Nottingham Casuals 0 Melbourne 5

Saturday 16th January 2016
Midlands 2 East (North)
Nottingham Casuals 0 Melbourne 5

Casuals really must be wondering how they lost this game.
After dominating play for long periods, Casuals could not get a single point on the board.
Good possession was wasted, kicks at goal were missed, kicks out of hand were unproductive, and Melbourne were able to tackle their way to victory.

The early story was: Melbourne kicked off, Casuals cleared to touch, Melbourne set up an attack from the lineout, and they mauled their way over for an unconverted try.
Casuals then had 75 minutes to come back, to win the game, but they just could not manage it.

3 kicks at goal were off target, and when Casuals did get close to the line, or get themselves into scoring positions, they managed lose possession, either by kicking it away, knocking it on, or getting turned over in contact, much to Melbourne’s delight allowing them to defend more easily than they could have hoped.
The closest Casuals got to scoring was in the 75th minute, when a touch down was ruled a knock on.

5 minutes - Melbourne score
9 minutes - 2 penalties against Melbourne – attempted kick at goal
16 minutes – 2nd attempted kick at goal, but Casuals again on the attack, ball down the 3’s, but kicked away, and Melbourne clear.
Melbourne attack, but knock on, Casuals scrum, move goes into touch.
31 minutes – Casuals attacking again, kick ahead, Melbourne break out of defence.
Attack goes nowhere.
34 minutes – Scrum to Casuals, good shove and ball goes down 3’s, yet another kick ahead, again goes to Melbourne, who are grateful for the possession, and clear downfield.
Casuals kick to touch from penalty, ball down the 3s, move goes into Melbourne 22, but Casuals penalised for holding on. Cleared again.
Melbourne, however are not getting into Casuals’ half.
36 minutes G. D-J ankle injury.
40 minutes – Casuals keep Melbourne pinned back, and win scrum in M. 22.
Casuals move ball, recycle several times, but lost ball, and Melbourne come away, kick downfield, gathered by J.C. runs back, but ball lost. Fortunately Melbourne penalised.
Hooray ½ time. Nil - 5
Time to re-assess and get the win
6 minutes Casuals force scrum from kick off, move ball right, but ball kicked away, Melbourne clear.
Scrum to 10 minutes, kicked to touch.
Throw not straight – Melbourne scrum.
10 minutes – Casuals scrum ½ way between 10 & 22m, ball kicked away, Melbourne lineout, Melbourne kick cleared the danger.
12 minutes Casuals attacking – scrum in Melbourne 22,
Casuals force their way over the line, held up, 5m scrum, Melbourne penalised.
Ball taken at back of scrum, held up, scrum to Melbourne on their 5m.
16 minutes – Melbourne penalised for holding on, penalty kick at goal, missed.
Melbourne then break out from their 22, and take play down to Casuals 22.
First time they been that far since the 5th minute.
Moving on. Casuals take their own put-in at a scrum in their own 1/2 , kicked crossfield, and if only Jamie Baxter had been able to cling on to the bouncing, greasy ball he was clear, but knocked on.
34 minutes, Casuals scrum on Melbourne 5m line, again taken up from the back of the scrum, driven over the line, but try disallowed. Scrum to Melbourne.

The forwards worked very hard to get possession from the set pieces, which were evenly contested, but the ball was moved away far too slowly and ponderously, too many moves were telegraphed, allowing Melbourne to cover with ease.
The outside backs were starved of good ball, and desperation set in.
There seemed to be no plan “B”, as they have used in other games, where the forwards have played as a close attacking unit, instead individuals were consistently trying to break the gain line. In some cases it worked, but the support was far too slow to maintain the momentum.
The coaches and the spectators were apoplectic, screams from the side of the pitch of "stop kicking it" , amongst other strange anglo-saxon words were to be heard.
All in all, a frustrating game to watch, no doubt immensely disappointing to play in, but Casuals have to change their style of play, especially as next week they entertain West Bridgford, who beat Casuals convincingly earlier in the season.
Casuals have some injury worries, but worst was the ankle injury suffered by Gareth Davies-Jones who hobbled off the pitch, and is probably a doubt for next week.