Nuns 17 Burton 54

Nuns finish home campaign with a disappointing loss

Nuns 17 Burton 54

The Nuns hoisted Burton for the last home game of the season and were looking to continue the good form that saw off Broadstreet in the previous game. Again, there were a couple of changes to the squad with Wills Messum back in the pack for Callum Grant-Smith and Ben Kirby and Theo Knight in the backs for Dylan Bale and Elliott Brown respectively.

With the pitch in good condition, the sun was shining but a stiff breeze down the pitch the Nuns nearly made the perfect start. In the first minute, Ben Kirby received the ball 55m out and went on an arching then jinking run that took him past four defenders only to be deemed held up over the line and under the posts. The set scrum was won but after a couple of phases possession was turned over and Burton cleared their lines. Play then took place between both 22ms with neither team concerting any pressure in try scoring positions.

The Nuns were first on the board though, Ben Cooper stroked a penalty over from nearly 40m out, 3-0 on 15 minutes.

Burton then had the better of territory and possession for an extended period of time with the Nuns unable to relieve pressure completely. On 33 minutes they won a line out and then peeled down the blind side to score unchallenged from 10m out in the corner. The try was unconverted, but Burton led 3-5 after 33 minutes.

Straight from the kick off Burton retained possession well for a couple of minutes and worked their way down the pitch. From just outside the home 22m a Burton second row charged forward and brushed off 4 tackles before offloading to his second-row partner to dot down under the posts for a converted try, 3-12 on 37 minutes.

In a repeat of their second try, from the kick off Burton again worked their way back up the field with accuracy and patience. The Nuns were defending under pressure and agave a penalty away. The scrum was opted for and from 5m out the pushed the Nuns pack back for the number 8 to score next to the posts. With the converted added the lead was extended to 3-19 on 39 minutes.

The Nuns did have a chance before the end of the half, after collecting a loose kick off they set out to try and break down the Burton defence. After a couple of half breaks from Hughes and Kirby but the ball was spilt the and opportunity lost.

The second half got off to the worst possible start. After claiming the kick off the Nuns kicked out, but Burton returned the ball and then their centre went through a couple of half tackles to score under the posts. 3-26 on 41 minutes.

The Nuns then reclaimed the kick off and for the next 10 minutes put some sustained possession on the ball but were in accurate in their execution which never allowed them to make any head way. They were awarded a scrum penalty and then sent the ball down the touch for a line out inside the 22m. With secured ball and a good platform, they went across the pitch and through some phases. As they came back to touch Moses Liwaliwa offloaded to Jackson Hughes who danced through two tackles to score 2om in from touch. Cooper knocked over the conversion bringing the score to 10-26 on 53 minutes.

If the Nuns thought things were staring to look better, they crashed back down shortly after. Having claimed the kick off, they tried moving the ball around to no avail and when a poor clearance kick was claimed in midfield on the half way the visiting winger-now-centre ran it back, kicked over the defence and won the race to score next to the posts for his hattrick before converting it himself to take the lead to 10-33 after 55 minutes.

Over the next 10 minutes or so the Nuns did get some possession and territory in the Burton 22m. A couple of opportunities at scrum and line out arose but inaccuracies in some set plays and phase play let Burton off the hook and they used the wind well to send the hosts back to their 22m a couple of times.

On 67 minutes Nemani Rayabo received the ball on the touch line just outside the Nuneaton 22m. He outpaced his defender then went up and across the pitch taking the ball to with in 15m of the line. Advantage was being played for a ruck penalty and the Nuns carried on applying pressure but couldn’t cross the line. They came back for the penalty and chose to kick for touch but then miscued the line out.

Burton relieved the pressure with a clearance kick, but the Nuns came back on the attack. They recycled the ball around the 22m a number of times and then Arron Skyrme made a break from the ruck and was pulled down a meter from the line. A couple of pick and goes infield led to Moses Liwaliwa scoring under the posts for Cooper to slot the easy conversion. 17-33 on 71 minutes.

The last 9 minutes went from bad to worse for the hosts though. Burton scored on 73 minutes, a converted try, and then straight from the kick off they moved the ball wide and scored again on 76 minutes. With only a few minutes left they scored a third converted try to lead 54-17 with a minute left. From the last kick off the Nuns got the ball back but like all too often through the game a mistake gave possession away and Burton kicked the ball off to finish the game worthy winners.

The Nuns couldn’t maintain the momentum from the previous week. Inside the last 9 minutes of both halves they conceded 40 points, mainly through defensive errors as units and individuals which was unacceptable. They will look to finish the season on a high next weekend as they travel to bottom of the table Derby.

Team: James Redman, Dale Bowyer, Sam Greening, Wills Messum, Jack Robotham, George Wallis, Arron Skyrme, Leigh Thompson; Tom Smitham, Ben Cooper, Nemani Rayabo, Moses Liwaliwa, Ben Kirby, Jackson Hughes, Theo Knight

Ryan Leake, Nick Smith, Huw Thomas

Tries Hughes, Liwaliwa
Cons Cooper 2
Pens Cooper 1