LEICESTER LIONS 24-48 ROSSLYN PARK
SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER
By RHYS STRATTON
Jordan Martin got the scoring started just 5 minutes into the contest when the powerful second row received the ball on a hard line a few phases after a set-piece in the final third and barrelled his way over. The hosts responded well to conceding, however, and soon levelled the score through Rafe Witheat who got on the end of a Luke Bouchier chip over the top whilst under a penalty advantage. The subsequent 20 minutes were dominated by Park as the 1st XV extended the lead with two more tries and 3 points from the tee. First, a Charlie Walker break which forced the opposition back 50m into their own 22 provided the platform for Josh Bragman to power his way over several phases later, with the big outside half sitting down his opposite number on his way to the line. Then, yet another monstrous Park carry, this time by James Cordy-Redden, resulted in the third Park score just seconds after Leicester had collapsed a maul 5 metres out. Bragman would extend the lead to 17 a few minutes before half-time thanks to an offside infringement by the home side outside their 22.
However, despite having had the better of the first 40 minutes, two late scores by the Lions shrank the lead to 5 within just 2 minutes. James Stubbs dotting down after the hosts had regathered the restart following the penalty was quickly followed by Reuben Logan scooping up a loose clearing kick to score with the clock in the red.
The 1st XV began the second period with purpose, clearly frustrated with having conceded before the break and the pressure soon told when a yellow card for Logan for a high tackle on Archie Hosking was quickly punished with a second try for Martin as the big man finished coolly under pressure in the corner. Then, Walker and Benji Marfo combined from a scrum in our own half to execute a sublime move that saw the winger dot down untouched. Following a tense period in the match in which neither team could produce much continuity, Marfo would go on to complete his brace with 10 minutes left to play. After a monstrous Park maul had rumbled its way down from the halfway line to inside the hosts’ 22, Marfo hit a half-gap at full tilt and carried 3 Leicester tacklers over the line with him. The match looked to be finished when the Jake Sterland crossed over in the 79th minute to secure a losing bonus-point for the home side, but a cleverly taken tap-and-go penalty from an infringement at the restart saw Ewan Fenley dive over with the clock in the red to finish the match in style.
ROSSLYN PARK
Tries: Martin (6’, 49’), Bragman (22’), Cordy-Redden (28’), Marfo (52’, 72’), Fenley (80’)
Conversions: Bragman (7’, 23’, 29’, 50’), James (73’)
Penalties: Bragman (38’)
Yellow Cards: N/A
Team: Cade, Miller, Charalambous, Gillanders, Martin, Spencer, Hosking, Wrafter, C. Mulchrone, Bragman, Marfo, Manihera, Smith, Cordy-Redden, Walker
Replacements: Cameron, Woodward, Ellis, Fenley, James
LEICESTER LIONS
Tries: Witheat (9’), Stubbs (39’), Logan (40’), Sterland (79’)
Conversions: Bouchier (10’, 39’)
Penalties: N/A
Yellow Cards: Logan (43’)
Team: Roberts, Taylor, Thompson, Godefroy, Almond, Johnson, Murdoch, Logan, Stubbs, Bouchier, Sterland, Davies, Pope, Witheat, Brock
Replacements: Allen, Romano, Palmer, Mannion, Weimann
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Birmingham Moseley 19 – 30 Rotherham Titans
Bishop’s Stortford 31 – 43 Richmond
Dings Crusaders 46 – 20 Darlington Mowden Park
Plymouth Albion 16 – 21 Rams
Sale FC 33 – 22 Esher
Sedgley Park 24 – 36 Blackheath
In Round 8 of National League One rugby, Dings Crusaders and Sale emerged as the only sides to secure a home victory as they defeated the bottom two sides, DMP and Esher respectively. Elsewhere, Richmond and Blackheath joined Park in picking up bonus point wins away from home whilst Rotherham and Rams both won but failed to come away with the full 5 points. The Reading outfit’s narrow win in Plymouth was just the second match this season in which the league leaders could not secure the try bonus.
Up Next for Park is a home stand against Bishop’s Stortford under the Friday Night Lights on the 8th! Tickets are on sale here – https://bit.ly/4fgqEzw