The Nuns welcomed Warwickshire side Silhillians to Liberty Way for a first ever league meeting between the sides on Saturday in search of a win after three defeats. Sils were one place and five league points behind the Nuns and a win would allow the hosts to push up the table. Making a number of changes to the side through some returning bodies but also some other unavailability. In came Ryan Marsh, James Moreton, Jack Iles and Rudi Reid to the pack for Redman, Aherne, Skyrme and Cornwall. In the backline, Tom Smitham returned at scrum half with Kirby moving to full back, Lucas Brindley returned to the starting team, after a broken thumb in preseason, at centre and top try scorer Travis Bennett-Allcock came back in on the wing.

Securing the win with a final score of 21-17, points came from a try and 3 conversions for Joe Wilson with Martin Wood and Bennett-Allcock crossing for tries.

The match started in good conditions for the time of year and it was the visitors that secured the opening points when, from a high tackle penalty, they chose to kick at goal which was successful to give them a 3rd minute lead, 0-3.

The Nuns came fighting straight back and after putting Sils under a sustained period of pressure they crossed for a try. Recycling the ball a number of times in the visitors 22m, Smitham slipped an inside pass to Wilson near a ruck who strode through untouched under the posts for the try. With a routine conversion the score was 7-3 after 14 minutes.

The Nuns then set themselves to try and add to their score and for the rest of the half they dominated possession and territory. Set scrum penalties were won across the pitch and a number of attacks were set up deep in the Sils half but the score wouldn’t come. Held up over the line once, a couple of missed opportunities at line out time and some never say die defence just wouldn’t allow them to get the ball across the line even when Sils were reduced to 14 men for persistent penalty offences.

As the half drew to a close, the Nuns were reduced down to 14 as Wood picked up a yellow card for a penalty offence in the home 22m. But from the mark, Sils took a tap and play only to be met by a solid defensive tackle, ball knocked on and then another scrum penalty to the Nuns to relieve the pressure.

Halt time, 7-3 to the Nuns.

The second half got under way and it was the visitors who got their noses ahead on 45 minutes. After a line break in the 22m they took the ball up to the 5m line and then when recycled Harry Beverley made a tackle when retiring onside. The referee awarded a penalty try as well as a yellow card, 7-10 to Sils.

On the 54th minute the Nuns retook the lead. A penalty was kicked in to the 22m and from the line out 15m out, Wood gathered the ball then sprinted from the maul to cross for a try which Wilson upgraded for the Nuns to retake the lead 14-10.

The Nuns then kept up the pressure on the visitors and after some more concerted territory and possession worked a third try. From a scrum, the backs moved the ball wide and Bennett-Allcock crossed for his 12th try of the season with Wilson converting to move the score to 21-10.

The Nuns now started to push for the 4th try bonus point and got themselves into some good positions for this but couldn’t take their chances.

Sils came back to make for a tense finish when they got a score on 72 minutes. From a quick tap penalty then under advantage they slipped a ball to their centre on an angle who scored and the conversion added to make the score 21-17.

On 75 minutes the Nuns won a penalty which they sent in to the 22m but unfortunately couldn’t secure the ball and then two minutes later they again couldn’t take advantage of a deep line out drive.

The game finished with a Nuns turn over in the Sils 22m but they were unable to cross for the 4th try, which is the first time this season that they haven’t. The referee blew his whistle for a knock on and the game ended 21-17.

The Nuns secured their 3rd win of the season and moved themselves up 2 places in the league to 7th ahead of a stern test to old foes Stourbridge next week.

Huw Thomas’s thoughts post match “Really happy to get back to the winning feeling in a game we targeted to do so. The players have improved in a number of areas today regarding our possession and territory. The only down side was for the first time this season not getting that 4th try. However, we can take the positive that we created the opportunities, we just need to sharpen our accuracy moving forward.”

1 Ryan Marsh 2 Louis Addleton 3 Ben Dawes 4 Ben Haywood 5 James Moreton 6 Jack Iles 7 Rudi Reid 8 Martin Wood 9 Tom Smitham 10 Joe Wilson 11 Travis Bennett-Allcock 12 Lucas Brindley 13 Harry Beverley 14 Tak Chawadya 15 Ben Kirby; 16 Ryan Marsh 17 Arron Esiri 18 Mike Volaikisuva