Match Report
April 24th 2010
Billingham 17 v lymm 39
Level six champions cup quarter final
lymm trounce hosts on twickenham trail
Lymm were crowned the northern divisional champions at Billingham. As the division includes over 500 teams in 18 leagues spanning 12 counties this is no mean feat for an amateur team from sleepy Cheshire and Kinsey, and his charges, can be proud of this considerable achievement.
They now face the midlands winner, either Scunthorpe or Burton, knowing that victory will see Lymm playing at Twickenham on May 8th.
Allowed a 23 man squad Kinsey was able to call upon a strong line up. Influential Scott Harrison and Lee Pickles returned, as did Sutton, Pat Roberts, Johnstone, Cullinane and Mike Swetman.
The hosts play with a back orientated game plan and in excellent playing conditions it promised to be a free flowing game with plenty of pace and width. The tiny crowd were not disappointed as the teams served up a feast of running rugby. It looked ominous for Lymm when Billingham opened the scoring with a try on 8 mins. Speedy winger Shepherd punishing Lymm’s poor kicking game and easing through the visiting defence. Again on 16 mins Billingham went close on the left flank. Only a Swetman tackle stopping the certain try. Joe Knowles notched a penalty on 26 mins but Lymm failed to release their backs, opting to kick out of hand too often. When they finally found 4th phase they carved Billingham open. On 32 mins lovely patience from Pat Roberts, released Johnstone who drew 2 defenders and created the space for Ollie Higginson to go over but the ball was knocked on. Frustrating but a sign of things to come!
5-3
7 mins into the second half Lymm again failed to capitalise. A lovely surge from Williamson and Hughes ended in another drop and when Billingham ,fortuitously ,scored a 2nd try on 50 mins the visitors’ body language suggested defeat and despair. The hosts 10, chipped and with the help of a wicked deflection collected and scored under the posts. 12-3.
The turning point was on 53 minutes. A quick tap, against coach’s orders, by Pickles allowed Hughes to twist into some space and feed Williamson. 12-8. Another promising attack gave Sam Mullarkey the chance to give Lymm the lead but, yet again, a dropped ball added to the despair. Knowles missed a difficult penalty chance on 60 but this was quickly forgotten when a beautifully weighted chip from Swetman gave Hughes the try on 61. With the conversion Lymm led 15-12.
Billingham, oddly, refreshed from the bench and removed 3 of their best players. Who knows why? Who cares? This gave real momentum to Lymm and 4 mins later Johnstone went over after more great balance from Swetman and Hughes’ timing. 12-22.
Lymm then notched 3 more tries in the last 10 minutes. Billingham couldn’t cope with Swetman’s barging runs and Hughes’ pace and flair. On 70 mins Tim Oakes recovered the ball and burst into space. Hughes and Pickles supported and Williamson went over for his second. Johnstone flew over from 25 metres on 73 mins and Oakes was at the bottom of a pushover on the stroke of full time. Only a consolation try on 76 mins from Billingham gave them anything to remember from the second half.
On hard ground Lymm’s backs looked a class act, again and will provide a real test in the semi final and, hopefully, final. 17 - 39
Coach Kinsey was ecstatic “a fantastic result. The flair shown in 2 or 3 of the outstanding team tries in the second half was a sign of us really enjoying our rugby and doing what we do best”
Director Of Rugby Boundy singled out two players “ I thought Swetman deserves some praise. Of all the lads he has suffered the most from our rotation policy in the earlier part of the season and he never lets us down when he benches. He was really good today and showed what he can do. A class performance. Also we asked Scott Harrison to play loose head and even out of position he was outstanding again today”
Lymm now entertain Sale Jets in the final of the Cheshire Cup on weds 28th April. Then it is the League Of Champions semi final on Saturday 1 May. The RFU have yet to decide on the venue so check the website for details.
Team: 1.Scott Harrison 2 Tim Oakes 3 Jordan Widdrington 4. Lee Pickles, 5. Ollie Higginson 6 Ian Cullinane 7 Sam Mullarkey 8. Mark Sutton 9 Pat Roberts 10. Andy Roberts 11 Dave Williamson 12 Mike Swetman 13 Tom Hughes 14 Jack Johnstone 15. Joe Knowles C .Reps Darius Miksys ,Keith Broadbent ,Danny Bates ,Adam Fletcher ,Rich Butler , Jake Ashall ,Tom Darbyshire ,Peter Millachip.