Nottingham Casuals v Mansfield

Date
08/09/2018 Midlands 3 East (north)

Casuals opened their league campaign with a superb win, which was easier than the score-line would suggest.
Stu Williams in his 1st league game as Captain, led by example, picking up the man of the match award for his efforts.

Casuals brought in 3 new players, Nick York in the centre, forming an untried partnership with Manny Cammarata, James Woodhouse on the wing, and Chris Atkinson came off the bench.
Brodie Howatson went to full back in his new chosen role.

Apart from one defensive lapse, when Mansfield got through for a converted try, it was nearly all Casuals.
They dominated territory and possession, and if the final touches had been a bit better, the score could easily have been 20 to nil at half time.

Early season anxiety and the wet ball probably did not help. It just needed the ball grounding over the try line.
It was also suggested that Casuals should have been awarded at least one penalty try for a deliberate knock on under the posts.

Casuals first scoring opportunity came on 19 minutes.
After Mark Higgins gained good ground with a penalty kick to touch, the ever efficient line out got good possession, and the ball was fed out to the rampaging KM, but he unfortunately dropped the ball in the process of touching down.

The second half saw Casuals dominant again, and Higgins nipped in for Casuals 1st try off the back of a scrum.
The kick hit both posts but didn't go over.

Mansfield then found a huge gap in the otherwise very efficient defence, and they went in for a converted try, to take the lead.

Casuals, try as they might, still could not add to their tally, until pretty late on when Higgins kicked a penalty, to recapture the lead.

The Higgins started off the move that James Woodhouse cross for his maiden league try, and Higgins was again successful with the kick , giving Casuals a respectable score-line, but not quite enough to underline their superiority on the day.

Nottingham Casuals v Mansfield
Nottingham Cas
Half-time
0 - 0
Full-time
15 - 7
Final Score
15 - 7

Starting Line Up
15 Howatson Brodie Full Back *****
14 Martin Thomas Right Wing
13 Cammarata Emanuele Outside Centre
12 York Nicholas Inside Centre Debut
11 Woodhouse James Left Wing Debut Try
10 Wood James Fly Half
9 Higgins Mark Scrum Half Penalty, Try & conversion
1 Hawkins Alex Loosehead Prop
2 Underwood Peter Hooker
3 Baraniak Stephen Tighthead Prop
4 Maisonnet Kieran Second Row
5 Fox Matthew Second Row
6 Franklin Henry Blindside Flanker
7 Roberts Graeme Openside Flanker
8 Williams Stuart Number 8 (Captain)

Substitutes
16 Gill Richard F/R
17 Ackroyd Jon
18 Atkinson Christopher Backs Debut