The Nuns secured the Warwickshire Cup for a second successive season with a 38-29 victory over Broadstreet RFC at Coventry’s Butts Park Arena. They crossed for 6 tries through Ben Kirby, Arron Skyrme, Joe Wilson, Lewis Cox, Toby Dearden and Ben Dawes with 4 conversions from Huw Thomas (3) and Joe Wilson.

With a club tour taking place to Belgium on the same weekend the squad was much changed but showed the depth of playing resources the club have developed recently. In the front row were Ryan Marsh, Toby Dearden with his first start of the season after breaking his ankle in preseason and Ben Dawes. Benji Mitchell and Rudi Reid partnered in the second row and James Lloyd, Zeb Gibson and Arron Skyrme were on the back row. Head coach Huw Thomas was called into action at scrum half to partner Joe Wilson, a debut for Lewis Cox in the centre having stepped up from Colts last year and been a regular in the Saxons this season, he was partnered with Ben Kirby and there was another debut for another former Colt Lachan Pollock on the wing with Tak Chawadya and Mike Volaikisuva completing the starting 15. The bench was made of Dave Darker, Tyler Freeman, James O’Donoghue, Thor Sidhu, Ben Stewart, Ben Gilbert and current Colt James Astin.

The Nuns started the game on the front foot and showed some strong carries from the forwards but it was Broadstreet that got the first points of the afternoon with an 8th minute penalty to lead 0-3.

In a game with both sides trying to get themselves going it was the Nuns that crossed for the first try of the afternoon when Kirby picked from a
ruck and scooted down the blindside to cross for the score in the corner. Wilson’s conversion went wide but the Nuns lead 5-3 after 15 minutes.

They then extended their lead in the 21st minute. After a number of scrum penalties were won, Broadstreet had a prop yellow carded. It was no surprise then for the scrum option chosen and as the pack drove over the line Skyrme dotted the ball down. Wilson added the conversion to move the score to 12-3.

Broadstreet then hit back with two opportunist tries in the 28th and 33rd minute. Firstly, they had a lineout on the Nuns 22m and when the
ball was over thrown it was collected by their prop who ran through untouched for a converted try, 12-10. Then just five minutes later, after putting up a high kick which was spilled by the Nuns the chasing players gathered the loose ball to run in from 35m out to score under the posts moving the score to 12-17.

As the game moved towards half time Broadstreet collected their second yellow card of the game for a high tackle in the 36th minute and then
the Nuns crossed for their 3rd try just before half time. The ball was moved across the pitch and using the extra man they stretched the defence for Wilson to step inside the covering defence for the try which was unconverted. The score was now 17 all which remained the same until half time.

The Nuns kicked off the second knowing that they needed to be more accurate with ball in hand and in defence to keep their opponents at bay but ‘Street also showing that they wouldn’t give up throughout the game.

After just 2 minutes of the half, Pollock went of injured to be replaced by Astin on the wing.

It was Broadstreet that got on the score board first with an outstanding individual effort. The Nuns were penalised for an early push in a scrum with Broadstreet 10m from their own line. Their number 8 then tapped and broke through some questionable defending to go 90m and score by the posts, with the conversion added the score went to 17-24 in the 49th minute.

It only took the Nuns a few minutes to get back level. Playing with advantage Wilson rolled back the years with a chip over the defence, on half way, which he gathered and ran through drawing the last defender to put in Cox for a try on his debut. Thomas added the conversion bringing the score to 24 all after 52 minutes.

With the game still tight Broadstreet put some phases of play together and crossed for their fourth try with a close finish from a ruck for their centre. The conversion was missed but the led again 24-29 after 57 minutes.

With a quarter of the game left, the Nuns started to dominate possession and territory but the Broadstreet defence was holding firm. The Nuns were in held up over the line once and a little inaccuracy saw another couple of close opportunities disappear.

Finally, in the 70th minute Dearden got on the ball from a line out catch and drive, and with the help of the pack they crossed the try line 15m
in from touch to score. Thomas added the conversion to put the Nuns back in front 31-29.

As they pushed to further extend their lead the Nuns built pressure but Broadstreet, to their credit, dug deep in defence. After a couple of scrum resets a penalty was awarded and then from a tapped play Dawes carried and crashed over the line and under the posts for the sixth try. Thomas’s conversion pushed the score to 38-29 after 77 minutes.

The Nuns closed the game out despite a late yellow card for Darker just before the referee blew for the final whistle.

And so the season ended with a successful defence of the Warwickshire Cup which added some silverware to a successful season overall.

Reflecting at the end of the game, head coach Huw Thomas added “Really happy to retain the Cup this year and to do it with a number of players stepping up is a real positive for us. We had to battle hard for 80 minutes against a side that didn’t give up. We may have conceded a few tries but that was down to our slips and inaccuracy of a new group together but we pulled through to win well in the end.”

1 Ryan Marsh 2 Toby Dearden 3 Ben Dawes 4 Rudi Reid 5 Benji Mitchell 6 James Lloyd 7 Zeb Gibson 8 Arron Skyrme 9 Huw Thomas 10 Joe Wilson 11 Lachan Pollock 12 Lewis Cox 13 Ben Kirby 14 Tak Chawadya 15 Mike Volaikisuva; 16 Tyler Freeman 17 Dave Darker 18 James O’Donoghue 19 Thor Sidhu 20 Ben Stewart 21 Ben Gilbert 22 James Astin