Nuneaton 38 Leicester Forest 17

The Nuns kept pressure and a pace with Lutterworth at the top of the table with a 12th bonus point win on the spin with a 38-17 win over Leicester Forest on Saturday. The visitors gave a good account of themselves which forced the Nuns to dig deep at times to keep their run of wins going. Tries scorers on the day were a Ben Dawes hat trick and then tries for Rudi Reid, George Wallis and Harry Healy with Lucas Brindley adding 4 conversions. The Nuns made a couple of changes to the side with Nick Walton and James Lloyd switching from starters to bench and in the back line Ben Kirby started at scrum half with Tom Smitham unavailable and Joe Wilson failed a late fitness test which saw Harry Healy start and Mike Volaikisuva come on to the bench.

The Nuns started the game on the front foot and their pressure paid in the 8th minute when Reid made a line break from 22m out to cross under the posts leaving Brindley with a simple conversion and giving a 7-0 lead.

Leicester Forest came back on 13 minutes. With a penalty kick put to the corner, they came up with a smart line out play to cross from 5m out but unconverted leaving the score 7-5

As the Nuns started to get back into their rhythm they put their guests under more pressure. From a line out drive 10m out the ball was recycled in field and Dawes took a short pop to barrel over from close range, 14-5 after 17 minutes.

Then in the 27th minute, from another line out catch and drive Wallis broke free from a maul to run through for a try which Brindley again converted taking the sore to 21-5. The score remained the same until half time but the Nuns had some more pressure as the game went on.

The Nuns started the second half on the front foot and on 50 minutes Dawes got his second try from a tap penalty and then he completed his hat trick in the 61st minute. After Leicester Forest received a yellow card to their prop for scrum penalties, the ball was recycled and from a meter out Dawes picked and burrowed over. Brindley added one conversion taking the score to 33-5.

To their credit Forest came back in whilst reduced in numbers. They picked up their second try on 64 minutes after some pressure in the corner and then on 73 minutes got their third after a line break 20m out allowed their centre to cross under the posts. One conversion was added to bring the score to 31-17.

The Nuns finished the game on the front foot though. After a scrum on half way, Wood and Volaikisuva linked up well down the blind side to gain 30m before the ball was moved from one touch line to the other to allow Healy to round the last defender and get his first try of the season.

With a final score of 38-17 to the Nuns meaning that next weekend clash with Lutterworth takes on significance as both sides are locked on 89 points with just two games to go.

Head Coach Huw Thomas added “We have had to work a lot harder to break down the opposition this week which is a test we needed going into what is now a very big game at Lutterworth. We perhaps weren’t as crisp and clinical as we have been today but the lads will be keen to put in the hard work now moving forward. Great to see Harry Healy and Mike Volaikisuva get game time in the 1st team as we expand our squad moving forward too.”

1 James Redman 2 Toby Dearden 3 Ben Dawes 4 Rudi Reid 5 Tom Aherne 6 James Lloyd 7 George Wallis 8 Martin Wood 9 Ben Kirby 10 Lucas Brindley 11 Harry Healy 12 Tom Eales 13 Ryan Preston 14 Harry Beverley 15 Travis Bennett-Allcock; 16 Ben Holmes 17 Nick Walton 18 Mike Volaikisuva