Cup triumph brings sparkle to Mansfield’s season.
Nottinghamshire Senior Cup
MANSFIELD 27 NOTTINGHAM MODERNS 3
After battling their way through the rigours of Midlands One rugby with little success but many plaudits Mansfield rounded off their season with silverware to grace Eakring Road for another year. The victory stretched their County Cup record to seven consecutive wins and their twelfth in the history of the competition. Chairman Andy Foster mused on ‘the perfect end to an imperfect season’ after congratulating Coach John Tasker and his squad on their record breaking feat and spirited performances throughout.
Anyone with fears of an upset and reaction to the long hard season had them dispelled within two minutes. Mansfield kicked off into a very strong wind and recovered the ball immediately. Holmes, Stringfellow and Drury forced play into the 22 winning a penalty. Lindsay took the resulting line ball and the Blue and Whites edged closer. Another line out and Pritchard was first catching then involved in a Herculean drive which splintered the Moderns defence for Kirk to dive for the opening try.
Rutter’s conversion into the gale cruelly cannoned back off the upright and the Wilford side used the elements with long kicks to turn the tide of Mansfield pressure. Buchanan picked and drove from number eight, Smedley ghosted past four men where no gap seemed to exist and Rushby occupied three defenders with his attempted pass just failing to release Jones.
A seventh minute penalty brought Moderns back within a score but try as they may they could not sustain real pressure on Mansfield. Arnold left the ground shuddering after a tackle and turned the ball over to Mansfield who saw a 60 metre run hinting Storey is fit again and approaching his best form. He had a try disallowed for a forward pass as Moderns found their scrum in disarray and Pritchard supplying a stream of line out ball.
Holmes led one drive and the combination of Stringfellow, Arnold and Kirk threatened down the blindside. Rushby and Waterhouse capitalised on a Moderns fumble, another forward pass halted Holmes before Drury drove the opposition off their ball and set up Robinson for run through the middle. Buchanan proved strongest emerging from a maul and his drive ended with a penalty award and Rutter restoring the five point advantage.
The skipper launched Mansfield back on the offensive cutting through the heart of Modern’s midfield like a knife through butter, only a fumble as the support raced to join him preventing a comfortable interval lead.
That had to wait until the fiftieth minute and ten torrid minutes for the Moderns pack. Waterhouse and Rutter linked to run from deep, Storey again was forced into touch and Smedley broke with Stringfellow, Holmes and Lindsay powerful in support. Twice Mansfield turned the opposition scrum before controlling their own ball through Buchanan, Lindsay and then Smedley whose quick service to Rutter saw the skipper find a gap and accelerate to cross between the posts.
Coach John Tasker brought fresh legs to maintain the impetus, Newbould relishing the chance to run at the Moderns defence and Taylor first tackling a threatening move to a standstill then linking with Smedley and Storey in attack. Mansfield pushed Moderns off their own ball but as the scrum turned and headed for the try line a forward pass again ruled out a score.
Waterhouse flighted the ball down the touchline and Pritchard chased to force a five metre scrum. In a sensational passage of play Mansfield nearly succeeded with a push over try but lost control and Moderns ran from behind their own line. It took the chasing Mansfield defenders fully ninety metres to prevent a try and then contain the line out drive.
Rushby’s run from deep had the Blue and Whites back in control and with ten minutes remaining Pritchard’s instant ball off the top to Kirk saw their backs released and Jones unstoppable from fifteen metres out. The simple conversion and 22-3 lead meant the Cup was going back on the shelf it had occupied for the past six years, next to the Stag and Swan Cup awarded whenever these two clubs lock antlers and beaks.
Pike moved seamlessly into the second row and maintained the flow of quality lineout service, Williams was nearly in for a try with his first touch of the game and Harrison showed he had arrived with two recoveries of loose ball. As if to bookend the afternoon’s proceedings the last two minutes saw Mansfield attacking strongly. When the ball reached Williams he chipped, chased, competed for the high bouncing ball and ensured he was first to it as it crossed the try line. Rutter’s difficult conversion bounced down off the post but his side had earned their 27-3 win and accomplished their mission.
As the team celebrated with the clubs successful Under 15’s squad who accompanied them to the Cup Final the talk was not of the summer break but of the preparations for defence of the cup, the lessons learnt in Midlands One and campaign for the Championship of an increasingly competitive league. The club will be making additions to the squad of this year with some new faces and an exciting crop emerging from the Junior section. Late August and the resumption of fixtures seemed just around the corner.
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