FIRST WIN OF 2015 FOR THE LIONS

Third game into the second half of the league season and the Lions’ first win, 17-15, albeit we made very hard work of beating a Stafford side that, admittedly, were always going to be stronger at home.

The Lions started with a bang, with attacks all the way to the Stafford line in the first 10 mins, with the forwards clearly stronger and quicker overall than the Stafford unit. However penalties and loss of the ball at crucial times allowed the home side to break out and opportunities were missed to the extent that, by the 20 min mark, the Lions were 10 points down.

Two isolated attacks resulted in tries, the first on 10 mins when missed tackles on half-way allowed Stafford into the Lions 22 and then a missed tackle on the 10 allowed Stafford to score wide on the left. 10 mins later another series of missed tackles and poor defensive communication allowed another try for the home side.

Eventually the Lions got back on top again and for the remainder of the half were in control. The forwards upped the pressure again and, with the backs involved in a number of promising attacks the home defence cracked and Josh Trinham was put in to score wide on the left on the half-hour. 3 minutes later another series of forward/backs combined attacks put the Lions into the home 22. While the home side were waiting for further drives at the breakdown a clever chip over the top by Ben Trinham confused the defence and allowed his cousin Josh in for his second try, converted by Sam Wilson to leave the Lions 12-10 up. The remainder of the half was played in the home 22, with some fine backs combinations keeping up the pressure.

Just when the pressure had swung in favour of the Lions Stafford went back ahead in the first 5 mins of the second half. A run by the home hooker deep into the away 22 ended with poor tackling and communication again and a run to the line through 2 tackles by the home 13. A missed conversion left the Lions 15-12 down.

Again the Lions dusted themselves down and drove at the heart of the home defence, with the forwards, when they kept up the pressure, almost irresistible. Several drives up the pitch using both the forwards and the midfield backs eventually resulted in a try down the left for hooker Scotty Langdon. That this effectively ended the scoring with almost 20 mins left reflected no credit on the Lions who could and should, if they heeded Coach Tibbett’s instructions, have driven the home forwards into the floor and won comfortably.

This was a curates’ egg of a performance with the Lions not under any pressure for the remainder of the game but questions again remain about implementing the game plan and much more work to do around the defence. Tackling and communication, especially around the breakdown and stopping runners has got to be the watchword. There were good performances in the back row and the forwards generally, particularly in subduing their opponents, but with Wolverhampton away next week there has to be more steel in defence and much better organisation in calling players out of rucks into the line. There were a number of lightning fast backs moves but as in previous games the man with the ball was supported by only one and sometimes 2 players. This needs to change if the Lions are to move up the table. A win nonetheless but one that could have been so much more comfortable.

Jon Dews