Records tumble amongst farewells
Nottinghamshire Cup Final
MANSFIELD 18 NOTTM. MODERNS 7
Mansfield bade farewell to two great stalwarts of recent First Team years but despite a below par performance ensured the farewells did not include the County Cup leaving Eakring Road. An emotional day saw Coach John Tasker and Captain Brad Rutter both stepping down from their positions, though both will remain with the club. In tandem over the past seven years they had seen the Midlands 2 East Championship landed, an NLD Cup win and on Sunday Mansfield stretch their unbeaten cup winning run to eight years from 1998 to 2006, Brad Rutter an ever-present in those eight finals.
The dank day and constant drizzle throughout dampened spirits and contributed to handling errors that littered proceedings but despite conditions Moderns began brightly and looked for an expansive running game. Indeed the opening quarter was one of Mansfield marshalling their defence to counter well angled runs from deep and a desire to bring the wingers into play at every opportunity. Holmes, Jones and Taylor had to make last ditch tackles in the middle of the park and having been caught offside Mansfield were relieved to see an early penalty slide wide of the posts.
Mansfield’s response was mainly through the probing kicks of Rutter as he lofted high balls turned back by Taylor and Stringfellow to allow Wayne Robinson and Arnold runs at the visitors defence. After early parity Mansfield’s pack began to turn the screw and Drury and Karl Robinson found time away from the set pieces to emerge from ruck and maul in possession.
Increasingly Ashley was emerging from the back of the scrum in tandem with Smedley and both Jones and Wills beat men to take Mansfield forward. These were intermissions; however, as Moderns continued to threaten every time they had ball in hand. On fifteen minutes another move took the ball wide to the right wing and having outstripped the defence a run in under the posts for a converted try.
Mansfield maintained a stream of possession through Pritchard and Taylor on the end of Kirk’s line out throws and also took three of the opposition’s ball. However, all too often the ball was slipping through hands or squirting away in the loose. Moving into the final five minutes of the half the game swung dramatically away from Moderns with twists so common in sport.
Under pressure Mansfield conceded another relatively easy penalty close to their posts. The kick went wide and Rutter’s 22 drop out hung in the air until Pritchard plucked it and set a drive up with the Mansfield pack on hand as a unit. That carried play to half way and a Modern’s scrum. The first scrum half to react to the heel was Smedley and he was only stopped by an infringement. Robinson moved play up the touchline but when the ball reached Rutter with a wall of defenders in front of him there seemed little danger.
His Garryowen saw two defenders moving for the same ball. Hesitation, but not from the mercurial Wills who ghosted between them to collect and arc round to the try line. What could so easily have been a thirteen point’s half time lead for Moderns was in fact 7-5 and Mansfield buoyed to step up their game for the final forty minutes of their season.
It was a different set of Blue and White shirts that tore into the start of the half. Storey and Wills tested and Holmes tackles prevented the ball from being cleared. As Mansfield rolled forward penalties for pulling down ensued. Jones went spinning through, Arnold collected a chip from Rutter, Moderns scrum was turned through ninety degrees and Kirk and Ashley broke clear. Ten intense minutes and Rutter had a penalty on the 22, Mansfield had an 8-7 lead and despite enormous effort by Moderns they were not to be headed again.
Still having to cover the adventure from the visitors back line Mansfield’s defence looked solid. Robinson drilled a series of kicks back downfield and Mansfield’s backs sped in behind them to hurry the defenders into scrambled clearances. Still using the power in the pack and clean line ball Moderns were becoming more desperate to try to break clear. As play moved into the final quarter another passing move went left across field. Mansfield’s cover defence moved with the ball and forced Moderns back before an attempt to float a pass to the winger was read by Storey who accelerated forty metres to the posts.
Rutter secured the extra two points and after a double change brought Davies on for Smedley and Hooper for Holmes the skipper added a penalty and Mansfield had an eleven point cushion. Both the new men and fresh legs were needed in the final ten minutes as Moderns threw everything at the Mansfield line. Hopper, Jones and Ashley somehow contrived to hold out two thrusts for the line and Davies scrambled like a fourth back row to get Mansfield out of their 22.
The long blast on referee Alex Murphy’s whistle signalled the extension of a remarkable run of eight consecutive County Cup victories, Mansfield becoming the club with most wins in the competition, making it thirteen in total, and the end of an era. ‘Moderns pushed us all the way’ was John Tasker’s comment. ‘I asked for something special for those final forty minutes and the boys responded as they have so many times before to clinch the victory and send Brad and me off on a high.’
Mansfield will unveil their Senior Coaching staff for next season in the next month as Tasker moves his expertise into the Junior ranks. He will be looking for the next generation of home grown talent while Brad Rutter will remain as a player and specialist coach with the club sides. A fitting finale for both the boys and in best Mansfield tradition they will both still be around helping the club move forward.
CLICK FOR ALL THE OTHER MIDLANDS 2 EAST RESULTS,
COURTESY OF RUGBY ROUND-UP
