Belper 1st XV 26 v Rolls Royce 1st XV 13
The last league game of the season saw the return of no fewer than 6 players
to the first team for Saturday's team, Belper hadn't won in 5 matches. Rolls
Royce usually this season an easy team to play were anything but with many new
faces in the team.
Royces started with some powerful driving in the forwards and quick hands in
the backs, Royces scored with two penalties, Belper scored a try in response
following good running from Bartrum, scoring under the posts and Dymond converted.
Then early in the second half Royces drove over with a quickly taken tap following
a free kick given away for flashing in the scrum. With Belper down to their
knees low of confidence, a double substitution with a mixture of youth and guile
coming on to give Belper a lift with Laven and Coombes coming on.
They impacted immediately with Coombes and bro mixing it and spreading the ball
through the backs and seeing Royces give away a penalty near their line, the
ball was then popped to Laven who drove over to give Belper hope. 12-12 Belper
then saw the influential Dakin limp off for the evergreen Town coming onto the
field. Town instantly created havic from no.6, winning the ball in the line
popping down to Gratton who arrived on the loop and drove over to score, then
Dymond slotted to give Belper the lead.
Belper finished the scoring with an excellent individual try from N Coombes
seeing the replacement scrum half pick up at the base of a ruck and dummy and
run in from 22 yards out and Dymond converted to give Belper a deserved win
26-13 giving them a good finish to their league campaign with them finishing
mid table and still in the semi final of the derbyshire vase on the 23rd of
April