Determined Mansfield book semi final berth
NLD Cup Quarter Final
MANSFIELD 20 PAVIORS 5
Division Two Paviors arrived at Eakring Road as favourites to put themselves in the last four of the NLD’s most senior cup competition and extend their winning run from last season, when they notched three victories over Mansfield. However, a strongly competitive Mansfield side were in no mood to see their involvement end at this stage and in an intense afternoon of rugby ran in four tries to one and upset the rankings.
Mansfield’s intention was clear from the start with Stringfellow fielding Paviors kick off and linking with Hooper to charge back into the visitors half. Adapting to the wind and driving rain it was to be an afternoon of hard driving forward play creating opportunities for sniping runs from the back division. Boler was the first to look for a gap and Rushby burst diagonally, turning defenders to set up a Storey run.
Paviors tried to hoist the ball out of their half but Robinson’s sure hands, strong running and howitzer boot pegged them back to contend with defensive line outs in their 22. Quick reactions and a disruptive tackle by Shaw kept the Burnt Stump side on the back foot and Wills and Holmes nearly conjured a tenth minute try. With line ball streaming from Pritchard, Newton and Hooper a steam of penalties and scrums tested the Paviors defence to the full. Drives from Grant and Kirk, a chip and chase from Shaw, Jones denting the centre of the line and attempts to set Boler and Storey free on the wings were resolutely denied.
Finally, on a day when water was much in evidence the dam broke. Ironically on the half hour with virtually their first passage of attacking pressure Paviors tried to release their backs. The move was read by Storey and he intercepted and accelerated sixty metres for the opening score. Desperate to add more points before the break the failure of the ball to travel the required 10 metres presented Mansfield with a scrum platform for Holmes and Newton to work from, Jones and Boler to look for a way round the defence and Simmons to move to within five metres. The score would not come and a 5-0 lead turning into the elements was not looking a sufficient margin for a victory.
In reality the conditions were not to be the influence. Maintaining their intensity and desire Mansfield ensured the game remained in Paviors half. A low kick off found Stringfellow and Holmes scrambling ball back for the Blue and Whites. Pritchard was close to crossing the line and Rushby was just squeezed out of space. Relentlessly after six minutes of attack the lead was doubled.
A line out on the 22 was caught and with Kirk and Shaw marshalling the Mansfield drives the whole Mansfield pack arrived on the Paviors line, where Jones collected and crashed over. Switching Spencer for Hooper there were more problems for the visitors to cope with. Kirk, Wills and Pritchard were let down by a final pass just forward, Spencer’s steal had Kirk and Rushby linking and Mansfield continued to threaten.
On fifty-five minutes, for once, Mansfield’s follow up and execution was unsure. A slip and the ball was being hacked behind their line of defence and Paviors were streaking away to score close to the posts. Having halved the lead visiting supporters’ felt the tide was turning. It was not to be the case and the Mansfield response was immediate.
Wills kick off was not dealt with cleanly and Mansfield sharper and hungrier for the ball recovered it. Stringfellow made the ball available to the pack that arrived as a unit and marched controlled ball forty metres before Pritchard concluded with the touch down. Within a minute of conceding Mansfield had restored their ten-point advantage.
A Robinson run and Newton/Holmes combination brought the third quarter to an end, deep in Paviors territory once more. The full back was involved again before Rushby and Wills made progress and special cheer was being raised for try number four. Just three weeks after joining the Blue and Whites from Paviors Boler, who has made an immediate impact with the players and supporters found himself with space on the left. Despite three men looking to close him down he showed the speed to get to the line and power to ground in the corner.
The game had the feeling of one that had been settled, but Mansfield took no chances of a come back. Pritchard and Simmons ran the ball half the length of the field; Rushby ensured ball stayed with Mansfield and Holmes went close to releasing Jones.
A switch of Newton brothers saw no lessening in the speed and game reading as Paviors found they could not break the shackles before Pogmore took over from Grant and immediately was cleaning up loose line out ball. The rain continued to drive down, Mansfield continued to drive on and the game ended five metres form the visitors’ line, an area much visited during the eighty minutes.
‘Just the intensity we needed to match a side like Paviors and great skill levels given the wet conditions. Don’t ask me to name a Man of the Match you couldn’t leave any one of them out’ grinned Coach Steve Shaw.
This weekend sees the start of the second half of the league season, and the first ‘return visit’ with the Blue and Whites travelling up to Grimsby. Despite the comfortable looking 60-0 win at Eakring Road in mid November the Lincolnshire side held out for thirty minutes in the middle of the game without conceding a point. Up on their own Pavilion Ground there is sure to be the same level of determination and Mansfield can expect a hard battle if they are to maintain their three point advantage at the top of the table.
