Longlevens RFC

Due to the game earlier in the season being cancelled, this was the first time these two sides had met, so it was difficult to know what to expect. Results had suggested The Griffins would be heavy favourites and the players were confident of the win, but as things turned out, they didn’t have things all their own way.

Levens got off to their usual fast start with two tries in the opening eight minutes, the first coming from Number 8, Matt Fatica. From a Sarries scrum on the half way line the ball was taken against the head following good work from the pack. Fatica scooped up from the back and set off around the scrum, probably expecting to be tackled, however he was able to break three tackles and sprint clear to go under the posts, converted by Ben Furley, 7-0. This was followed up by a try for Matt Smith, who fielded a clearance kick from the Sarries 10, stepped four defenders and going in from the half way line, 14-0. Sarries got on the scoresheet with a penalty soon after making the score 14-3.

Smith was involved again 10 minutes later when Mike Yorke added a third. Smith fielded another loose kick and set off on a mazy run to the right touch line. The ball was worked back left for Yorke to beat the outside cover to go over in the corner, conversion failed, 19-0.

The bonus point was secured after 20 minutes when centre Sam Oliver went over for a rare score. From a lineout on the right the forwards secured possession, allowing the backs to move the ball to the wider channels on the left. The ball was then worked back right, sucking in defenders and providing the overlap for Oliver to be clear to dot down, no conversion, 24-3.

Levens then started to relax too much, thinking the job was already done. This allowed Sarries into the game and they secured a try of their own on 25 minutes, utilising their short game well to crash over from short range, 24-10.

The game then ebbed and flowed with Levens making some mistakes and poor decisions, until finally, on the stroke of half time they managed a fifth. The forwards set up a good catch and drive from a close range lineout and trundled near the line. Scrum half Henry York then took control and broke away right to power over, again no conversion, 29-10.

The second half started in much the same way as the first with Matt Smith able to cross the line after a minute. Possession was won from the kick off and the forwards were able to offload and move away from contact. The ball was moved through the hands to the space out wide and Smith showed good pace to cross in the left corner, 34-10.

There was a 15 minute period of inaction as the game died as a spectacle, with the game won and not much of a challenge coming from the opposition. This was rectified on the hour mark by Mike Yorke, who was on hand from a Smith break to go in under the posts to make the score 39-10. To their credit Sarries then began to apply some continuous pressure, resulting in a try from some short range pick and go phases, bringing the scores closer than expected, 39-15.

This did the job of waking Levens up and they were able to add 14 more points through Kory Holman-Jones and Dave Edwards. Holman-Jones used his pace and power to break tackles in the 22 to go over close to the posts, but it was down to Edwards to score the try of the day. Not many people know that Edwards has classical dance training, and he used these skills well to dummy and pirouette through the defence and delicately place the ball down over the line, making the final score 53-15.

This game was not a classic by anyone’s assessment, but it kept Longlevens in the hunt for the league title, and with Clifton losing again, we are now in pole position. A win against Clifton on 26^th March would almost certainly see the title end up at Longford Lane.