Casuals 40 Stamford 13

Midlands 2 East North

Nottingham Casuals 40 Stamford 13

Second half try scoring blitz, seals a bonus point win for Casuals.

Casuals avenged the defeat at the hands of lowly Stamford, earlier in the season in emphatic style, which at one stage looked unlikely.
Smarting after the previous week’s trouncing by West Bridgford, Casuals who were able to field a side more representative of their normal XV, eventually showed their credentials in the second half, running in 6 tries.

Starting against the wind Casuals soon found themselves under attack, as Stamford initially dictated play with some lively play.
They were rewarded with an early penalty to take the lead, and although Casuals got themselves into Stamford’s 22 several times, they were unable to take advantage, their anxiety leading to mistakes, which allowed Stamford to escape. Casuals’ tackling, which is normally their forte, sadly let them down, and Stamford were able to break Casuals’ lines, and they kept Casuals on the defence for another 15 minutes, before converting another penalty.
Casuals came back with a neatly constructed attack, but again when they were right up to Stamford’s try line the ball was lost when Howatson broke loose, and it looked on for a try.

Turning round at half time, only 6 points in arrears, it looked as if Casuals would be able to take advantage of the wind at their backs, but their kicking was not accurate either out of hand or at the posts, and they either kicked the ball over the dead-ball line, or missed speculative penalty shots.
Stamford again attacked, and some woeful tackling saw Stamford cross for a try, to get into a 13 point lead.

Casuals suddenly sprang to life. Capitalising on the possession from the forwards, who had taken their own ball from the off, Casuals managed to drive Stamford back in the mauls, getting the ball out quickly through scrum half Gareth Davies-Jones, to run at Stamford.
Stamford spilt the ball in midfield, and Casuals gained a turnover sending Brodie Howatson through.
A second try followed soon after, when Steve Naylor broke clear on the wing, and Ben Newton linked popping the ball to a Oli Mott rumbling up in support, who made sure of the touch down, which Higgins converted.
Casuals then started to play with more confidence, the forwards relishing in their supremacy, their mauling working well.
Casuals won possession from a lineout, and Chris Brelsford was on the end of the move to run in for the third try, Higgins again converting.
Howatson was then yellow carded, but it made little difference, as Stamford were running out steam.
Sean Roberts was the beneficiary when Naylor ran through in midfield, scattering defenders after taking a short pass from Higgins, and he fed Roberts who blasted in for the bonus point try, another conversion followed from Higgins.

It was Higgins who completed the scoring with the 5th and 6th tries, the first following up his own kick ahead to grab the ball over the line, and then Miles Johnson pounced on another loose ball when Stamford panicked under pressure, and he unselfishly gave Higgins the pass for a short run in, Higgins converting both tries, finishing off a rewarding 30 minutes of excellent play by Casuals, and hopefully a return to the form they were in before the recent run of poor results.
The forwards can be truly happy with their performance, and when the backs strung together some good moves, it really showed what the team as a whole can do. Simple quick ball was key