It was a long time coming, but was it worth waiting for?  You bet your sweet **** it was!!  Lions came back from a 24 – 5 half time deficit to record a stunning victory against a Doncaster side brimming with promotion expectations.  Chuckle muscles that almost withered through lack of use last season were working overtime today as the faithful Lions’ supporters found it difficult to wipe the smiles from their faces as they celebrated a famous win. 

In a hectic opening spell, Sam Stoop had to pull off a try saving tackle to prevent a Doncaster score, whilst at the other end a Chris Jones break suffered from lack of support with a score beckoning. 

Following a missed Doncaster penalty, Lions could have had 2 more scores on the board in quick succession.  First good lineout work made room in the corner, but the scoring pass was ruled forward.  Then a Jon Boden loop and a perfectly timed inside pass out of the tackle saw Gareth Collins tearing for the line, only to be stopped by a despairing ankle tap. 

Lions were certainly edging the early exchanges, but Doncaster soon showed how dangerous they could be as Rob Liley sliced through, but Jon Boden had spotted the danger and pulled of a superb cover tackle.  Now it was Lions’ turn to be under pressure as the Doncaster pack drove over the line, but failed to ground the ball. 

The pressure was really starting to build against Lions, but solid tackling prevented a score.  Then after half an hour, a scrum under the Lions’ posts saw Rob Liley deliver a pop pass to the charging James Mortimer.  This guy, playing in the centre, is built like the proverbial brick edifice, and proved unstoppable as he crossed by the posts.  Rob Liley added the simple conversion.  ( 7 – 5 ) 

It was now all Doncaster, and incessant pressure finally cracked Lions’ resilient defence as Nick Wakley crossed in the corner following good work by his forwards.  Rob Liley added an excellent touchline conversion.  ( 14 – 5 ) 

Worse was to come for Lions, as Jon Boden halted the next Doncaster attack with a high tackle on their diminutive full back, and promptly received a yellow card for his misdemeanour.  Doncaster immediately took advantage of their numerical superiority as their forwards drove wing Richard Briggs over for their third try.  The ever-reliable Rob Liley tagged on the conversion for good measure.  ( 21 – 5 ) 

With Lions looking for the half time whistle, that man Rob Liley belted over a 40 metres penalty with the aid of the stiff breeze. 

Half time 

Doncaster         24         Lions    5 

The signs just before half time were looking ominous for Lions, but at least they now had the advantage of the stiff breeze behind them.  With just a few minutes played, Phil Greenbury replaced Simon Black at prop.    Lions looked to have shaken off the lethargy that overtook them in the first half, and a loop move in the backs almost had Sam Stoop away.  Lions were awarded a penalty, and Jon Boden, fresh from his rest in the bin, put the ball to the corner.  A good Chris Jones take with a solid drive brought another penalty, and this time Jon Boden’s trusty boot added 3 more points to the Lions’ total.  ( 24 – 8 )  Unfortunately, Doncaster’s brick edifice was hurt stopping an Alex Taylor charge and was carried off on a stretcher with what looked like a serious ankle injury.  John “Sumo” Ellis replaced him in the centre, and soon made his presence felt with a couple of bullocking runs.
	Roberts to Collins
	Collins - wot no dive!!

Lions were using the wind to good advantage, keeping Doncaster on the back foot.  A Jon Boden high kick was well taken by Doncaster, but the catcher was isolated, and Lions were there in force to take possession.  Lions’ backs moved the ball left, and as the forwards secured good ball, it was swung back right to create the space for Gareth Collins to cross in the corner.  Jon Boden judged his touchline conversion to perfection.  ( 24 – 15 ) 

Ben Smith was replaced at flanker by debutant Doun du Preez, as Lions’ supporters were beginning to think that their team had a real shout in this game.  One more Lions’ score would make the situation very interesting!!  Unfortunately, the strong breeze had now dropped to almost nothing, but Lions weren’t going to let that affect them. 

Another Lions’ replacement, Lloyd Warner for Alex Taylor, preceded a scrappy passage of play (nothing to do with Lloyd’s introduction!!).  Jon Boden almost broke the deadlock with a well-placed high kick that almost brought a score.  However, Lions were awarded a penalty as Nick Wakley was yellow carded for killing the ball.  Jon Boden kept the Lions’ score ticking along with a well-struck penalty.  ( 24 – 18 ) 

Now life really was getting interesting!!  So interesting that Lions actually turned a Doncaster scrum to gain the put in……not something we’ve seen for a long time.  Pete Roberts burst through to be stopped inches short, but Lions were awarded yet another penalty as Doncaster desperately tried to stop the red tide.  Jon Boden’s simple penalty saw Lions trailing by 3 points with 5 minutes left.  ( 24 – 21 )

Lions now sensed that victory was in their grasp, but it just didn’t look as though the vital score would come.  First a clearance kick was charged down, but the ball bounced over the dead ball line.  Then Lions squandered a 3-man overlap as the Doncaster cover raced across. 

Jon Boden’s touchline conversion sailed through the posts as the referee blew for full time to seal a famous Lions’ victory.   

Final result: 

Doncaster         24         Lions    28

The whole Lions team

As seems to be the case these days, whenever the Lions slide down a division, they find some new opponents to face. For this season there are two, Doncaster and Sedgley Park. Though Rugby played a trial game against Sedgley Park a couple of seasons ago, Doncaster are entirely new.  

Those forecasters who had looked into the Dons’ shopping basket prior to the start of the season were tipping the Yorkshire team as possible promotion contenders, so Doncaster’s 16-6 defeat at Stourbridge last Saturday probably came as something of a surprise. In point of fact there was only one away win on the day, for Newbury at Esher, and that was only by a two-point margin. Their false start will of course only spur Rugby’s opponents for the next league game, to get their promotion chase back on the rails in front of their home crowd, and thereby provide the Lions with a tougher game than may have originally been anticipated. 

There were some good parts to the Lions losing game at Bracknell and the main problem areas were ones that had already been acknowledged. In view of the pack’s lack of weight the early injury to Steve Smith was something of a double whammy and probably swung the day in Bracknell’s favour. One definite positive to be drawn from the game is that 19 of Rugby’s squad have now played a game together “under fire”. 

In view of the foregoing considerations an end to the continuing run of Lions defeats is unlikely to come next weekend.  The game does, however, offer another opportunity to knit the team together and build confidence, so that the long sought after win can be gained in the Powergen Cup tie at Rugby on the following Saturday.

Directions

M18 J4, towards Doncaster
Left at second roundabout into Armthorpe
Right at the mini-roundabout in Armthorpe
Ground is 1 mile on your left.

(Approx 3 miles from motorway)