Early storm blows Mansfield away
POWERGEN MIDLANDS 2 EAST
MANSFIELD 17 OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS 34
Two weeks inactivity and the lack of regular first team players in five positions came sharply into focus on Saturday as Mansfield began sluggishly and paid the price. The lessons of Octobers visit to their opponents, when three tries came from quick tap moves, seemed lost as a rapier like ON attack cut through the heart of their defence.
From the first booming clearance from Robinson the visitors utilised a quick throw before the lineout could be formed to open play out down their back line. A series of well angled and incisive runs moved play across field and Mansfield’s heavy legged defence was already showing signs of struggling. Twice Pike, returning to the second row, managed to wrestle ball clear in the tackle and a spark of flair saw Jones give Arnold the opening for a run deep into the 22. After a high, hanging up and under from Rutter caused a scramble Jones was back in the thick of the action charging down a clearing kick but Mansfield failed to capitalise.
A score then might have settled the side down and set up an intriguing contest. Instead the next twelve minutes saw 29 points conceded and the game well out of reach. Aided by a quick line out, following a spectator and the pitch side barrier coming in contact with the ball, ON moved the ball infield and through the centre. Woeful tackling saw three tackles broken and the simplest of passes for a try under the posts.
Within three minutes the quick tap penalty routine so devastating in the autumn was in use again and Mansfield were 12-0 adrift. Straight from the restart the ball was headed back towards the Mansfield posts and a penalty in front of the posts on the 22 was gratefully stroked over. Kicking duties then followed twice before the seventeenth minute was played as sound handling and adventurous back play swept over for tries three and four.
That should have been the signal for a rout and many sides in this division would have crumbled. Mansfield, however, began to find their match pace and rallied. Wills chased back to save an inevitable score, Smedley snuffed out back row moves twice. With the whole Mansfield defence entrenched on their line with Grant and Harrison made last ditch tackles. Another quirky decision saw Pike sin binned for an offence he was nowhere near, apparently because some Mansfield player had to go to the sin bin and with his height he is hard to miss! The fourteen men continued to cover and tackle, held players up over the try line and competed against the scrums and numerical advantage.
In situations like these a side needs a break; it didn’t happen for the Blue and Whites. Big tackles in the Mansfield 22 saw the ball spilled and Wills hacked clear. He drilled the ball the length of the field and into touch in goal. The race looked forlorn and from a distance, and the referee’s position, it seemed the defender just got to the ball first. Spectators and both players involved confirmed after the game that the mercurial centre had in fact got the first, finer tip, downward pressure. Seven points at that stage might have opened up a come back, but it was not until midway through the second half that Mansfield got points on the board.
Runs from winger Williams and back row thrusts from Ashley and Lindsay took Mansfield though to the interval without further damage and a Stringfellow, Will, Arnold sweep nearly made the most of well played advantage.
Whatever was said in the half time huddle stirred Mansfield. Straight away Arnold and Robinson were linking to drive holes through the visiting defence. Harrison took ball against the head and Pritchard and Pike secured line ball while Lindsay began to pressure the opposition ball. Another Arnold break and Smedley darting from the base of the scrum saw Mansfield exert territorial pressure. Kirk replaced the competitive running of Williams at prop before Ashley drove clear from a penalty. Pike’s safe hands gave the platform for a rolling maul from the 22 and Pritchard was there to guide the ball to ground for a well deserved try.
Five minutes later and it was the visitors turn to use the line out and drive routine to restore their lead to twenty nine but that signalled an end to their points for the day.
With tackling much improved and frustration under siege the yellow cards appeared for the visitors for some reckless play. Mansfield’s pack needed no second invitation and as a unit set up the second try, Ashley making it try number eight in the league this season and put him in the top ten list. With time running out the backs exploited their new found space. Arnold collected a chip through, held off two defenders and slipped the pass to the supporting Wills who stretched out under the posts.
A pleasing response from a side shell shocked early on. The quip of one supporter ‘we won the last hour 17-5’ found no favour with the Mansfield players or coaching staff who must ensure full blooded eighty minutes concerted effort to avoid drifting in the league.
Nowhere will that effort be needed more than at Newark on Saturday in what is bound to be a tension filled ‘derby game’. The Kelham Road side need points to ease relegation worries and a battling performance at leaders South Leicester last week shows they are ready to fight for their survival. After a twenty apiece draw at Eakring Road in early season everyone expects a tension filled afternoon
Mansfield III v Sheffield Tigers III – Home
Mansfield fielded a much changed side due to cancellations but managed to pull off a 10-5 win because of hearty defending. The shortages in the backs meant several forwards played in centre positions. This seemed to help the cause of the sound defending. Mansfield, to start with, also had the upper hand in the forward play taking the game to the Tigers, camping on their line for long periods. A penalty was soon awarded for their efforts. Tigers actually scored the first try of the game when a missed penalty kick rebounded off the upright straight into the arms of their No8 who had an easy touch down. This egged Mansfield on and from the restart positioned themselves in the Tigers 22 to set up a driving scrum which was pushed over for a score from, in form, Haynes and consequently converted by Marson.
The second half was a nil – nil affair but the roles turned and Mansfield had to defend rigourlessly to hold out the all out attack of the Tigers. The Mansfield defence held fast to the whistle. The man of the match went to R. Broadhurst whose defence was solid throughout the game even though he played out of position at inside centre.
Mansfield V v Ashfield ‘A’ - Away
The young Mansfield team could not create any of their usual magic when they came up against an experienced and large combined Ashfield 'A' team losing 31-13 away. Mansfield started well and went 6 points in front from a Marshall penalty and a great Tim Gibbons drop goal but the juggernaut pack of Ashfield and their experienced backs soon overpowered the Mansfield youngsters and they ran in 4 trys, 2 of which were converted, up to half-time. After the break and 18 points adrift, the never say die attitude of Mansfield was evident and shear hard work from the youngsters produced a try for back row forward Pete Wright, converted by Darren Marshall. On the whole experience told and Ashfield produced another converted try in the last minutes of the game. Another fine team effort from Mansfield with outstanding individual performances from flyhalf Steve Bonser and No8 Danny Bonser
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