Double celebration for Mansfield
Powergen Midlands 2 East &
Notts Cup Quarter Final
MANSFIELD 27 PAVIORS 3
It was a case of doubles all round at Eakring Road on Saturday night. In their most crucial game of the season Mansfield mixed forward power, flair in the backs and great self discipline to pull off the victory. The two league points secured ensured mathematical certainty against any relegation fears and cemented them in fifth place in the table. After the win at Burnt Stump in September it gave them the double over Pavs and it also gave them passage to the semi-final of the County Cup they are trying to secure for an eighth consecutive season.
With a bright day and perfect under foot conditions, great testimony to the Mansfield ground staff, both sides began with pace, verve and commitment to match. In the first five minutes both sides thought they were away to open the scoring, only for forward passes to halt their moves. Kirk proved a penetrative ball carrier and Jones and Wills combined to open up the heart of the visiting defence. Robinson joined the line from full back to create the space for Storey to make thirty metres before being forced into touch.
The long clearance failed to find touch and again Mansfield posted the intentions of running at the Paviors defence. This time the Robinson, Jones, Wills axis released Arnold and the pile up of bodies preventing Mansfield second phase ball gave skipper Rutter the penalty to open the scoring. With Newbould secure under the kick off Rutter put play back into the Paviors 22 and Mansfield again went forward through Ashley and Homes. Newton twice appeared as the Blue and Whites kept the ball alive running through five passages of play with Arnold switching the angle of play.
Smedley then released the winger in the blindside channel from a scrum and Jones took Mansfield to the 22. A knock on gave Paviors the chance of a relieving scrum but they were unceremoniously shunted back and ceded the put in to the home eight. A series of drives and scrums, two from 5 metres saw the visitors increasingly desperate to break away quickly but having done so they left just enough of a gap for the evergreen Ashley to emerge from eight and force his way over for the first try.
Ten nil after a breathless opening quarter Mansfield found it was their turn to defend as Paviors looked to bring their backs and back row onto the offensive. Mansfield marshalled their tacklers, none more prominent than Jones whose tackles stopped moves at source and who made telling breaks all afternoon. That performance earned him the AIPS Man of the Match accolade but it was a hard choice with all the Mansfield squad responding to the importance of the afternoon.
Two penalties gave Paviors a platform in the home 22 and a further award for holding on saw them put themselves on the scoreboard. With the kick off knocked on they couldn’t build on their score and it was Mansfield again dictating the game. A high ball was safely caught by Kirk who pirouetted away sweeping down field with his pack. Wills showed he too could make the important tackles and Storey went close after slick three quarter play.
Both Lindsay and Pritchard were supplying clean lineout ball and with Smedley varying play between back row links and quick ball for Rutter and the backs Paviors defence found themselves in some dubious positions to halt progress. With five minutes to the break the prevention of passage of the ball allowed Rutter to add another three points.
Fumbles meant Mansfield could not add to their tally and a half that had raced by ended 13-3 and the game very much in the balance. The second period opened with a kick straight into touch and Mansfield used the scrum to mount ten minutes of pressure. Solid driving and Rutter’s probing kicks meant Paviors had to build from deep. Karl Robinson broke through a brace of tacklers Pritchard and Lindsay both made progress before setting up the rolling maul. With the game becoming more and more tempestuous and Paviors defence more desperate they collected the first of two yellow cards. It was to their credit that they survived the ten minutes without the scoreboard moving. Three times Mansfield attacks saw the ball intercepted and a Jones pile driver tackle took out not only his opposite number but the referee as well. Indeed despite the man advantage Mansfield found they had to defend. Another dismissal looked likely after a cynical late tackle on Rutter long after the ball had left his boot but Paviors escaped that and two later hits well after the ball had gone.
Back at full strength Lindsay soared to send Mansfield forward again, Wills angled a kick diagonally deep in Pavs 22 and after a knock on Mansfield had a scrum. The back row move stuttered but Pritchard and Kirk kept the ball alive and occupied the defenders deep on the right. Great presentation and the ball was spinning down the three quarters, out left and Arnold had the speed and power to go in at the corner.
The touchline conversion stretched Mansfield to a 20-3 lead and again Paviors did themselves no favours with another sin binning straight after. Stringfellow replaced Ashley and announced his arrival with a big tackle before Arnold, Wills and Storey tried to capitalise on Arnold’s thirty metre run. The Robinson Brothers combined to run the ball out of the 22 before Harrison came on for the limping Lindsay and was straight to a breakdown. Pressure came through the centre with Rutter and Smedley in combination before Arnold breached the gap and fed Holmes who raced in under the posts. The extra two points gave Rutter a round dozen for the day Mansfield comfort for the closing minutes and replacement Bacon time for two mazy runs.
The delight at the final whistle was palpable, ‘We needed to bounce back after the last three week’s disappointments, I asked the boys to do just that and they delivered’ beamed Coach John Tasker. Still on course in the Cup, secure in the league Mansfield face a daunting three weeks away from Eakring Road now with Derby, Scunthorpe and this weekend table topping South Leicester providing the stiffest of trips.
Mansfield II v Paviors – Away
Game Cancelled Due To Icy Pitch
Mansfield III v Paviors III – Home
Mansfield played an equally strong Paviors outfit but came out losing 12-19. Both sides battled for possession but it was the Paviors pack that got the upper hand. Paviors got the first points on the board early on with a driving maul to take them 5-0 up. Mansfield’s resilience showed though with a follow up try from F. Hawson after he ran half of the park through the entire Paviors team. All other Mansfield’s points came from the boot of Marson. Mansfield had the better of the second half, camping out for long periods on the oppositions line. It was only through lack of concentration on Mansfields’ behalf that saw Paviors sneak the win by scoring two quick tries right at the end of the game. Mansfield’s man of the match was scrum half F. Hawson with a commanding performance at the back of the pack.
Mansfield IV v
Game Cancelled Due To Icy Pitch
Mansfield V v
Game Cancelled Due To Icy Pitch
CLICK FOR ALL THE OTHER MIDLANDS 2 EAST RESULTS,
COURTESY OF RUGBY ROUND-UP
