Rugby club under16's march on
Newark made it three wins from three in the NLD cup as their forward power provided the platform for victory against a tenacious Lincoln side to secure a semi-final berth as they chase their fourth consecutive NLD trophy.
On a heavy pitch at fortress Kelham Road both sets of forwards were as happy as pigs in the proverbial as they set about in an attritional battle for supremacy whilst the backs preened and ponced, waiting for the ball to come their way. It was from excellent work from the ubiquitous Will Saege in the line-out that the forwards set up the platform for the first of the day’s tries as Saege rose like a colossus in the grimy Nottinghamshire air to steal the ball and then ran an excellent line off scrum half, Noah Clegg, to cross the whitewash. Prop Ryan Toogood thrilled the capacity crowd with the conversion. It was Toogood who set up the next try with a barnstorming clear-out in the middle of the park to turn-over the Lincoln ball and release the exciting backs for Will Harding-Terry to score in the corner. No so good from Toogood this time. This galvanised the away team and for the next quarter they set up camp in the Newark half, but were met with stiff resistance as the back row triumvirate of skipper Dan Walker, who led from the front throughout, Adam Overton, who put in some big hits, and Nathan Gooney, who was strong on the deck, organised the defence and were supported by their team mates. It took a break from Toogood to relieve the pressure and earn a penalty. Quick-thinking by fly-half James Brogden, who took a quick tap penalty caught the Imps napping and it took two players to bring the big man down, but he deftly offloaded to Clegg who did likewise to Harding-Terry and an inside pass put Taylor under the posts. Unfortunately the posts prevented Toogood from being so good from the tee, as proved to be the case twice more. Lincoln once again re-doubled their efforts and from a five metres scrum registered their first score, which was duly converted, to reduce the deficit to 17-7. Diminutive Dan Godfrey completed the scoring on the stroke of half time and secured the bonus point as he appeared at the bottom of a terrific drive by pack. The conversion hit the upright this time; Notsogood was ruing his ill luck.
Coach Adam Doran, chasing an unprecedented fourth trophy before his sojourn in antipodean climes with Gatland, made tactical changes at half time which immediately bore fruit as Walker galloped in for the fifth try from a penalty taken not far out. The conversion hit the posts for the third time in the game, which was effectively over as a contest, but the away team refused to give up. It was Newark who scored next, however, as Saege, a great technician in Doran’s thing of beauty, stole the ball and set up quick ball which the reinvigorated James Harding finished with power and panache. Toogood was very good this time from the tee. It was Harding who completed the scoring as with five minutes to go he hoofed it from his own 22 and won the chase as he skilfully controlled the ball in a fashion that would have made Lionel Messi proud as dribbled the ball to the line at some pace.
A terrific squad performance that saw NLD debuts from the longest-serving player, the Anglo-Welsh tyro Ronan Matts and the Scottish Exile Ross Carleton, and no one noticed that the normal half backs were not playing!
Next up is Paviors away.
Squad
Toogood, Godfrey, Pearson, Mason, Saege, Gooney, Overton, Walker, Lockyer, Matts, Barratt, Atack, Clegg, Brogden, Wilson, Harding, Carleton, Harding-Terry, Taylor, Skelton, Armstrong
Report written by Nick Law
Thanks to Newark RC for permission to use this report