a set scrum went wrong as Lions turned the ball over, allowing Richard Davies to ease the pressure with a raking touchfinder. 

Otley launched a high kick from the ensuing line out, but Eddie Saunders was as safe as ever as he took an excellent catch and set off on one of his mazey runs.  Unfortunately the referee spotted a Lions’ infringement and awarded Otley the penalty that was duly despatched to within 10 metres of the Lions’ line.  Quick line out ball allowed Simon Binns the time to line up a long drop goal attempt, but the kick was short of the mark. 

Back came Otley from the drop out, but the Lion’s defensive line held firm………that is until the ball was moved wide and as the Lion’s defence was stretched, full back Ian Shuttleworth took a long pass from Simon Binns to carve through the defence and beat Cliff Richards for an excellent try.  The normally reliable Simon Binns managed to hit the post with the simple conversion. 

When Lions were penalised at the next line out, up stepped Binns again, but again he was uncharacteristically off target as his 35 metres kick drifted wide.  Now it was Lions’ turn to show that they too could play attacking Rugby.  Again it was that man Steve Smith who started things with a typical bullocking run, but when the ball was swung wide, Fa’atoto Moananu knocked on in the centre.   

An excellent long clearance kick by Cliff Richards looked to have gained Lions valuable ground, but the touch judge earned the wrath of the Shed by indicating that the ball had drifted out much earlier than they had thought.  A period of fairly meaningless kicking tennis followed, until Phil Reed’s kick went out on the full to give Otley the line out on half way.  A long Simon Binns’ kick to the corner looked to have made valuable ground, but the ball bounced away from the touch line to roll harmlessly over the Lions’ line and they were able to touch down for a drop out.

When Otley tried another forward drive up the middle, another turnover allowed quick hands by lions to give Tom Walsh some room on the left.  Again the chip over the full back was good, again Tom appeared to be impeded as he followed up his kick, but again the referee saw nothing wrong and Otley were able to clear. 

Lions were now enjoying a period of supremacy, and good linking play by forwards and backs almost saw Craig Jones sneak in at the corner as he used Eddie Saunders as a foil.  Otley were penalised as they tried to stem the attack, and Richard Davies tapped the penalty into the corner.  A good take and drive by the Lions’ pack saw another penalty, and again Richard Davies tapped to the corner.  Chris Jones took a lovely catch and Tim Collier peeled round but was held up just short.  Lions were then penalised for speaking out of turn when they lost the ball driving into a maul, and Otley were able to clear.   

More sleight of hand by Lions in a tight situation saw Cliff Richards burst clear.  Again he seemed to be impeded as he followed up his chip kick, but the referee decided that there was nothing amiss with the challenge.   

Back came Lions, and when Otley were caught offside, up stepped Cliff Richards to strike a sweet penalty from 45 metres as the referee brought the half to a close. 

Half time 

Lions    17            Otley            8

Richard Davies started the second half teeing up the ball on a good old-fashioned pile of sand……none of this traffic cone rubbish.  A long touch finder by Simon Binns resulted in a crooked throw by Lions at the ensuing line out.  A good drive from the base of the scrum then saw the ball spun wide for full back Ian Shuttleworth to loop round and claim the try in the corner.  Simon Binns’s conversion attempt from the touchline was just wide. 

Otley were now right back in the contest, and Lions’ cause was not helped as Tim Collier limped from the field.  He was replaced by Tim Stannard.  A lovely catch from a high kick and a jinking run by Cliff Richards lead the Lions’ reposte.  Craig Jones carried on the good work with a searching kick to the corner that was followed up by Eddie Saunders to force an attacking line out.  The take and drive were good, but a promising situation was spoiled by a knock on. 

A long kick by Otley soon saw them up the other end of the field, and as their forwards drove in, Lions seemed to be awarded the penalty, but the referee promptly reversed it for some reason.  Steve Smith was not amused and earned a stern rebuke from the referee for pointing out the error of his ways.  Simon Binns gratefully converted the 3 points to leave Lions clinging on to a 1 point lead.   

The extended lead was short lived.  Pig took a superb catch under pressure, but the ball was spilled in the ensuing melee.  When Lions were penalised for going into the ruck from the side, up stepped Simon Binns to plant his kick firmly between the posts. 

