Familiar failings spoil improved performance
Midlands 2 East
HINCKLEY 42 MANSFIELD 12
Mansfield’s dismal start to the season continued on Saturday with defeat at Hinckley presented to the home side. Another poor start meant an afternoon of catch up rugby and ten second-half minutes of poor tackling and cover defence sealed the result and bolstered the point’s difference.
Hinckley’s kick off saw Grant, Ashley and Pritchard control the ball forward and Wills kick long. The return saw an early touch for seventeen year old debutante Symcox. The move away from their own 22 saw Mansfield go offside but the penalty drifted wide, a rare error in a near perfect kicking display from the home full back. The respite was short lived as Hinckley drove the drop out back, with the ball being kept alive in the tackles as forwards and backs combined to score try number one on four minutes.
Under pressure from Holmes and Arnold from the kick off Hinckley over complicated their line and obstructed Newton. Using the line out ball Newton and Kirk combined before Ashley and Holmes took the play deep into Hinckley territory. Mansfield were penalised for holding on, a problem which was to become a recurring theme through the afternoon. The counter attack required a Storey tackle to prevent a score but the next wave of three quarter moves opened up the Mansfield defence through a missed tackle and clinically finish for 14-0.
To remain in the contest Mansfield needed to react quickly, and so they did. Having settled the scrum the Blue and Whites looked to release their backs and Wills, Grubb twice and Storey accelerated into the Hinckley half. A jinking break from Wills opened up the defence and as he drew the last defender and attempted the final pass foul play prevented it from going to hand and Jones had the simple task of converting the penalty try awarded.
For the next twenty minutes the game settled to probing thrusts from both sides, mainly played in the Mansfield half. Wills probed and Jones and Arnold angled runs into the heart of the home defence. Stringfellow collected Kirk’s throw and Mansfield drove thirty metres. Symcox, sound under the high ball, used marks to send Mansfield back up field but they had to thank Smedley, Holmes and Newton for their tackling and Grubb enveloped his opposite number as Hinckley gradually exerted control.
Pritchard’s line possession allowed Holmes a twenty metre break and when Wills chipped over the defence the harrying of Newton and Storey won a scrum. Mansfield opened out but a knock on gave Hinckley a defensive set piece. A move from the blindside, two missed tackles, and the Blue and Whites were once again undone and eighty metres later Mansfield trailed 21-7.
Stringfellow and Ashley ensured the restart was back in Mansfield hands and Smedley kept sniping alongside his forwards. Arnold launched a run crashing through 3 tacklers, winning a penalty. The resultant line out released the three quarters and with a half chance Grubb pounced for his first Mansfield try. Powering towards the line with a tackler hanging off him the centre measured his own frame, how far his arm would stretch and one handed had the ball hovering over the try line before touching down.
The conversion fell inches short but the impetus was with the visitors and Hinckley was relieved to hear the half time whistle. With a nine point gap and their tails up Mansfield started the second period where they left off. Arnold ran well within the 22 and Grant and Ashley drove them to within 5 metres. Mansfield disrupted the home scrum, Smedley and Symcox seized on the fumbles but the resultant try for the debutante was ruled out.
The play was mainly in the home half but when they gained possession they had the ability to sweep over half the length of the pitch. Grubb had to swoop and cleared 50 metres off his ‘wrong foot’. Storey chased down a certain try on the end of a seventy metre run and Jones clung on to stop the next surge.
Fresh legs of Lindsay were soon chasing across field before breaking out from defence but suddenly eight minutes emphatically decided the game. First a well worked line out and series of tight drives forced a try. The kick off went long but was promptly run back the length of the pitch and it was two tries in as many minutes. Mansfield clearly need to iron out their defensive lines in this week’s training.
Some ping pong kicking between the 22s and intense rucking and mauling which saw replacement Harrison recovering ball, Waterhouse forcing an opening shortly after joining the fray but then another calamitous set of tackles, three in succession, presented try number six with a quarter of an hour still remaining.
Certainly there is no doubting the spirit in the Mansfield camp and they were still forcing the play right up to the final whistle. ‘A much better performance and many plusses,’ was Coach Steve Shaw’s summary. ‘Too many errors and we have to work on them but more positives than negatives from the performance.’
That confidence will be put to the test against nearest neighbour’s Paviors at Eakring Road this Saturday. Pavs picked up their first win 27-10 at home against Northampton Old Scouts and are sure to look for revenge for a narrow defeat this time last season. Kick off is at 3p.m. at Eakring Road.
Mansfield II v Moderns - Away
Mansfield scored two late tries to defeat Moderns 34-24, in a game that neither side could stamp there authority on. From the kick off Moderns put Mansfield under pressure in their own 22 area, which lead to Moderns scoring the first points of the game. Mansfield struggled to assert their normally solid defence on the opposition which allowed Moderns to score a second try out wide. Mansfield’s solid scrummage gave man of the match Spencer a platform to attack from the base of the scrum which soon led to quick ball for Rushby to cut through the Moderns defence to score under the posts.
From the re-start Mansfield’s forwards drove back into the Moderns half which allowed Coleman to break blind, out sprinting the defence, to dive over in the corner for Mansfield’s second try. The second half started as the first half did with Mansfield’s lazy defence allowing 2 sloppy tries to be run in. Mansfield pushed hard all half but Moderns defence held solid until the last five minutes when Foster broke through a half tackle and out sprinted the full back to put Mansfield back in front. Straight from the re-start Hawson went on a solo run down the left hand touch line, chipped ahead to out sprint the cover defence to score in the corner on the final whistle. A special mention to 2nd team debutants Spencer, Broadhurst and Foster for all playing a big part in this first league match, showing the strength of colts rugby filtering through to the senior sides.
Mansfield III v Newark IV – Away
The young Mansfield development team finally got a long awaited win in the form of the demolition of an experienced and strong Newark IV team, winning 61-7. Mansfield rampaged Newark from the kick off, the forwards totally dominated the set pieces, rucks and mauls. This paved the way for the back division to perform beyond expectation, a quality not seen so far this season. A superb 15 man effort which produced outstanding open running rugby, culminating in scores for Adam Coupe (3), Frankie Hawson, Danny Chapman, Lee Butler, Iain Stewart, Chris Sheriff and a try for man of the match Steve Bonser. Captain Darren Marshall converted 8.
Mansfield IV v Tupton I - Home
This was a disappointing result after a great start to season last week. Losing 29-5 to an up for it Tupton side. Going in at half time 7-5 down with a try from Ash Whittlestone setup Mansfield with everything to play for in the second half of the game. Unfortunatley it was a lack lustre second half performance where Mansfield failed to come to the party. A big improvement will be required for next week.
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