LYMM Rugby Union opened their 2011 season with a disappointing 6-21 home defeat by Bradford & Bingley.
Fielding four players making their N3N League debuts, three ex-colts Floyd and McEvoy on the wings and Ferguson at inside centre, plus Ashton (prop), Lymm were beaten by the better team, which defended well, took most of their chances and would have secured a bonus point if they had taken them all.
Lymm, missing several first-teamers, competed well, defended well at times and created a number of chances, but failed to score a try for the first time in a long, long time. With better set piece play, sharper passing and finishing Lymm would have caused B & B much more trouble, a team tipped by many to be one of the stronger teams in the league.
Five minutes into a largely scrappy, uneventful first half, Lymm lost a scrum against the head in their 22, allowing the visitor’s influential stand-off, Hetherington, to side-step his way under the posts for the first of B & B’s three converted tries gioving the visitors a 0-7 lead. Joe Knowles made the first of a number of individual breaks before off-loading to winger Floyd, who was held up short of the line by a resolute B & B defence. Further pressure from Lymm, with Bennett, Ashall and Bray (A) prominent in driving the ball forward, resulted in a penalty converted by Knowles on 16 minutes making it 3-7.
Knowles converted a second penalty on 31 minutes, sandwiched by a well-taken try by B &B when they capitalised on a 3 on 2 overlap, following a blind-side break from an attacking scrum making it 6-14 at the break.
Lymm dominated the early passages of play in the second half, playing into the wind. Good ball retention at driving mauls and rucks presented an opportunity for the backs to attack the B& B line, but unfortunately another handling error allowed B&B to go almost the length of the field to threaten another try. Lymm’s defence just held out. It was then McEvoy’s turn to made a good break up the right wing, well into the opposition’s 22, but lack of support on the inside allowed B&B to clear their lines.
At this point, Kinsey was replaced by Griffiths at 9, with Andy Roberts coming on at 10 and Joe Knowles moving to full-back. Griffiths threatened to break through the B&B defence on a number of occasions and the greater freedom enjoyed by Knowles at full-back allowed him to choose his line of attack and stretch B&B’s cover defence. Lymm often made good ground but just could not finish off their moves. The next score was going to be critical and unfortunately, on 66 minutes, it went B&B’s way, when a shuffling of the pack, with Ashton being replaced by Millachip and Harrison moving to prop, led to Lymm losing the ball on their put-in and Grant Litt, B&B’ talented centre and captain going over under the posts to make it 6-21.
This was the last score of the match. A yellow card for Harrison for a high tackle on 38 minutes didn’t help matters as Lymm pressed for a consolation try. One last run by Knowles looked promising, but once again a lack of close support and good B&B defence saw him bundled into touch as the referee blew for time.
Lymm travel to Birkenhead Park next week, hoping for the same result as in last week’s Cup match, when Lymm held on to win 15 -12. To do so they will have to sharpen up all round, especially when Birkenhead Park’s confidence will be high after their 34 – 0 win at Morley.
Lymm: 15 Griffiths, 14 Floyd, 13 Bray (T), 12 Ferguson, 11 McEvoy, 10 Knowles, 9 Kinsey, 8 Bray (A), 7 Ashall, 6 Higginson, 5 McNichol, 4 Bennett, 3 Widdrington, 2 Harrison, 1 Ashton. Replacements:, Millachip, Millington, Roberts.
