Nuns 20 Broadstreet 15

Nuns 20 Broadstreet 15

RESILIENT NUNS OVERCOME POWERFUL BROADSTREET

A much changed Nuns side took to the Stadium pitch in perfect conditions to contest this local derby. The Nuns gave a debut to Coventry University student Jack Robotham to partner Arron Skryme in the second row. In a rearranged line up, with injuries to Adie Hall, Sion Cowdy and Theo Knight, and Tom Aherne absent, they were replaced by George Wallis, Leigh Thompson, Moses Liwaliwa and Elliott Brown.

Broadstreet kicked off in front of a vocal home crowd and immediately put pressure on an unfamiliar Nuns line up. Nuns contained the initial surge only to go behind to an interception try when Ollie Cregg picked off a loose pass and ran in for a try which Ben Palmer converted. With the Nuns winning line out ball they attacked the visitors defence but were met by a wall of steel . Indeed when Broadstreets backs got hold of the ball they looked fast and elusive. At a set scrum on 14 minutes the Nuns was driven backwards but the visitors couldn’t take advantage. Another disrupted scrum gave Broadstreet a penalty which they kicked to the corner. Nuns won the lineout and the danger was cleared. With the Nuns kicking for position the ball was run back at them by at alarming pace and the Nuns had to tackle hard to thwart the counter attacks. When Broadstreet failed to gather a kick ahead, a Nuns lineout set up a promising Nuns scoring chance. Moses Liwaliwa burst through tacklers and his lay off to Elliot Brown allowed his captain to score. From wide out Ben Cooper missed the conversion.

Three minutes later and the visitors were back in front. From a destructive set scrum, scrum half Chris Easton skipped down the blindside to score an unconverted try. Nuns were beginning to work out what they needed to do to stop the Broadstreet juggernaut pack and on 35 minutes it paid off. Nuns won their own scrum on Broadstreets 22 and a long looping pass found Nemani Rayabo who took the ball at great speed and scythed through the visitors defence to score near the corner. Cooper missed the conversion and the Nuns trailed by just 2 points - 10-12 at half time.

That late first half score seemed to give the Nuns confidence as they started the second half. Immediately Cooper kicked to the visitors 22 to test the visitors defence. Broadstreet easily ran the ball out of defence and cleared the danger. With the Nuns set scrum looking more secure they advanced and Tom Smitham scored an opportunist try when he picked up a loose ball and ran 30 metres to score a try which Cooper converted. With their noses in front, belief that a win was possible rose and despite Cooper missing a penalty kick to the corner they remained in the ascendancy. Following a difference of opinion, Nuns prop James Redman and Broadstreets lock Callum Tucker were yellow carded. As we entered the last 20 minutes Nuns won a penalty for a high tackle and Coopers excellent kick extended the Nuns lead to 8 points - 20-12. Nuns continued to use their kicking game to keep the visitors at bay. An “up and under” pinned Broadstreet back and from the drop out the ball went directly in touch and Nuns had a scrum in a central position. However at the scrum the Nuns conceded a penalty and the visitors cleared their lines. Back came the Nuns again. This time Coopers kick went over the heads of the backs and found touch near the try line. Nuns couldn’t press home the good attacking position and a good clearance kick once again cleared the danger.

Into the last ten minutes and Broadstreet were attacking. From a set scrum they won a penalty and Palmer ensured a nervous end to the game for the now noisy home supporters. Yet again Cooper kicked over the visitors backs to keep play in the opposition half. The Nuns went through the phases as they attempted to see out time. When Broadstreet got their hands on the ball the Nuns were resolute in defence confining the visitors to their own half and eventually were pleased to hear the final whistle.

Early in this game a Nuns win seemed unlikely, but good tactical kicking and a resilient defence performance coupled with a spoonful of attacking flair saw the Nuns complete a memorable win.

Team: James Redman, Dale Bowyer, Sam Greening, Arron Skyrme, Jack Robotham, George Wallis, Callum Grant-Smith, Leigh Thompson; Tom Smitham, Ben Cooper, Nemani Rayabo, Moses Liwaliwa, Dylan Bale, Jackson Hughes, Elliott Brown.

Bench: Ed Taplin, Nick Smith and Huw Thomas.
Scorers: Tries: Brown, Rayabo, Smitham.
Conversion: Cooper
Pen: Cooper

Bob Hansford

@nker radio 1386am & Online