SENIOR RESULTS
Mansfield II v Ilkeston II - Away
Mansfield 2nd team
travelled to Ilkeston in the league looking to start 2007 with a win but
Ilkeston had other ideas narrowly beating Mansfield 15-13.
Mansfield will look back at
this game and wonder how they actually lost this match. Both sides were hampered
by some very strange refereeing decisions but it was the home side who seemed to
take the advantage. Ilkeston was first to cross the try line with some strong
runs into the Mansfield defence which held for the 10 mins but then the home
side managed to break through. Mansfield lost captain Rob Broadhurst with a nail
injury straight from the restart which meant the pack had to reshuffle.
Mansfield were soon back in the game when Waterhouse cut through the Ilkeston
defence to score under the posts with Alan Symcox converting. As the sides
turned round at half time Mansfield scored a further two penalties through the
boot of Symcox but half way into the second half in a bizarre 10 minutes
Mansfield had a back row player sent off for a minor offence and a prop yellow
carded. This allowed Ilkeston to score two more tries which left Mansfield
trailing 15- 13. Preston Young capped his first game with the 2nd team off with
a fine display of rugby on the back row. Also putting in big games were
youngsters A. Miles, A. Symcox and F. Hawson.
Mansfield III v Sleaford III – Home
This game was not a good
start to the new year for Mansfield 3rds losing 43-7 to an experienced Sleaford
outfit. In a heated affair Mansfield lost 2 players early in the second half to
the bin where Sleaford capitalised, using the 2 man advantage to run in 4 tries.
From this nightmare of a game various Mansfield players stood out in the form of
lock Adam Coupe, centre Leroy Oakden and scrum half Tim Gibbons but man of the
match went to Jonathon Repton, who, at 17 years of age was making his senior
debut at full back. Mansfield’s try came from Andy Brown and the conversion from
Darren Marshall.
Mansfield IV v Derby IV – Away
Playing away on a quagmire
of a pitch proved too much for Mansfield 4ths who failed to play to their
strengths incurring a 49-15 loss. Mansfield had Derby beaten up front but failed
to use this advantage throughout the game. Derby scored first through their
No.10 who was given far too much space. This seemed to spur on the Mansfield
forwards who trudged up field to win a scrum 5 m out. John Harris Snr at No.8
scored from the resulting scrum with a push over try. Once again Mansfield let
Derby run at them them through their full back, this time giving him a 20m run
before finally putting him to deck 10m out but his off load saw their blind side
flanker go in to score under the posts. This was story line throughout the first
half. Mansfield rampaged through their forwards scoring another push over with
Harris Snr popping the ball up to Harris Jnr to score in the corner from another
set piece scrummage. Turning around at half time 25-10 down Mansfield had it all
to do. Legs starting to tire in the bog Derby started to use their many
replacements to gain fresh legs and it showed through the secong half. Derby
were able to run in several more tries, keeping the ball away from the dominant
Mansfield forwards for long periods. With 10 mins to go Mansfield scored yet
again through the forwards from a driving maul after a 10m lineout. Steffen
jumping at 4 secured clean ball, Harris Snr again involved, secured possession
and setup a driving maul gifting Andy Sykes the try as Mansfield drove over the
Derby line. All in all Derby proved to be the better side on the day but
Mansfield realised after the game that it could have been a closer encounter if
only they played to their strengths.
JUNIOR RESULTS
Mansfield Colts v Ilkeston Colts – Home
Mansfield Colts turned in a real
Jekyll and Hyde performance in their first game of 2007 against Ilkeston at
Eakring Road on Sunday morning but managed a 29-0 win. In a lack lustre first
half where the home side appeared to be suffering with a festive hangover, they
only had a scrambled try from No. 8 Tom Calladine after 22 minutes to show for
their endeavours. Mansfield re-grouped at half time
following a motivational team talk from the coaches running in 4 unanswered
tries, at times showing form more akin to their league position but never really
hitting anything close to top gear. The pick of the tries was a flowing length
of the field move after 5 minutes of the half with backs and forwards linking
superbly. The ball was collected by the impressive Calladine on the opposition
22 who was hauled down 10 metres short but managed to offload to Alan Symcox in
the tackle who cut an impressive line in support to score under the posts.
Further scores came from Calladine on 12 minutes, Flanker Theo Tsiolas finished
off an excellent cross-field handling move on 25 minutes and Symcox rounded off
the scoring on 30 minutes when Ilkeston lost procession on half way. Fly Half
Jonno Williams and Symcox added a conversion apiece to make the final score
29-0. The Colts resume their league campaign next week with hopefully the
festive season well and truly out of their system.
CLICK FOR ALL THE OTHER MIDLANDS 2 EAST RESULTS,
COURTESY OF RUGBY ROUND-UP
