Casuals lose in the Midlands Intermediate Cup, third round

RFU - Midlands Intermediate Cup
Third round
28th October 2017

Whitchurch 39 Nottingham Casuals 14

Casuals exited the cup, disappointingly, at the hands of Whitchurch (Shropshire) , in a display which promised much, but on the day, did not produce the performance to match the host’s.
With quite a number of changes from the previous week’s team, Casuals would have to gell quickly.

In the first 10 minutes, Casuals produced some really good rugby, and it was just a few minor mistakes that stopped them scoring.

A couple of penalties gave Whitchurch some relief, but Casuals defence held firm.
Even a Whitchurch penalty kick at the posts was missed, offering Casuals some early hope.

Unfortunately some handling errors from Casuals allowed Whitchurch a bit of space, but even that did not daunt Casuals.
A missed penalty touch kick, then a kick out on the full, brought Whitchurch back to just outside Casuals 22.
Whitchurch conceded a penalty for offside at a maul from the lineout, and Casuals put the ball away to touch, and they regained possession, only for a really sloppy midfield pass to be hacked on by Whitchurch, and that gave their winger the chance to get over for the first try. A total gift, which seemed to turn the tide in Whitchurch’s favour.

Whitchurch followed that up with 2 more tries, the first from a lineout following a penalty kick to touch, the ball carrier getting straight through some very poor defending, then a simple lack of concentration, allowing another breakthrough down the middle, this time for a converted try. 17 – 0

Whitchurch were awarded a penalty kick, which was easily caught by Dan O’Connor, who set up an attack, the backs, and Whitchurch were penalised for a deliberate knock on.
Whitchurch then set up a move, which fortunately was knocked on, but a free kick was awarded against Casuals for a not straight. (Strange, but alot of those in the game ignored)

Everyone seemed to be suffering from dropsy, and the game was being constantly interrupted by the incessant whistling.

Jack Weedon then made a significant break down the left wing, and Whitchurch were penalised at the tackle.

Stu Williams took a great ball, Casuals drove up to the Whitchurch line, but the ball was held up, so Casuals got a 5m scrum.
Unfortunately the subsequent move ended in a knock on by Casuals

By now 30 minutes of the game had gone, and it was still a bit frenetic, without too much good constructive movement

Then it was Whitchurch’s turn to have a brief attack, but they knocked it on, and Casuals turned the scrum to good advantage, with Chris Brownlie combining with Kieran Maisonnet, but that move broke down with yet another knock on.
You might think it was a wet windy afternoon on a muddy pitch, but apart from a slight chill, it waas beautiful Rugby weather.
Another 4 minutes, a Casuals move, some good recycling into a few phases, but once again, a sloppy pass lead to yet another knock on.

Casuals were penalised for pulling down at the scrum. Where that one came from, strange.
The whistling against Casuals then got a bit too frequent, and it should have given Whitchurch some domination.
Casuals lost their lineout throw, and Whitchurch briefly put together a few passes, but yet again, another knock on.

Whitchurch got their scoreline moving, when a simple passing move was not covered and slack tackling allowed them in for arty.
Another move was then halted, yet another knock on.

Casuals got a move going, but some really sloppy passing gave the ball back to Whitchurch, and they went in for another try.

Then a scrum to Whitchurch , Casuals were deemed to offend, and a chase for the kick ahead was won by the their wing, and another try.

Casuals then staged a brief revival.
Steve Naylor went on a run, and Liam Annable went over from the subsequent maul, with Gareth Davies-Jones converting,

Casuals had another good period of play, but once more the brake was put on by yet another knock on.

Whitchurch then grabbed another try, when their wing ran through a dispirited Casuals defence for a very soft try.

Casuals briefly came back to life with a good lineout take, and the ball went down the 3s, with Dan Clarke ‘s well timed pass giving Dan O’Connor room to run in at the corner.
Gareth Davies-Jones stuck the ball straight between the sticks with a great kick from wide out.

As the game was starting to reach its conclusion, Casuals were awarded a penalty for Whitchurch collapsing the scrum this time, and GD-J put the ball into touch with yet another good ground gaining kick, to 10 metres out.
A dreadful throw in gave the ball back to Whitchurch, and the game went downfield to Casuals’ 10m, reaching its conclusion, with yet another knock on.

Not a day for the purists, and Casuals will probably feel that it just simply wasn’t their day.

Casuals may be counting the cost of the excursion, with captain Richard Gill suffering a knee injury.

However on a brighter note, Dave Mellor had a run out in the second half at scrum half, playing back at the ground where he started his club Rugby playing days, all that time ago.
Unfortunately a glorious homecoming it was not to be.
Still a pleasant day out for his parents, no doubt, Father (Percy) having been President of Whitchurch for many a year.

Well done to those who made the trip

Team

1. Stephen Baraniak
2. Jack Weedon
3. Richard Gill (c)
4. Joe Barton
5. Kieran Maisonnet
6. Stu Williams
7. Chris Brownlie
8. Liaam Annable
9. Gareth Davies-Jones
10. Andrew Harris
11. Daniel Clarke
12. James Wood
13. Brodie Howatson
14. Stephen Naylor
15. Daniel O'Connor

Subs:
16. Antonios Alexiou
17. Adam Beardsley
18. David Mellor

Players missing from last week.

Ben Hallam,
Niall O‘Kane
Mark Higgins
Alex Hawkins
Alastair Shaw
Simon Roberts
Mike Twomey

Lewis Brown
Manny Cammarata

Also missing

Graeme Roberts
Matt Fox