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Battling Bosworth outgunned as ‘Field march on.

Powergen Midlands 2 East

MANSFIELD  30   MARKET BOSWORTH  0 

This was billed as one of the pivotal promotion clashes of the season with a close score line anticipated  but the Mansfield ‘mean machine’ defence posted another clean sheet and having won the forward battle five backs registered as scorers to demonstrate this season’s new found attacking prowess.

Big spending Bosworth came with a reputation for high scoring this season but their flying backs found themselves enveloped in Mansfield’s cover defence and forced to prove their tackling abilities. Once again Mansfield were hit by an early injury with Taylor out of the game after just four minutes but settling early discomfort at the set scrum and re-adjusting their line out options they forced the visiting pack into a series of indiscretions and laid down the platform for victory.

In a frenzied opening Stringfellow drove back the kick off, Robinson claimed a mark under pressure and twice Roberts charged through the middle before getting treatment for a blood injury. Replacement Newton was soon taking a more permanent hand in proceedings as Taylor peeling away from the scrum suffered knee damage.

Williams was twice at the end of moves as Stringfellow, Roberts and Kirk committed the forwards and Robinson and Rushby opened out through the centre. Storey outpaced four men but just failed to find Robinson with his reverse pass before Bosworth mounted their first real pressure. Superb, disciplined defence kept out three set piece attacking moves before Newton and Holmes forced play out of the 22.

With Lindsay controlling the line out and solid Mansfield rolling mauls Arnold, Wilson and Newton all threatened. Fly half Wilson drilled a 60 metre diagonal kick and Buck following up harried the Bosworth defence into errors before being held up over the line. Mansfield’s attempted push over from 5 metres was stopped on the line at the expense of a penalty allowing Robinson to open the scoring on 25 minutes.

Another Wilson probing kick turned the Bosworth back line and Rushby’s persistence made the opening for a backs move and Storey going over in the corner. He was adjudged not to have cleanly grounded but the visitors’ relief was short lived. Rushby rose to block the 22 drop out, Newton was first to the loose ball and having committed the defence found Rushby with the perfect angle to scorch through for the first try.

Determined to maintain the initiative the Gailys Garments Man of the Match Roberts stamped his authority with a series of pick ups at eight and clever runs round the front of the line out. His direct running opened up space for Buck who fed Wilson, the ball went through Jones to Arnold who shrugged off three tacklers and outpaced two more for try number two.

First half stoppage time saw Jones and Holmes putting in crunching tackles before Robinson and Rushby combined to halt a seemingly certain try under the posts. The importance of that was reinforced just two minutes into the second period as the Mansfield pack marshalled by skipper Kirk used Lindsay and Stringfellow to take play to within five metres. Roberts and Newbould were held but the mercurial Buck dived through for a classic scrum half try. Robinson’s conversion saw Mansfield twenty points ahead but despite losing a man to the sin bin for ten minutes Bosworth lifted their game and again Mansfield’s defence showed its mettle.

Newbould and Lindsay both forced turnovers, Arnold was held across the try line but shoved off their own put in Bosworth again conceded a penalty and Robinson added to the lead. Davies demonstrated versatility as a temporary flanker before replacing Buck at scrum half and developing two blindside moves. Karl Robinson replaced Williams and his fresh legs took him among the Bosworth centres to snuff out any threat to Mansfield’s clean sheet.

Just to put the icing on the cake an eightieth minute line out saw Kirk’s pin point throw controlled by Lindsay to Buck and quick ball flow down the three quarters for Storey to collect on the 10 metre line and race 40 metres past three despairing tackles. Robinson landing a difficult conversion completed the scoring and a comprehensive win against one of the division’s best sides.

Mansfield make a trip to Syston on Saturday, a 2.15 kick off on a ground where last year’s win was a rarity. It must be repeated if Mansfield is to keep the pressure on South Leicester at the top of the table. Too often after notable wins Mansfield have allowed standards to drop but Syston, in the top half after a 27-7 away win last weekend, is just the type of side to capitalise on anything below par.

 

 

 

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