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RIPLEY RHINOS 1st XV 3 - 19 KEYWORTH 2nd XV
SECURITY PLUS PENNANT LEAGUE DIVISION GROUP 4
Saturday 12th April 2008
Skipper Zeique Robinson was in charge of a Rhinos side seemingly still hungover from last week's tour of the Netherlands in this Pennant League match against Keyworth 2nds at a wet Mill Hill. Ripley started slowly, in a disjointed manner with late arriving players seeing others having to cover their position. Credit to No.8 Karl Ickeringill, thrown into the front row as hooker where he did a very competent job. Ripley were pushed back into their own half by Keyworth from the start with the normal strength of the lineout being an Achilles heel as Ripley were always slower and behind their visitors in getting the jumpers up. Eventually Rhinos got going and drove Keyworth back thanks to some probing kicks from fly half Will Evans and some sniping runs from scrum half Kim Burden. Second rows Kith Buzzard and Mark Watkins seemed to be two of the few Ripley players ready from the start and each made bullocking runs deep into visitor territory to earn Ripley attacking platforms. Evans benefitted from one of these to open the scoring with a penalty. Having got back into the match, the maroons switched off and invited Keyworth onto them, giving away silly ball and penalties. Worse still, Ripley were more interested in whining at the ref and each other than concentrate on solid defence and allowed Keyworth to run tap penalties at them twice to score converted tries and go into the break 14-3 ahead.
Not having learnt the lesson from the first half, Ripley began the second slowly again but the work from Buzzard, Burden and flanker Joe Frew gradually saw them pick up the pace to make an effort to get back into the game. Burden's quick tap penalties kept the visitors honest and looked the likeliest way for Ripley to score but they lacked the cutting edge to finish off these chances. Keyworth still had the set piece advantage and spent long periods attacking Ripley; centres David Owen and Gareth Roebuck, allied with Frew kept them out until the defence cracked with three minutes left as Keyworth got their third try to come out 19-3 winners.
Ripley paid the price for approaching the game slowly and with the wrong attitude. Keyworth came ready for the game and Rhinos didn't really have an answer on an off day for the side. The best of what Ripley could manage came from second row Keith Buzzard, moved form his usual wing position, whose pace and power wasn't matched by all his teammates.
Rhinos will hope for better things this Saturday when the 1sts travel to Uttoxeter 2nds for a friendly. The 2nds travel to All Spartans 2nds for their last match of the season.
Rhino's rugby training for both men and women is from now back under natural light from 6.45pm-8pm on Thursdays at the back of the Beehive pub in Ripley - all new players are welcome - for more details ring 07816 779018.