1st XV
Matches
Sat 26 Jan 2019  ·  Midlands 3 East (North)
Rolls Royce
12
57
Nottingham Casuals RFC
1st XV
Rolls Royce 12   Nottingham Casuals  57

Rolls Royce 12 Nottingham Casuals 57

Lech Kluk28 Jan 2019 - 13:25
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Midlands 3 East North 26th January 2019 Rolls Royce 12 Nottingham Casuals 57 Casuals continued their domination of the league, with another resounding victory over mid table Rolls Royce, improving on the margin of victory from the previous game, r

Midlands 3 East North
26th January 2019
Rolls Royce 12 Nottingham Casuals 57

Casuals continued their domination of the league, with another resounding victory over mid table Rolls Royce, improving on the margin of victory from the previous game, running in 9 tries in the process.
Casuals fielded a much changed side from the previous league game, due to a number of injuries with a new combinations throughout the whole team. Despite the numerous changes, Casuals still proved far too strong.
Casuals earned the try bonus point after only 21 minutes, leading 12 points to 45 going into ½ time.
The second half proved a lot more difficult in the face of the strong wind, but still managed 2 more tries.

Casuals showed their intent from the kick off, taking play upfield, but the first attack floundered in the maul.
However Casuals won a scrum on 3 minutes, well inside RR’s ½ , and Mark Higgins went from the base, chipping over the defenders retrieving the ball on the full, fed Jon Ackroyd up in support, and he raced in for the try, which Higgins converted.
Casuals conceded a couple of penalties, which allowed RR a glimmer of hope, but Casuals soon grabbed possession as Ackroyd turned over possession, which allowed the forwards to make progress, eventually releasing the backs. Alex Brownlie made some ground in the centre, feeding Liam Tighe, who in turn passed onto Dan O’Connor, giving him space for a comfortable run in, Higgins converting.
Casuals up the pressure, as they again dispossessed RR at a lineout. Simple play took Casuals upfield, then they were awarded a penalty, which as per the norm was banged in to touch by Higgins, up to the 5 metre line.
Casuals’ drive was briefly halted, but the subsequent scrum was pulled down, and Casuals wasted no time in turning the penalty into a drive to the try line, Andy Harris being the beneficiary, diving over for the try.
The game had only reached the end of the first ¼, but Casuals were again attacking with intent.
James Wood made the break his time, and Richard Gill was on hand to put in a telling 2 metre run for his first try in recent history. Bonus point already in the bag.
Casuals came back on the attack straight from the kick off, the forwards relishing the possession they were getting. The ball was kept close, briefly, then very quickly put out to the wing from the back of a maul, finding Niall O’Kane. Thankfully he was deft enough to cling onto a sloppy pass, and he turned the defenders with a sidestep and then creamed past the last man in the 5 metre tramline, running in from 35 metres without a defender in sight.
The conversion from Higgins made it 31 – 0, still only 23 minutes gone, and Casuals were cruising.

Casuals again went back upfield this time from a Higgins clearance kick, finding the touchline inside RR’s 22.
Casuals put together a flowing move, with backs and forwards involved, the forwards took it further upfield, before the ball was put down the 3s, and Liam Tighe stormed through to the midfield en-route to the try line. Higgins conversion made it 38 nil.

A minor setback just after as a Casuals defender was deemed to be in touch as he attempted to flick the ball back infield, mais non, and RR were awarded a lineout close to Casuals’ try line.
A fairly simple move in the forwards allowed a large prop to get in at the corner.

Undaunted Casuals came straight back on the attack from the kick off, they won possession in the maul, as Kieran Maisonnet ripped the ball out, and Graeme Roberts showed his speed as he went in from roughly 40 metres, and Higgins again converted (45 – 5 Casuals or 5 - 45)

Casuals suddenly started to get pegged back, as the referee deemed Casuals’ attempts in the loose were somehow illegal. He repeatedly blew for penalties, and Rolls Royce bolstered by ground gaining kicks, made their way into Casuals’ half regularly for the latter part of the 1st period. Eventually a straightforward move down the backs, gave their beleaguered 3s a bit of reward, as they grabbed a converted try.

12 – 45 going into ½ time, and Casuals were going have to play into strong win.

The game floundered for a bit, as Casuals conceded a myriad of penalties, seemingly transgressing every rule in the book, from offences at the mauls and rucks, a high tackle, obstruction, they were made to fight for field position at every step.
Even stranger, Higgins was deemed to have suffered a head injury, when he was dumped in a tackle, and as he sat on the ground, feeling his forehead, maybe stunned into silence, briefly, checking for blood. The referee, maybe confused by the temporary silence, ordered him off the field, never to return.
Fortunately, his medic partner Brodie Howatson took over at scrum half, and Casuals started to recover their superiority, referee helping Casuals to gain ground by now penalising RR instead.
Dan O’Connor went over for his 2nd try mid-way through the half, (Derry boys hat-trick) pushing Casuals’ scoring to the 50 mark, and then they completed the scoring when Wood chugged through the centre, going over the line dragging a defender over, hanging on to his shirt tail.
His conversion gave Casuals a 45 point margin, improving on the 38 points difference in the 1st encounter.
Casuals now have a 17 point lead in the league, with another 8 games left.

Much too early to speculate, but with a maximum 40 league points to play for, Casuals have to keeping putting the shifts in on Saturdays.
At least this week there was only a foot blister reported as an “injury”, and with the prospect of more players yet to return, including the captain Stu Williams, and at least 4 more who were not injured, Casuals should not have an availability problem.
Unfortunately shoulder injuries have kept out Matt Fox and Henry Franklin. Manny Cammarata recovering from knee surgery.

Next week Casuals host second to bottom Sleaford, 14.15 at Canalside,
followed by the 6 Nations, Ireland v England, and finally the comedy night to follow that.

Match details

Match date

Sat 26 Jan 2019

Kickoff

14:15

Instructions

Can't input location automatically through Pitchero. So it's away at Rolls Royce sports ground,
Moor Ln, Derby DE24 9HX

Competition

Midlands 3 East (North)

League position

1
Nottingham Casuals
6
Rolls Royce
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Facilities Sponsor - Ellis-Fermor & Negus
Shirt/Club sponsor - C.P. Walker  & Son