L I O N S 2 0 1 2

Stanley Rangers 6: Featherstone Lions 24
 
When we played the Rangers early on in the New Year, the Lions gave probably the most cohesive team effort of the season and came out comfortable winners against the newly promoted club. The Stanley coaching staff commented on such after the game and suggested that the Wakefield team had to aspire to the efforts of the Lions to compete in this division. Today they did and had they have put their chances away the scoreline would have been much - much closer.
 
The game got underway with the Lions playing up the hill with the wind behind their backs. The coaches had asked for simple rugby, with the forwards doing the hard yards and the backs completing the sets. Complacency, tiredness, over confidence, call it what you will; the Lions are notoriously slow starters. Today’s match was no different, had we had been `switched on` from the starting whistle we could have been twelve points to the good within the first three sets. Sam Tallent was made Captain for the day and he played a Captains role. Leading from the front with the ball carries and putting the tackles in as a lead forward should. From a mistake by the home second row forward, the position was set on the half way line. A drive forward by firstly Bradley Gott then big Sam Tallent got us to within three metres of the whitewash. Brad Simpson holding his  nerve with four plays still in the bag fed Buster Lloyd who crashed over from close range to put the first points on the board. Tom Tavakoli adding the extras with renewed confidence.
 
The next five minutes saw the home team enjoy sustained pressure within Lions territory. With a little more assertiveness and guile, the home team, have they had `gone out wide` would have certainly asked more questions of our defence than they perhaps should of done. Without question, a more experienced team in this division would have certainly exploited the gaps and open field. The home side had a `jellied eel` of a number seven. Persistently making ground in the middle of the field due to the space we let him have by not coming up from our defensive line as a unit and leaving it to the same old players to defend the line time after time. worthy of mention in particular today was the tackling stint of Louis Brown; seventeen tackles from stand off is an immense effort but in all honesty Louis as a playmaker in his position should have expected more from  his `team mates` only two players today getting into double figures. The other being Bradley Gott with eighteen tackles.
 
Mistakes from both sides were creeping in. Stanley, had they not been as generous with theirs, they would have surely edged the scoreboard. The Lions had fifteen players today, due to illness; the home side had only twelve available players. It was agreed to play eleven a side with substitutes. This certainly had an effect on how the Lions played but a team as experienced as ours should have relished the additional space that the two players would have held.
We didn’t, an aerial view would have shown that in attack all the players wanted the ball, like hungry seagulls we gathered round the ball, “my turn, my turn” this left huge gaps on either side of the park and in defence! Remember what the coaches asked for before the start of the game? Forwards do their work, the backs do theirs!
A shame then that the same players who showed the enthusiasm and effort to run with the ball weren’t the same when it comes to defending and moving up from the line!
 
We did settle down after a `few words of encouragement` from the coaching staff. Bradley Gott continued to work tirelessly and Tom Tavakoli playing in the scrum half position, made a good impact with ball in hand.
Jack Everson coming on for the injured Jack Townend made good yards with a powerful run, Sam Tallent punched his way a further ten metres, Bradley Gott doing the same. A quick play by Brad Simpson fed to the onrushing Tom Tavakoli who strode through the defence to score a well earned try for the player. Despite the score, the Stanley team came out with determination and effort. Playing for one and other and not blaming each other for missed tackles and lack of effort. Immediately from the play the ball, the home team prop forward spilt the ball after a thunderous tackle by Bradley Gott and Louis Brown. Time for another score before the half time break. Alex Dean ran with purpose as did Jack Lloyd. Jack Townend on his return to the field weaved and jinked around the field and was eventually  brought to ground on the opposition twenty two. Three tackles left in the bag. Brad Simpson fed Josh Mills who tried his best to break the line. On the fifth a cross field kick by Louis Brown asked questions of the Rangers defence, unfortunately no one had chased the kick and the home centre cleared the line comfortably. The half time whistle blew, 0-12 in Lions favour. Whilst the half time oranges were been eaten by the players, the coaches asked them all to move up together in the defensive line and stop letting the opposition gain an easy ten metres before we were off our line.
 
The second half got underway; Ryan Lister catching the ball on the full, set off down field and beat three would be defenders before being hauled down. Jack Sweaton held his line as replacement for Alex Dean and was a little unfortunate to be left out wide on his own when a powerful burst by the Rangers centre came running his way. Fortunately a covering tackle by Louis Brown just stopped the player short of the line. A knock on by the same player whilst playing the ball gave welcome relief to the Lions defenders. A good drive by Bradley Gott got us to our twenty two, from just inside Brad Simpson gathered the ball and `scooted` his way through the field to within ten metres of the opposition try line. Two drives and the position were set for the mercurial Louis Brown to shimmy and step his way over the line in typical fashion. A chance now for the Lions to  settle down and show what rugby this team could play! A good lead, the forwards on top and the backs having the space to shine.
 
On the third tackle from the restart, the Home teams centre knocked on. `The big three` got us fantastic yards up field, the backs fed well down the line with Conner Grace showing great strength and determination down the wing, just held up short of the line. A simple pass and drive from the play the ball and the try would be ours. Over eagerness with players trying to get on the score sheet rather than what is being coached meant that the opportunity was lost. The next score belonged to Stanley Rangers. They exploited our laziness in moving up from the defensive line and went through the gaps that were created as a result. Josh Mills and Ryan Dawson doing all they could to stop the momentum of the home side by chasing back. Good interplay between the Stanley backs assisted by some half hearted tackling saw the second rower go over for a well deserved and well received try from the home supporters. From the play the ball Jack Everson took the ball up and was in turn met with renewed enthusiasm from the home tackles. Bradley Gott asked for the ball next and ran at the home forwards in an attempt to revive his team mate’s spirits. Sam Tallent and Jack Townend also did all they could to break the line. At the breakdown the opposing number seven had the confidence to kick away possession deep into Lions territory. Ryan Dawson being the first to react and making the ball safe. Brad Simpson again `scooting` away from acting half back passing a few of our own retreating  players on the way to make a length of the field dash. Again just tackled short, Louis Brown the first to react from a Josh Mills pass and went over the white wash again to calm the nerves of the away side. Tom Tavakoli again adding the  conversion.
 
Bradley Gott was to leave the field of play with an unfortunate nasty looking injury to good applause from all the players and spectators alike. His efforts to this point appreciated by all. Alex Dean went into the forwards for the last seven minutes of the game. Hold out they had too and hold out they did, just! Indiscipline and back chat to the referee punished with consecutive penalties. Stood behind our own try line, the oppositions prop forward ran at the defence.
Held up, the ball was fed to the powerful second rower, with the try line begging the player knocked on. Immediately the referee blew the whistle for full time, much to the relief of the Lions.
 
Final Thoughts:
 
“Lazy plays, lack of intensity and indiscipline will cost us dear in the coming matches if we don’t get it right soon. Speed off the line is for all, not the few”
 
 
Tries;
 
Jack Lloyd        1
Tom Tavakoli   1
Louis Brown    2
 
Kicks;         
 
Tom Tavakoli   4                           
 
Top Tackler(s); 
        
Bradley Gott   18
Louis Brown   17
     
Man of the Match;    
 
Louis Brown; played like a back, defended like a forward
 
Magic Moment;
 
Brad Simpson; two lengths of the field scoots
 
Team Player Award;
 
Bradley Gott; a tireless forwards effort, never give it up for his team.