Casuals 40 Moderns 16

Midlands 2 East (N) League

Forgive me for this, but the 1sts put the icing on the cake when they ran in 6 tries, getting a well deserved bonus point,and putting together a feast of rugby to entertain the large gathering of Casuals past & present on the VP's day.

6 tries altogether, coming from Chris Brelsford, Brody Howatson, Steve Naylor, Ian Slater, and Ben Hallam getting 2.
Jonny Morris added 5 conversions to top it off.

The gremlins hanging over from the Melton game were dispatched, and Casuals should be rightly happy with the way the played, both in the forwards,(who took the Moderns pack head on) and the backs,where not only was the tackling back to where it was before Christmas, but the overall passing game showed a huge improvement.

There were some elements of luck and good fortune, but mostly it was down to the determination of the players to show they could play attacking rugby.
The scrummage worked well for Casuals, with several strikes against the hea.
The backs tackling, and more importantly the midfield passing was much improved.
Taking into consideration that some opportunities were not seized on, Moderns were lucky not to have a greater score posted against them.

The game was hardly underway, when a speculative kick evaded the visitors defence, and the wicked bounce took the ball back to on rushing and probably surprised stand off Jonny Morris, who passed on to the supporting Chris Brelsford giving him a very simple run in for the try. Morris converted.
Casuals kept the pressure on, but took a while before they got the next score.
Casuals forwards won the loose ball, and Morris set up the attack, cutting through, and this time Brodie Howatson was on hand to take the pass, and with a now typical burst of speed, he befuddled the defence, running round for the next try, with the extras being added by Morris.
The third try was a huge stroke of luck, but as the expression goes, you have to play to the whistle. There was a massive knock on midfield, but Casuals took play on, and Steve Naylor was on the end of the move, needing to stretch his legs a bit as he strode to the line. Morris added the conversion from a distance.
Moderns dragged themselves back into the game with 2 late penalties, but Casuals went to half time comfortably ahead, 21 – 6.

Casuals scrum were by now causing Moderns a problem, as they contrived to lose their own ball, which was all the more surprising considering how crooked the feed was to try to overcome the pressure.

Quick thinking by Naylor as he stood over touch to take a kick from Moderns, led to a lineout for Casuals from which Rex Walker burst forward, the ball went down the backs for Ben Hallam to tear up the right wing for a superb try. Morris then blasted the conversion from the tramlines.

Moderns came back again with 2 tries, the second following a yellow card for Graeme Roberts, who “cynically” transgressed at a ruck. Daft so and so

However the comeback was very short-lived.

Moderns missed a kick to touch, and Naylor brought play back at Moderns. Faced with all the Moderns team in front of him, his determined run saw him slice through with hardly a hand laid on him, Moderns desperately trying to stop him. As he closed on the line he unselfishly passed to Hallam who had shadowed the run, and he went under the posts, Morris then putting over his 5th kick.

The last score came through a piece of awareness, and sheer doggedness. Prop Ian Slater took the ball at the front of the line, after throwing it in, and he blasted over the line for the closing try.

A well deserved win. Hopefully this will set up an interesting encounter
next week at Mkt Bosworth, weather permitting.