A long kick by Richard Davis eluded an Otley player as he tried to trap the ball “footy” style, and the ball went into touch for a Lions line out.  A good catch saw Lions driving in, but Pig was penalised for illegal use of the boot in a ruck and Otley cleared the danger.  The referee earned the wrath of the Lions’ faithful as he awarded a string of penalties to Otley.  However, just as they were establishing base camp for an assault on the Lions’ line, the referee proved that he had not lost the use of his other arm as he awarded a penalty to Lions, prompting ironic cheers from the Lions’ crowd.  Cliff Richards duly accepted the invitation and converted the penalty from 35 metres to extend Lions’ slender lead. 

A brilliant catch by Chris Jones from the kick off almost had him bursting clear.  More cheers greeted another penalty to Lions that Richard Davies hammered to the corner.  Chris Jones was again to the fore with a majestic take at the line out, but again a promising position was lost as Lions knocked on. 

Otley worked their way back upfield, and when the ball was moved wide, the Lions’ cover was up to the task as they smothered the attack at the expense of a line out to Otley.  Lions disrupted the line out sufficiently to gain the put in at the scrum, but suddenly Lions looked vulnerable in the set piece as Otley pushed them back to gain the put in.  A converted try would give Otley the lead, but Lions’ tackling was hard and true.   

Then followed a series of scrums too near the Lions’ line for comfort, but each push was repulsed by a determined Lions.  The pressure was eventually relieved as Otley were penalised to popular acclaim from the home fans.  Otley were quickly back on the attack, but they knocked on as they moved the ball wide.  Another terrific burst from Steve Smith from the base of the scrum saw him almost get his pass around a swarm of tacklers to the support.  However, the ball was knocked down by an Otley player, but the referee awarded a knock on against Steve.  Justice prevailed in the end as Otley knocked on at the resultant scrum. 

Otley were now desperate for the winning score, and time after time they drove into the Lions defence.  But Lions were equally determined as they withstood everything that was thrown at them.  What scraps of possession did come there way was wasted with some poorly placed kicks that allowed Otley to drive the ball back in.  When Lions were penalised, Otley went for broke as they kicked to the corner.  The line out was good and several times they looked to have breached the thin red line, but each time they were knocked back by superb defence from Lions. 

With the clock ticking down, an Otley knock on looked to have relieved the pressure, but a big push from Otley at the resultant scrum secured the put in for them.  Again they drove in hard, but the shrill blast of the referee’s whistle signalled a penalty to Lions, and as Richard Davies put the ball into touch, the referee’s whistle went for full time to signal a hard earned but well deserved win for Lions. 

Final result: 

Lions    25            Otley            19

This was a gutsy performance from Lions that again showed improvements from previous weeks.  The win was built on solid defence, but the attack looked much sharper and could have had more tries with a little more luck.  The penalty count was well down and no yellow cards were seen. 

Despite other teams at the foot of the table winning, this win lifts Lions away from the bottom two, and heading in the right direction.  Lions now have 2 weeks before the next crucial game at Bracknell.  With them losing today they are now a point below Lions, so this game becomes an “eight pointer”.  Lions can take heart from their recent performances, and with the eagerly anticipated return of Jacques Steyne to the ranks, they should view the game with confidence.  We all remember the narrow defeat at Bracknell last season………a reversal in 2 weeks time would set Lions up nicely for the new year.  Come on boys……we owe them one.

Steve Smith

Lions team

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On the face of it Otley’s home win against Bedford last weekend was surprising with the east midland club previously in fourth place behind Exeter and Otley only in mid table. However, an examination of Bedford’s away record shows that they are in fact still looking for their first away win whereas Otley already have two.  

Otley and Rugby have played each other thirteen times in total with Rugby winning seven, Otley five, with one game drawn but, though the games divide evenly between home and away Otley have never yet won at Webb Ellis Road. In league meetings Otley have won two out of eight with one drawn.  

This season Otley’s away victims have been Bracknell and Moseley, but they in turn fell victim to Birmingham, Coventry, Rotherham and Wakefield. At home, while beating Henley and London Welsh in addition to Bedford, they have lost to Manchester and Worcester. 

This game is now very much a `must win´ one but with a necessarily very low Lions’ penalty count. Otley’s kicker, Simon Binns is currently top of the division’s points scoring table!!  

A Christmas present for the supporters?  How about a few more tries guys!