Casuals 29 Loughborough 12

17th January 2015

Casuals 29 Loughborough 12

Casuals earned themselves a try bonus point (the second in 2 weeks) as they avenged the humiliating defeat at Loughborough in October, entertaining the well fed gathered hordes, who had earlier feasted on a superb buffet in the clubhouse.
(Thanks Andy H)

Fielding a settled squad is beginning to pay dividends, and the confidence is shared both on and off the field, by players and supporters.

Playing against the wind, (but at least thankful they were on a good surface this week with no slope) Casuals started in a lively manner, and they took the game to Loughborough immediately.

The fluidity of interplay in the forwards was the main factor, initially, and Casuals were able to force a penalty, which Higgins kicked to the left hand corner for a lineout.
The forwards won the ball from the lineout, and Higgins was able to make his way over from the back of the resultant maul, converting the kick himself.

It was only another few minutes before Casuals scored again.
A basic error by Loughborough, as they spilt a pass in midfield, and No 8 Gerard McKnight grabbed the loose ball, and he out-sprinted the Loughborough backs from halfway to dot down under the posts, with Higgins converting again.
Did anyone capture the look on his face, when he realised he had no support, and then the relief when he saw there were no defenders near him. Great run G.

Loughborough misery was compounded as they then missed a very simple penalty kick at the sticks.
However they brought themselves back into the game when Casuals became overambitious, and a sloppy pass found a Loughborough forward, who ran in the post, to give them a 7 point score.

Casuals re-grouped, and they once again kept Loughborough on the defensive, and any ground that the visitors gained was soon taken away, as Casuals excellent all round defence kept pushing Loughborough back.
Casuals tried to attack as much as they could, and they forced a lineout on Loughborough’s 5 metre line, from which they scored an audacious try.
Graeme Roberts threw in, and Tom Lightfoot passed the ball off the top straight back to Roberts who went in at the corner, past a sleeping defence.

Just before ½ time Loughborough came back with an unconverted try, to reduce the gap to 7 points.

Casuals opened the second half with an attack that Loughborough managed to repel on their line, and put the ball out of play with a short kick to touch. Unfortunately they immediately transgressed, and Higgins again put some more points on the board from the penalty.

Loughborough fought back to boss the game for a period after that, and Casuals were forced to defend in their own half for nearly 20 minutes. Some mixed kicking out of hand helped Loughborough to regain possession, and run the ball back at Casuals. Once again the tackling was sound and Loughborough could only manage at a kick at goal, which they fluffed from straight in front.

The fourth try was becoming a distant hope at this stage, and with it the bonus point, but Casuals were not going to be denied. They mounted several attacks and in a final assault on the line, several rucks & mauls later Higgins wriggled over right in the corner for the elusive 4th try, (his second bonus point clinching try in 2 weeks) and he converted the kick from just inside the touchline, to add the glitter to a superb win.

Casuals have a break from the league next week, before travelling to Market Bosworth, hoping to catch a side that seems to be slightly misfiring. On this form, there is no reason why they can’t grab the victory.

Well done , 4 out 5, and hopefully more to come.