Sheffield RUFC 14 - 7 Leicester Lions RFC

Sheffield battle hard and are rewarded with that little bit of luck that comes with real hard work

Sheffield RUFC 14 - 7 Leicester Lions RFC

Team Selection for Saturday, 2nd December 2017

15. Fergus Wood
14. Rupert Broadley
13. Jamie Pearson
12. Frankie Robson
11. Gareth Morley
10. Matt Law
9. Steve Depledge

1. Ben Whitney
2. Sam Graham
3. Dan Rylance
4. Dom Parsons (Capt)
5. Dave Clayden
6. Connor Mitchell
7. Sean Casey
8. Gareth Burns

Replacements
22. Tommy Marples (FR)
24. Joe Cooke (FR)
20. Angus Hughes (FR)
19. Thulani Kuyumani
18. Lewis Bowman

Having had last weekend's match away to Macclesfield postponed, ostensibly for snow on the pitch, Sheffield were able to bring back Joe Cooke from injury as front row replacement, but at the expense of Dale Hobson, who drops to the twos, and also Gareth Morley on the wing with Lewis Bowman dropping to the bench. However, we once again started the match without the services of Tom Womack, Jonny France, Ryan Seabright, Ianto Jones and Andy Hodgson. We also saw the introduction of the back row player Thulani Kuyumani, who has long languished in the twos.

With Leicester Lions lying in 7th place in the table, with 33 points and 7 wins in their 12 matches this was never going to be anything but a challenge for the home team. The early period of the match saw both sides making a number of unforced errors and both giving away unnecessary penalties. The first of these penalties to afford an opportunity for points came to Leicester Lions after eight minutes. However, after some wayward early kicking out of hand, Leicester elected to go for touch, obviously in the belief that their pack had the wherewithal to over power the home team up front and rack up tries for a bonus point. Their effort almost came to fruition but referee Rayner declared the drive was held up over the line. Leicester kept banging on the door, but Sheffield defended with an intensity not often seen this season. Leicester were awarded a further penalty on 13 minutes, but once again turned down the opportunity and went for the line out. Leicester knocked on and Sheffield were able to clear their line, but only to give Leicester line out on the twenty two. Sheffield stole the line out, but fly half Matt Law's kick was charged down and after a scramble the Lions had another line out 10 metres out. Leicester were soon awarded two further penalties, the second being in a very kickable position. However, they once more elected for touch and the power of their pack. In the ensuing Lions attack Sheffield were deemed to have stopped the drive illegally and scrum half Steve Depledge was despatched to the sin bin after 22 minutes. Leicester went to touch again, but were once again repelled by a fourteen man Sheffield. The effort and the failure to breach the Sheffield defence quite obviously deflated the Leicester players and Sheffield gained some ascendancy, both in terms of territory and possession. The remainder of the half was played very much in the middle of the park and neither side looked in any way likely to score by any means and the half ended at nil all.

The second half was no less attritional, with neither side giving any quarter. However, after 50 minutes and with Sheffield on the drive in Leicester's half, the drive was deemed to have been held up and the ball turned over on the Leicester 10 metre line. From the resulting scrum Leicester broke down the right and caught Sheffield's defence missing and after a number of interchange passes we saw the Lions right wing James wise crash over in the corner. Fly half Jonathan Boden added the conversion from the touch line and the visitors led by 7 points to nil. Three minutes later Sheffield had a penalty about 25 metres out, but Steve Depledge's effort was pulled to the left of the post and the scoreboard was unchallenged. As the match moved into the 4th quarter Sheffield were awarded a number of penalties enabling them to make headway into the Lions half and in a similar manner to the Lions try, Sheffield went off down the left wing with the Lions defence in disarray, with Fergus Wood finishing the move off from fully 20 metres out to touch down adjacent to the post. Steve Depledge added the conversion and the scores were tied at 7 points all after 62 minutes.

The battle continued to rage, and it was a battle. Despite the lack of points on the board this was a thoroughly enthralling contest, with neither side giving an inch. Then with barely w3 minutes left, Leicester Lions had a penalty, which if kicked looked as if it would win the match, but with what was his easiest kick, Jonathan Boden fluffed his lines and the script remained without an ending. Sheffield dropped out, Leicester were deemed to have erred and Sheffield had a penalty which Matt Law put into touch inside the Lions 10 metre. Leicester were penalised at the line out and Sheffield had a chance to steal the match with a difficult kick at goal. The honour went to fly half Matt Law, who did not strike the ball well. Time was up the ball fell to the Lions defence who decided to have one last shot at winning the match with a score at the other end. They went for broke spinning the ball along the three quarter line inside their own 22, but as the ball went out to the left wing, replacement wing Lewis Bowman went for broke himself, and the Gods were with him. He intercepted the pass high above his head, managed to hang on and crashed over the Lions try line under the posts. Matt Law added the conversion and Mr Rayner blew for time and Sheffield had won a remarkable victory, only their second of the season.

Scoring:-

Time	Scorer	Type of Score	Team	Score		Score
Minutes				Home		Away
				Team		Team
1st Half
			Half Time	0	-	0
2nd Half
50	James Wise (14)	Try (1)	Leicester Lions RFC	0	-	5
50 + 1	Jonathan Boden (10)	Conversion (1)	Leicester Lions RFC	0	-	7
52	Steve Depledge (9)	Missed Penalty	Sheffield RUFC	0	-	7
62	Fergus Wood (15)	Try (1)	Sheffield RUFC	5	-	7
62 + 1	Steve Depledge (9)	Conversion (1)	Sheffield RUFC	7	-	7
77	Jonathan Boden (10)	Missed Penalty	Leicester Lions RFC	7	-	7
80	Lewis Bowman	Try (2)	Sheffield RUFC	12	-	7
80 + 1	Matt Law (10)	Conversion (2)	Sheffield RUFC	14	-	7
			Full Time	14	-	7