Back
Sat 01 Oct 2011 · Midlands 4 West (South)
1st XVCoventry Welsh
Tries: P Cart, D Joyce, D Jukes, J Aaron, G ClaxtonConversions: D Joyce (3), J AaronPenalties: D Joyce
36
3
Park whack Welsh with five-try win
Bobby Bridge2 Oct 2011 - 09:03
Share via
A THREE week break from first team action brought none of the often associated rusty play as Manor Park clinically saw off their opponents with a five try victory.
Head coach Lee Maddison was handed one selection headache when his own hamstring injury forced him into selecting openside flanker Luke Powell at inside centre.
After starring for the second team the previous week, Nathan Steel was promoted to first team action to anchor the scrum at eight, as part of an all-action back row with Glenn Waters and Gaz Hammond.
Sam Haslam also earned his place in the second-row and Lee Joyce, fresh from scoring his first try of the season the previous weekend, started on the wing.
Manor’s first opportunity to break the deadlock arrived three minutes into the match when Dan Joyce hooked a penalty strike wide.
Welsh’s hurried clearance reached the 22 and from the resulting lineout Park drived deep towards the line working infield before a penalty was awarded, Dan Joyce nudging over from close range. 3-0.
After losing one lineout to an overthrow early on, Lee Critchlow and his jumpers Steel and Hammond became a ruthlessly efficient operation for the home side.
It was Hammond’s take at four with his finger tips which led to a rolling maul, with ten metres still to go Waters picked and drove to within a metre before team mate Paul Cart wrestled the ball from a static position to touchdown between a melee of defenders in the far left corner.
After enduring a torrid time with the boot last week, Dan Joyce showed his confidence remained undettered as he converted fantastically to give Manor an early 10-0 lead.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic however, Coventry Welsh’s outside centre picked a brilliant line from inside his own half racing forward 30 metres before offloading to his number eight team mate.
It was to be Powell’s only mistake in an accomplished display alongside captain Adam Jardine in the centres.
With support runners to his left and right, a moment of panick struck and he punted aimlessly into touch to his own instint disgust.
But Welsh did get on the scoreboard soon after when Jukes was ankle tapped, hit the deck and rapidly returned to his feet – only to be whistled for not releasing the ball in the tackle – to his bemusement and dismay of a big home crowd. Welsh kicked the penalty to reduce the defecit to seven. 10-3.
Jukes atoned for his “error” soon after, racing down the blindside from a scrum, desperate covering defence forced an offload to Lee Joyce, who showed good awareness to pop back inside to his brother Dan to dive over clinically in the corner. The conversion attempt narrowly failed to hit its target, making the score 15-3.
Park went on the search for another score before half-time, but it was a loose offload which allowed Welsh an unexpected attack, intercepting and a good exchange of hands led to a visiting player powering towards the line only for Powell and Critchlow to produce some stunning tryline defence – a familiar theme for Manor this season.
Welsh needed to keep the ball in hand and from inside their own half launched a multi-phase attack, but were met with some ferocious defence from Steel and Sam Haslam, Cart saw the opportunity to turn over a ruck and earned his side a penalty, but himself an injury. Joyce hit the penalty strike wide of the right post.
Yet more forraging work, this time by Haslam earned a turnover in the Welsh 22, Park spun wide but a loose pass to Steel saw the attack break down.
The final play of the half saw Dan Joyce attempt a crossfield kick inside his own 22 to Lee Joyce, only for the well floated kick to drift metres from his grasp and into touch. Halftime score 15-3.
The first play of the second half was potentially disastrous for Park when Gary Lakin dropped the kick off five metres from his own line, but his own sterling defence earned his side a penalty from the resulting scrum and instant atonement for his error.
It was to be the visitor’s only glimpse of a try in the second half, as Park punished any penalty and turnover with big touch finders – and with a lineout providing banker ball the backs licked their lips with anticipation as they went in search of securing a try scoring bonus point.
From five metres out Critchlow threw to Steel and a maul was held up with the try line in touching distance, showing great composure, Lakin span to Dan Joyce who inturn fed Jukes on a familiar searing angle to bust a flailing tackler to score a beautiful try from a setpiece. Joyce landed a tough conversion to make the score 22-3.
The bonus point Manor craved, and their play warranted came from a moment of pure opportunism and no little amounts of skill and incredible pace.
Lakin box kicked from the base of a ruck 20 metres forward, winger Gary Claxton kept his eyes firmly on the ball leaping high to claim the ball inside his own half, instantly he stepped infield shrugging off a tackler before sprinting clear to run fully 60 metres to score a sublimb try which Joyce again converted, 29-3.
Joe Reynolds entered the fray for the first time after injuring his shoulder in the first pre-season match of the summer and showed he was match sharp, breaking brilliantly from inside his own half reaching the 22 before eventually running out of support runners.
After entering proceedings at half-time in place of Lee Joyce, Jim Aaron ran hard and true with every opportunity he had gaining his side precious yards .
His hard work was rewarded with five minutes to play, Jukes covered a clearing kick pivoting on his ten metre line and ghosting through two tacklers with a devilish step and speeding deep into enemy territory.
The supporting Waters received an offload before finding Aaron who cut a brilliant line to eventually score under the posts for a try he converted himself.
While this moment of beautiful counter-attacking rugby ensued, the ugly side of the sport, and the opposition reared its head as Lakin and an opponent, locked in an embrace resulted in Lakin received a blatant knee to the head opening up a 5cm gash above his right eye-brow.
It was a bittersweet moment to end the match, but it did little too dampen the spirit of Manor Park who will be looking to extend that record away at Rugby Welsh next weekend.
