Nottinghamshire RFU Intermediate Cup - Semi final

20 April 2015
Nottinghamshire RFU
Intermediate Cup - Semi final

Nottingham Casuals 67 Mellish 15

Hobsons’ hat trick helps Casuals to an emphatic win.
Casuals progressed to the finals of the Intemediate Cup at the expense of Mellish, with a scoreline which emphasised the gulf in the league placings, but it certainly did not prove as easy as it might seem.
Casuals fielded a much changed side, again, with a number of players brought in to cover for unavailabilities.
Mellish played with a lot of dogged determination, and made Casuals work for their victory, and it was only in the very latter stages that Casuals managed to pull away.

Casuals had a very early opportunity to score after 2 minutes, but the kick went awry and they had to wait until the 8th minute before they opened the scoring.
Brodie Howatson should have been rewarded with a try as he went for the corner, but was clothes lined with a neck high tackle, just short of the line.
The penalty was quickly taken and the ball went form left to right with Danny Riley crossing in the right hand corner.

Mellish immediately came back and using the wind, they put up a kick ahead, which resulted in a 5 metre scrum, from which they crossed for their 1st try.

Casuals then got a couple of quick tries. Firstly Howatson got his reward when Naylor burst through to set him up, Higgins converting, then Henry Franklin went in for a solo effort, looking totally amazed, as nobody challenged him at all on the run in.
Obviously got to the ball illegally.
Steve Naylor got the 4th try after a straightforward move down the backs, Higgins again adding the conversion.
Mellish got back into the game with a try just before ½ time. 24 -10

Howatson again made a break shortly after the restart, but yet another high tackle stopped his progress, but Casuals got into thir stride, and with the wind advantage pinned Mellish backing their own half.
After Louis Brown and Antonios Alexiou had taken Casuals up to the Mellish line, prop Adam Connolly broke from the resulting ruck to score his 1st try for the senior side.
Cole Hobson was the man to touch down the next 2 tries, after some simple work by both backs and forwards cleared the way for him to run in fairly easily.
The next try was mainly the work Mark Higgins, who cut through mid field, Joe Barton picked up the loose pass, and he sent in no 8 Oli Walker from long range for his debut try.
Mellish showed some spirit as they came back to score their third try, but by this time Casuals were so far in front that it made no difference, and Casuals upped the pace to run in 3 more tries.
Naylor set up Higgins for a gift try with a neat inside flip, and scrum half Gareth Davies-Jones, taking over the place kicking, showed his prowess by whacking a superb kick through the uprights.

Oli Mott scored the penultimate try with a 40 yard run in from the base of scrum, and finally the following a good take at a lineout, the passing move found Mark Hobson, who completed a Hobsons’ hat trick when he ran into the corner.
Davies-Jones converted both, with the second another splendid long range kick from near touch.

Casuals have the possibility of 2 trophies over the next 2 weekends, as the 2nds are in the final of the Junior cup next Sunday, and the 1sts appear the following week, venue for both being Newark Rugby Club.

Good news on another front. Near rivals Ashbourne could potentially have gone above Casuals in the league if they had won their postponed game against Coalville, but Coalville triumphed leaving Casuals in their best position in the league for many seasons, 6th, and a top half of the table finish, which could have had them in a new league, if proposals by the RFU were to be implemented, however:

Rugby Football Union Statement
Adult Competitions Review Update

Proposed changes to League structures and other competitions

Further to the RFU Council meeting today, 17th April, where the Adult Competition Review was discussed, we would like to update you on the following outcome.

While the Adult Competition Review and all its recommendations were passed by Council in June 2014, it was thought prudent to take into account recent feedback. This predominantly concerns 1st XV league and RFU Cup rugby. The Adult Competition Review also made recommendations, which were approved, regarding the organisation of rugby for 2nd and lower XVs, as well as for student competitions and other forms of the game, namely touch and sevens.

As a result of the above, a resolution was passed to delay the implementation of the recommendations of the Adult Competition Review concerning 1st XV league and RFU Cup rugby by 12 months to undertake further consultation, including a detailed club and player survey. With this in mind the revised structured season for 2015/2016, with full details, will be forthcoming shortly.

The RFU Council reiterated their commitment to recommendations concerning 2nd and lower XV rugby, student competitions, sevens and touch to continue to be implemented in accordance with the agreed original timetable.