Rugby Lions - Match reports, 2003-04

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What a difference a week makes! After last week’s superb display in defeating league leaders Tynedale, Rugby Lions produced their worst performance of the season to go down heavily to third from bottom Fylde. The passion, commitment, and work rate shown last week were all sadly missing in this inept display.

It began well enough for the visitors when a break down the right from Toby Handley released Chris Murphy. He was brought down, but the ball was quickly spun down the line to Ade Hales. With his opposite number Royle declining to make the tackle, Ade drifted inside for an easy touch down. Hawken converted to increase the early lead. This was soon reduced when Royle skipped easily round Hales after Rugby had lost the first of many of their own lineouts. The conversion was missed to leave Rugby with a slender lead. Lion’s pack were being outplayed which led to a sustained period of pressure from the home and lead to them taking the lead through a penalty for a high tackle by Price.

A clearance kick from deep into Fylde’s 22 was allowed to bounce – a bad habit that Lion’s need to address – but Wilf Barclay (who had started the game in place of the injured Nash) managed to dive on the ball. He then expertly flipped it up to Turner who spun the ball wide left. Ade Hales could probably have scored himself, but he drew the defender and slipped the ball to Stuart Riding who touched down unopposed in the corner. This time the conversion was just short, but Lion’s were back in front at 12-8 with 22 minutes played. This was nearly increased a minute later when Sam Viggers burst through with a great hand-off and headed for the posts. He looked certain to score, but a last ditch tap tackle brought him down a metre short, and the ball was lost forward. Lion’s won a penalty at the scrum, and a quick tap and run by Brady was halted by Fylde defenders who were no more than five metres away, but the referee only awarded Rugby a scrum, and the chance was lost.

It was then Fylde who failed to take a clearance kick, but they had the luck as it bounced wickedly back straight into the arms of the retreating scrum half Newton. The ball then found Royle, and more poor tackling from Rugby allowed him to just about keep his feet and score by the posts. Nick Price then had to leave the field with an injury to be replaced by Sam Overton. Another penalty by Fylde increased their lead to 20-12, and after the home side had secured a lineout, Newton was allowed to run straight through paper-thin defence to score again. Near the end of the half, captain Toby Handley had to leave the field with a bad cut on the back of his head. Peter Glackin came on to play centre with Viggers moving to scrum half.

Half Time: - Fylde 25 Rugby Lions 12

The second half was much the same with Rugby being completely dominated up front and on-loan fly half Nutt controlling play for Fylde. An early penalty by him, and a try by hooker Holmes from a rolling maul increased the home side’s advantage to 35-12 and the game was safe.

Matt Goode then picked up an injury to be replaced by Tom Harris who went on to the right wing with Murphy moving to centre.

Lion’s stole a Fylde scrum on the home 22 and Harris popped up in the centre to streak through at great pace for an excellent try. Hawken missed the relatively simple conversion. Fylde had the last say, however when Newton popped over for his second try on the stroke of full time.

This was an awful performance from Rugby, who were totally lacking any desire and they deserved nothing from this game.

Man of the match

Stuart Riding

Match preview

by Dennis Keen

Fylde Preview

In the days of amateur Rugby Union football Fylde was, like Rugby, one of the senior English clubs and fixtures between the two date back to the 1961/62 season. In those days, before the advent of league competition, Fylde had the ascendancy and it was twelve seasons on before the Lions beat them at Lytham St Annes, and another fifteen before the Lions won a second game there. The one away win since then was in 1998/99, which was the two teams’ first encounter in league competition.

This season, although the Lancashire club is currently languishing third from bottom of the National 3 league table Rugby, in mid-table, is only seven points ahead of them. After the Lions splendid win against the previously unbeaten league leaders, Tynedale, it will not be easy for them to serve up the same class of game for two successive Saturdays, though that is what will be necessary for Rugby to move higher up the league table. The only thing missing last Saturday was the four tries with their attendant bonus point; second placed Leicester Lions now has five of them.

If the team can continue its three-match sequence of wins with a third on the road, the Fylde jinx will be exorcised.

Apropos of nothing, in the days of old-fashioned newspaper printing methods, when type was cast in a lead alloy, the name Fylde was a common mis-spelling by compositors putting together the sports pages. It would frequently occur with the Y and L transposed making ‘flyde’ instead, which sounds a bit like something off a Chinese restaurant menu.

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