Lutterworth 22 S&L 17

S & L traveled to Lutterworth in hope of sustaining their chance of a play off spot at the end of the season. But with the injury list growing by the week, this was going to be no easy task.

To make things worse S & L’s captain, Milan Crooks was injured in the warm up which meant calling John Ironmonger off the bench to start the game, and the skippers role being handed to the experienced Andy Beattie.

The game got off to the best possible start when a few minutes in, quick ruck ball allowed Beattie to get away a miss pass to Cook who handed the ball on to Steven Clark who rounded the cover defence to score in the corner.

For the rest of the half S & L definitely had the edge on their opponents but failed to convert any pressure into points. Penalty chances were squandered by the usually accurate boot of Kirk Lindsay. And some poor discipline cost the visitors 9 points.

Half time score was then 9-5, and S&L knew that they could easily get back in front.

The visitors played much the same way as they did in the first half and credit to the smaller and younger pack who had the better of the confrontation up front. Drove up field with great force and passion. But for all the pressure S&L could put on the lutterworth line, they could only manage two tries from Grant Cook and John Ironmonger. Lutterworth on the other hand, who rarely visited S&L’s 22. Always came away with points. In the form of two further penalties and a converted try.

S&L must now look forward to next week’s game against Scouts and although their promotion hopes have faded over recent weeks they are not lost.

S&L 2nds 24 Bugbrooke 2nds 20

A difficult afternoon for S&L, where we scraped home in a game we should have won convincingly. The backs took a little time to get going, with the pack facing a very tough battle for possesion up front. Bugbrook new what they had to do and did it, following their game plan to the letter. 8 man rugby, ball up the jumper was their only asset, but they used it relentlesly, opening the scoring after 5 mins and going on to score 4 tries.

In response to their opener we replied with a penalty and then the skipper Rob Campbell showing us the way to the try line by exposing their lack of pace outside. Having turned around 10 - 5 ahead Stu Clark followed the captains lead and beat them out wide. Unfortunately the pack couldn't quite match them up front and they rolled a well drilled maul over our line. Having not learned our lesson we capitulated again, unable to stop their maul, which was a credit to Bugbrook all afternoon. Iain Tunnah again took the outside path for a third try to extend the lead but the final word went to the visitors pack with a try right on no side. Bugbrook, unfortunately for them, sufferd from a simmilar problem to England in that they didn't bring a kicker and failed with all their goal attempts. Alec Morgan's trusty left boot however sneaked the win for us with 7 points from an opening penalty followed by converting our first two tries. Our final try was converted by Danny O Callahan, who had an excellent opening game for us, harrassing his opposite no9 at every opportunity. Welcome to the side Danny.

Not our best performance. We are really going to have to learn to play towards our strengths and away from the oppositions if we are to succeed in the floodlit cup on wednesday night.

Lutterworth 3rds 36 S&L 2nds 17

In a brutally contested match, which seen three players leave the pitch through injury, Stewarts and Lloyds were on the reverse of a  scoreline that never reflected how the match was contested.After going in at half time at 17 apiece the visitors should have exerted their athourity,but with injuries to key players failed to do so. The match started well for , when from kick off Lutterworth knocked on.Andy Wood picked up at number 8,brushed off two challenges and ran twenty five yards to score.Mark Williams missed the conversion from a difficult angle. This was the catylst that Lutterworth needed and they soon found themselves 12-5 up as their enormous pack threatened to take control.In a fifteen minute period some heavy tackling and courageous defending stopped them from taking control.During this period Dougie Macklin broke his arm and the match switched to uncontested scrums.Lutterworth were awarded another penalty and kicked into the corner,from the resulting line out the pack steamrolled over to make the score 17-5 Stewarts and Lloyds battled back,and skipper Kev Sharpe stepped through a gap and ran 20 yards to score unchallenged. A Williams conversion made it 17-12.At this stage the game could go any way with both sides bitterly contesting every ball, then got a penalty in their own 22. Andy Wood took a quick tap and ran the length of the field to score,17 apiece game on. The visitors started the second half as brightly as they had finished the first, but turn over ball was quickly returned to the 22 constantly pinning them back.Lutterworth built yet another rolling maul, and the resulting try was converted to make it 24-17 
Midway through the second half the impressive Andy Wood had to leave the field with a shoulder injury.The 15 pulled together with two influentual leaving the field and continued to plug away.The game was over when Lutterworth scored from two poor lineouts, as the visitors had no recognised throwers.The team could have crumbled at this point, but pulled together and continued to fight to the very end.