TEN TRY WIN TAKES LUCS TO THE TOP
Luctonians RFC v Loughborough Students RFC
Saturday 30th September 2023 – Mortimer Park
Match Reporter – Geoff Vickress
Luctonians went to the top of National League 2 West with a really strong second-half showing to eventually dismantle a spirited Students outfit, who in the end had just two converted interception tries and a solitary penalty in response to the home side’s onslaught.
Winger Charlie Grimes got the first of his hat-trick after three minutes, after a beautiful chip from Louis Silver put him into space. Henry Hawkins responded with the first of those intercepts for the visitors, converted by Thomas Quinlan, before Caleb Montgomery answered back for the hosts with a push-over score from a strong scrum on 25. A Quinlan penalty brought the score to 12-10 but that would be as close as things got for the remainder as Ben Link’s first effort (he also bagged a hat-trick) off a driving maul took the score to 19-10 at the break.
Half Time Score
Luctonians RFC 19 v 10 Loughborough Students RFC
Lucs deserved to go in at the break with a lead as the visitors had barely entered their 22 in spite of having the wind at their backs, but the dominance of the Herefordshire outfit would really come through in the second half as one-way traffic commenced.
Conor Geraghty went over for another maul score on 45 minutes, to take the lead out to two scores, before the brilliant Archie Benson who ran riot throughout, set up Josh Nott for a run-in on 55 and a 31-10 score-line.
Sami Hamid got the visitors sole second half effort (60) with the next intercept, before Lucs flexed their muscles in the final 15 minutes, scoring five more tries and doubling their score in the process. Link rumbled over via two more driving mauls on 65 and 68 minutes to take him to the top of the league’s try-scoring standings. James Wheeler then scored a cracking long-range effort, with Rob Aikman assisting after a devastating break down the left hand side. Grimes added his second and third in the final minutes to pull level with his team-mate Link, with the penultimate one being the pick of the scores after huge team pressure and multiple phases eventually led to a run-in down the right wing. His third was another cracking individual effort from a winger who is bang in form right now.
With Silver converting six of the tries for 62-17, the Mortimer Park faithful were sent home very happy indeed.
Full Time Score
Luctonians RFC 62 v 17 Loughborough Students RFC
Lucs travel to Exeter University this coming week in a top of the table clash, as 2nd hosts 1st place. The Kingsland-based outfit will be looking to string together their sixth win on the bounce and continue this wonderful start that they have made to the campaign.
Luctonians Scorers
Tries: Grimes (3,78,80), Montgomery (25), Link (35,65,68), Geraghty (45), Nott (55), Wheeler (71)
Cons: Silver (26,39,56,65,69,80)
Loughborough Students Scorers
Tries: Hawkins (10), Hamid (60)
Cons: Quinlan (11, 61)
Star Man
Archie Benson
Luctonians
Teams
Luctonians
Watkins; Grimes; Aikman; Bengry; Wheeler; Jones; Silver : Deignan; Link; White (C); Geraghty; Harriott-Davis; Benson; Hackley; Montgomery
Replacements: Legge; Powell; Whiteman; Robinson; Nott
Loughborough Students
Thomas; Warner; Hawkins; Riman; Hamid; Taylor; Bryan: Miell; Smith; Crane; Norton; Peacock (C); Nkonge; Peart Smith; Bausor
Replacements: Rees; Smyth; Lee; Nayor; Wainwright
