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Powergen Midlands 2 East

BANBURY BULLS 10   MANSFIELD  20 

Mansfield’s challenge for promotion remained on track on Saturday despite appearing to have been seriously derailed at Old Laurentians ground. The side, which lacked the sparkle and sharpness of previous weeks, also lacked influential number eight David Roberts for three quarters of the game. Remarkably Mansfield not only contrived to defend against the rampaging Bulls but also scored 17 points while playing with fourteen men.

Mansfield started brightly, with an Ashley tackle recovering the kick off, Davies jinking down the blindside and Pritchard stealing the first Banbury line out before the home scrum buckled under pressure. The Bulls were gaining ball from a series of turnovers and Mansfield spilling the ball going forward. Draycott had to be swift to cross the field and halt a break from deep and Robinson covered a well-placed chip through.

Picking up the pace in the loose Williams and Head carried play over half way with Taylor in support. Mansfield took the line ball through Pike and Roberts’s drive could only be halted illegally. Banbury failed to retreat the mandatory ten metres and Robinson converted the penalty.

The lead was short-lived and within two minutes Mansfield was caught offside allowing a penalty to level the scores. Defending the restart Mansfield were awarded a scrum where the abrasive Banbury scrum half was pulled up for interfering at the scrum before wrestling Davies to the ground. Another Draycott run brought Mansfield back into the home territory, he was stopped by a high tackle and the resulting penalty gave an attacking platform ten metres out.

As play broke up and spread to the right two players landed blows on Roberts who foolishly retaliated against the opposition scrum half. The referee who hadn’t seen the incident did see the outcome and an agitated home touch judge involving himself in mid pitch. After moments to cool matters down the red card was shown to Roberts, surprisingly no other players disciplined, and Mansfield began a long uphill battle.

They kept pressure through their line out dominance but failed with two penalties before showing that their well-disciplined cover defence could starve the space an extra man might have exploited. More penalties flowed from off sides and diving over allowing Robinson to peg Banbury back and twice drives took Pike and Rushby close. Finally with second of the half remaining Mansfield forwards rolled away from a line out, joined by Davies, Rutter and Jones from the centre they forced their way across the line and controlling the ball to the back of the maul Williams forced the ball down. Robinson made no mistake with the conversion and Mansfield went into half time to regroup 10 – 3 ahead.

If Mansfield had any thoughts of hanging on they were dispelled by Taylor’s aggressive run to return the kick off. Surprisingly despite a man advantage the Bulls three quarters were choosing to kick ahead and Storey and Robinson had to be quick on the turn to cover. Rutter was pegging Banbury back behind turn over winning tackles from Jones and Ashley and Rushby was harrying ball carriers to keep up the pressure.

The spectators were anticipating the time at which Mansfield would run out of steam and their views were reinforced on fifty minutes when Banbury forced their way over wide out, with a well-struck conversion levelling the scores. The Bull’s failure to win any clean line ball, thanks to the tireless work of Taylor and Pritchard, meant that Rutter, Jones, Ashley and the newly introduced Newbold were able to peg the home side back. Two more penalties were inches from regaining the lead for the Blue and Whites before more sensation to enliven the afternoon.

After his earlier significant intervention the Banbury touch judge found his constant verbal and physical interruptions too much for the referee and he was dismissed. When the players retook centre stage Jones took play away from danger and Kirk marshalled his pack to roll into the 22 wide out on the right. The penalty awarded was more difficult than earlier chances but Rutter played his captain’s role to the full and ten minutes from time Mansfield were in front for the third time in the game.

Arnold came on for Pike and, following up a penalty off the next move that came back off a post, pressurised defenders into errors. Failing to clear their lines Storey was put into possession fifteen yards out. Banbury were convinced they had him covered but speed took him past the first line of defence, skill between two more and sheer determination across the try line. That put Mansfield two scores clear, Rutter’s touchline conversion added icing to the cake. 

Probably the least satisfactory game as a spectacle this season and the implications of a ban for Roberts are yet to be seen but make no mistake this side believes in itself and pulled out all the stops to pick up the points and stay as title favourites. This weekend a local derby at Ilkeston has to be negotiated, on the back of the Elks win at Northampton.

 

 

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