Rugby extended their winning run to three with this deserved win against a Westoe side with a strong pack. Lions established a good early lead only to see Westoe race ahead. Finally, the Lions’ greater creativity and the quality of their bench proved decisive.

After Westoe dominated early play, Lions opened the scoring though Lloyd Warner’s penalty.

Then a Beau Carney run sent Tom Harris away for a fine try including a jink to get past each of the last two defenders by the touchline. Warner’s conversion gave Rugby a welcome 10-0 lead with only 12 minutes played.

The Westoe pack are well known as the cornerstone of their side and they proved adept at driving into the Lions defence but also at holding on to hurried offloads to keep an attack going.

This brought them a series of three tries in 10 minutes with stand-in kicker David Haswell converting two for a 10-19 scoreline that could have had Lions reeling.

Rugby will have felt hard done by as the officials missed successive Westoe knock-ons that greatly helped their cause.

Westoe looked capable of another try before half time which would have surely been decisive. But they did not get their penalty far enough up the pitch to maul for the line and in any case Alex Nash stole the lineout throw.

Just before the interval, Matt Goode launched into one of his characteristic runs and found Nash at his shoulder to score a try, Warner adding the extras for a much more reasonable half-time score for Lions of 17-19.

In the second half, Rugby were more determined to keep the ball in hand and move through the phases.

Rugby showed good handling from Carney and Joe Marston to send in Harris for his second try, Warner converting from wide out to take Lions ahead by 24-19 with 48 minutes played.

Lions backchat moved a penalty 10 metres forward and into range for Westoe to cut the deficit to 24-22.

But Lions had a very strong bench full of regular starters and this proved very significant.

Westoe also made life impossible for themselves by having two players sinbinned within a minute of each other.

Lions needed to take advantage but after Warner’s penalty it took until the imminent return of both visiting players before the important try was scored.

Rugby were battering at the Westoe tryline until finally the ball reached Goode and he sliced through to touch down.

Warner’s conversion ended the scoring.

Westoe mounted a bruising last attack that saw Lions, certain of the win given the little time remaining, still fully committed to keeping their line intact.

The ball was cleared but the game ended with a bout of fighting that probably didn’t need such a long time to be sorted out given the whistle then followed the referee’s extended talking to the relevant players.

Rugby Lions: Warner, Marston, Goode, Green, Harris, Andrews, Parker, Williams, Spokes, Pateman, Munro, Weaver, Saunders, Carney, Nash. Reps: Price, Warrilow, Walton, Reed, Barker