Mannerians 43 Lincoln 14

Bakewell Mannerians RFC

Mannerians 1st XV 43pts Lincoln 1st XV 14pts

With the Showground still underwater after the thaw, this fixture was relocated to Chesterfield rather than add to the fixture pileup. And the change paid off for Mannerians as they produced some cracking rugby in recording their biggest ever victory over the imps.

Throughout the game Mannerians were the dominant force, but unforced errors and a tendency to over play on occasion allowed Lincoln to stay in touch in the first half. Indeed the visitors took the lead after capitalizing on a home mistake to claim a converted try. This was countered by a Will Moroney penalty, and Mannerians were bristling with threats, particularly from the counter attacking Tom Crapper and Ben Hopkinson – who had built on his bewilderment at finding Grimsby to be near the sea by almost failing to find Chesterfield at all.

The second half was all blue, with an astonishing point-a-minute return. At the interval, skipper Ed Hutchinson told his forwards: “Give us the ammunition and we will do the job.” And they did. The first try came as Martin Pearce and Paul Webster conspired to steal a Lincoln ball against the head. Hopkinson picked up at the base and committed the defence then found powerhouse Moroney who ploughed over for Mannerians’ first of the day. Moroney’s conversion from wide of his own try was soon followed by a period of exemplary attacking rugby.

Mannerians’ pack was getting the nudge on Lincoln in the scrummage and this was giving flankers Josh Bagshawe and Ben Sizer the chance to harry and scavenge as the visitors retreated. In a classic example of this, Bagshawe – having one of his best games in Mannerian colours - turned over the ball from the clutches of the harassed Lincoln fly half and launched the attack. The skipper and centre partner Jack Duncan cut a swathe through the defence and Elsworth was in for his first.

Manager Joe Oldfield then decided to make a few changes. The slightly batty David Greagsby came on for an ailing Max Crampton, and Nick Morgan came in at centre with Duncan reverting to full back. Greagsby helped ensure the Lincoln scrum was kept under the cosh and Morgan’s straight-running style gave the away defence another conundrum with which to grapple. Having previously made their scores out wide, Mannerians began to attack through the middle. Tom Oldfield cut in from his wing, Morgan and Hutchinson combined in the centre and the forwards carried the ball forward via Dan Driscoll and the ubiquitous Tom Spencer, and Mannerians had the unusual scenario of a 3-man overlap of forwards with Sizer claiming the points.

Elsworth’s second came after Mannerians had broken Lincoln hearts with some vigorous counter-rucking by Webster, Spencer and the wee Josh Bagshawe, which saw the ball snaffled and shipped to Elsworth’s wing, where his trickery and change of pace took him past the defence and under the posts. Spencer’s vigour took its inevitable toll, and he took a precautionary early bath, giving Peter Fearn a welcome return to action. Fearn was quickly into the thick of things, causing mayhem in the loose, then on hand to score under the posts after a well worked set move featuring a blistering break from the skipper.

By now the light was fading fast, but Mannerians continued to play some lovely stuff, building four, five, sometimes six phases and were only denied by creditably resilient tacking by the visitors. The home flamboyance did take its toll though, and Mannerians tried to weave some magic by taking a quick throw in their own half. Unfortunately the attempt was a little laboured and Mannerians were caught in possession by Lincoln, who hacked through for a consolation.

The game quickly returned to its previous pattern and Mannerians were back on the attack. Measured percentage play, driven forward by Moroney’s cultured boot, took Hutchinson’s side back into Lincoln territory. Quick rucking saw the ball worked out to the backs and Duncan made an arching run before slipping Elsworth his hat trick pass. Moroney’s fifth conversion was the game’s fitting conclusion.

Manager Oldfield was thrilled by his side’s second half rally. “That was a fantastic 40 minutes,” cooed Oldfield. “I thought we showed enough promise in the first half but somehow the execution wasn’t quite there. I always knew it would come though.” As he sat in the bath pampering his young braves, Oldfield’s thoughts turned to the next game. “I’m sure Loughborough will be an altogether different prospect next week. We won’t be allowed the luxury of a half to get bedded in – we’ll need to have our tails up from the first whistle to the last.”

Team:

Crapper (Morgan 50); Elsworth, Hutchinson (c), Duncan, Oldfield; Moroney, Bagshawe E; Crampton (Greagsby 50), Webster, Pearce, Spencer (Fearn 55), Driscoll, Bagshawe J, Sizer, Hopkinson.

Scorers:

Tries:

Elsworth (3), Moroney, Sizer, Fearn

Conversions:

Moroney (5)

Penalty:

Moroney