Barton and District, Saturday 12^th April, Home, Lost 12-20

Royces welcomed Barton to Victory Road for the last league game of the season and fielded a relatively strong team. Barton travelled down on a coach and bought plenty of support knowing a win would see them top the league. In a change from recent weeks the conditions were dry and sunny with a slight breeze.

The opening twenty minutes saw both teams testing each other out with Royces spoiling well on the oppositions ball and parity in the scrums. Barton were the first to score, Royces repelling a series of drives inside their 22 before conceding a penalty which Barton converted, 0-3.

It didn’t take long for Royces to get on the scoreboard and score the games first try. Good ball retention just inside the Barton half on the left saw McLaughlin launch a cross field kick for DFRL, who somewhat unusually was out on the wing. He gathered the ball and handed off 2 Barton players to score, conversion slotted, 7-3. Barton were to score next with the a kick up the Royces right that the winger gathered, beat the full back and touched down, he then proceeded to celebrate in what he clearly perceived as en vogue in an NFL style. Conversion missed, half time 7-8.

Playing into the slight breeze in the second half Royces kicked off believing the game was there for the taking, however Barton landed the first points of the half ten minutes in. Bartons first meaningful attack of the half saw a Royces discretion in the eyes of the Ref and near the half way line Barton took another three points. 7-11. Still well in the game and dominating territory and possession Royces laid siege to the Barton line, but poor decisions, killing of the ball by Barton and the refs inability to produce a yellow card kept Royces out.

Royces continued to have plenty of possession but Barton kept them at bay and added nine unanswered points in the next fifteen minutes to effectively close out the game, 2 further penalties and one drop goal. Still only needing two scores to win the game Royces pushed hard in the last 5 minutes are were rewarded when McLaughlin stuck a high ball up the middle which DFRL gathered and drove over the line under the posts, conversion successful, 14-20. With 2 minutes remaining Royces were back in the game. However from the kick off Royces were unable to get out of their half, final score 14-20.

A good performance to end the league season from Royces, who had enough territory and possession to win the game. It has been an excellent first year for the club in Midlands 5, the team have learnt a lot of hard lessons and will come back stronger, knowing winning the league next year is well within their capabilities.

This is not the end of the rugby for this year. This weekend there is 2^nd XV memorial fixture away at Belper, and the weekend of April 26^th Royces are hosting two touring teams with the 1^st XV playing Mitcham and the 2^nd XV playing BAE.

Team: Jon Turner (7), Jon Peacock (8), Lawrence Betty (8), Mark Lowe (8), Shane McNamara (7), Paul McLaughlin (8), Dave Poole (7), Adrian Gregory (9), Milke Brown (8), Adam King (8), Callum Elliott (7), Andrew Taylor (8), Malcolm Lee (9), Dan Sanderson (9), Alex Gill (8) Subs: Ian Baker (8), Paul Hill (8), James Gormley (10)