Mprfc.co.uk forward of the match; Sam Haslam
Mprfc.co.uk back of the match; Dan Joyce
Manor Park; Fitzpatrick, Critchlow, Cart, Kemp, Haslam, Hammond, Waters, Steel, Lakin, D.Joyce, Powell, Jardine, L.Joyce, Claxton, Jukes. Subs, all used; Marston, Goode, Aaron, Reynolds.
After starring for the second team the previous week, Nathan Steel was promoted to first team action to anchor the scrum at eight, as part of an all-action back row with Glenn Waters and Gaz Hammond.
Sam Haslam also earned his place in the second-row and Lee Joyce, fresh from scoring his first try of the season the previous weekend, started on the wing.
Manor’s first opportunity to break the deadlock arrived three minutes into the match when Dan Joyce hooked a penalty strike wide.
Welsh’s hurried clearance reached the 22 and from the resulting lineout Park drived deep towards the line working infield before a penalty was awarded, Dan Joyce nudging over from close range. 3-0.
After losing one lineout to an overthrow early on, Lee Critchlow and his jumpers Steel and Hammond became a ruthlessly efficient operation for the home side.
It was Hammond’s take at four with his finger tips which led to a rolling maul, with ten metres still to go Waters picked and drove to within a metre before team mate Paul Cart wrestled the ball from a static position to touchdown between a melee of defenders in the far left corner.
After enduring a torrid time with the boot last week, Dan Joyce showed his confidence remained undettered as he converted fantastically to give Manor an early 10-0 lead.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic however, Coventry Welsh’s outside centre picked a brilliant line from inside his own half racing forward 30 metres before offloading to his number eight team mate.
It was to be Powell’s only mistake in an accomplished display alongside captain Adam Jardine in the centres.
With support runners to his left and right, a moment of panick struck and he punted aimlessly into touch to his own instint disgust.
But Welsh did get on the scoreboard soon after when Jukes was ankle tapped, hit the deck and rapidly returned to his feet – only to be whistled for not releasing the ball in the tackle – to his bemusement and dismay of a big home crowd. Welsh kicked the penalty to reduce the defecit to seven. 10-3.
Jukes atoned for his “error” soon after, racing down the blindside from a scrum, desperate covering defence forced an offload to Lee Joyce, who showed good awareness to pop back inside to his brother Dan to dive over clinically in the corner. The conversion attempt narrowly failed to hit its target, making the score 15-3.
Park went on the search for another score before half-time, but it was a loose offload which allowed Welsh an unexpected attack, intercepting and a good exchange of hands led to a visiting player powering towards the line only for Powell and Critchlow to produce some stunning tryline defence – a familiar theme for Manor this season.
Welsh needed to keep the ball in hand and from inside their own half launched a multi-phase attack, but were met with some ferocious defence from Steel and Sam Haslam, Cart saw the opportunity to turn over a ruck and earned his side a penalty, but himself an injury. Joyce hit the penalty strike wide of the right post.
Yet more forraging work, this time by Haslam earned a turnover in the Welsh 22, Park spun wide but a loose pass to Steel saw the attack break down.
The final play of the half saw Dan Joyce attempt a crossfield kick inside his own 22 to Lee Joyce, only for the well floated kick to drift metres from his grasp and into touch. Halftime score 15-3.
The first play of the second half was potentially disastrous for Park when Gary Lakin dropped the kick off five metres from his own line, but his own sterling defence earned his side a penalty from the resulting scrum and instant atonement for his error.
It was to be the visitor’s only glimpse of a try in the second half, as Park punished any penalty and turnover with big touch finders – and with a lineout providing banker ball the backs licked their lips with anticipation as they went in search of securing a try scoring bonus point.
From five metres out Critchlow threw to Steel and a maul was held up with the try line in touching distance, showing great composure, Lakin span to Dan Joyce who inturn fed Jukes on a familiar searing angle to bust a flailing tackler to score a beautiful try from a setpiece. Joyce landed a tough conversion to make the score 22-3.
The bonus point Manor craved, and their play warranted came from a moment of pure opportunism and no little amounts of skill and incredible pace.
Lakin box kicked from the base of a ruck 20 metres forward, winger Gary Claxton kept his eyes firmly on the ball leaping high to claim the ball inside his own half, instantly he stepped infield shrugging off a tackler before sprinting clear to run fully 60 metres to score a sublimb try which Joyce again converted, 29-3.
Joe Reynolds entered the fray for the first time after injuring his shoulder in the first pre-season match of the summer and showed he was match sharp, breaking brilliantly from inside his own half reaching the 22 before eventually running out of support runners.
After entering proceedings at half-time in place of Lee Joyce, Jim Aaron ran hard and true with every opportunity he had gaining his side precious yards .
His hard work was rewarded with five minutes to play, Jukes covered a clearing kick pivoting on his ten metre line and ghosting through two tacklers with a devilish step and speeding deep into enemy territory.
The supporting Waters received an offload before finding Aaron who cut a brilliant line to eventually score under the posts for a try he converted himself.
While this moment of beautiful counter-attacking rugby ensued, the ugly side of the sport, and the opposition reared its head as Lakin and an opponent, locked in an embrace resulted in Lakin received a blatant knee to the head opening up a 5cm gash above his right eye-brow.
It was a bittersweet moment to end the match, but it did little too dampen the spirit of Manor Park who will be looking to extend that record away at Rugby Welsh next weekend.
Mprfc.co.uk forward of the match; Sam Haslam
Mprfc.co.uk back of the match; Dan Joyce
Manor Park; Fitzpatrick, Critchlow, Cart, Kemp, Haslam, Hammond, Waters, Steel, Lakin, D.Joyce, Powell, Jardine, L.Joyce, Claxton, Jukes. Subs, all used; Marston, Goode, Aaron, Reynolds.
Further reading
Team Sponsors