1sts Victors at Peterbourough

This was the first fixture to be played between the two clubs as the Elks made the long trip to Peterborough on Saturday. Having been relegated from National 3 Midlands last season the opposition were an unknown quantity but their comfortable victory over Loughborough last week promised that they would present a stern test.

While this was the Elks first visit to Fengate they were comforted by one familiar feature , namely front rower Dean Chapman, who learnt his rugby in Ilkeston juniors and played 1st XV before his Air Force career took him to East Anglia.

With a strong wind and heavy showers the conditions did not facilitate flowing open rugby and the game for the most part was a question of two teams feeling their way into the season and familiarising themselves with new team mates.
With a number of last seasons regulars missing due to injury the Elks will be well pleased with how the campaign has started and how the new boys have slotted into the patterns.

Youngsters Jake Lamb and Thomas Hicks have come through from the Juniors and should quickly establish themselves as utility back and flanker in the 1st XV squad. Ryan Mills has added solidity to the tight head berth and offers a presence around the park. Fellow forward Steve Fowkes, abrasive and muscular with more hair than Dolly Parton, has already established himself as a crowd favourite. Another youngster Elliot Gwynne has made a clear statement that there is serious competition for places in the backs.

While the newcomers have impressed, the established squad members have also shown serious intent with Gordon Pringle, Adam Stoker and Scott Rudkin outstanding in the first two games of the season. Likewise Mark Moore gives a focus to the forwards.

The opening exhanges belonged to Peterborough as they used the elements to good effect with Low's kicking making the Elks play from deep. Called upon to defend the Elks line out, scrum and all round organisation kept the line intact. Fowkes', Bennet's and Stoker's work in spoiling the Peterborough throw guanranteed that they lived on limited posession and supplied enough of Elks own ball to enable Haigh and Connolly to kick their way out of trouble. The solidity of Gatehouse and Gwynne and the presence of Rudkin, Bennet and Fowkes bottled up the midfield while Smith, Ayers and Hallam denied the outside line and kept Peterborough's chance to a minimum. The home side should however have taken the lead after a breakout created an overlap but Sandsby dropped the ball with the line begging.

Having weathered the storm the Elks woke up and Connolly put a penalty to touch close to the home line. Doing the simple things well Stoker secured the ball, the pack mauled over the line and skipper Corcoran claimed a try on 33 minutes to make it 0 - 5 at half time.

Within 2 minutes of the start of the 2nd half Peterborough reuced the arrears with a Low penalty bringing it to 3 - 5. Corcoran, Ayers and Smith combined to create a chance but Carrington was on hand to make a telling tackle. The Elks did however make good use of the field position that was created to shunt a scrum forward. Corcoran controlled at the base and touched down for his second try giving them a 3 - 10 lead.

Peterborough redoubled their efforts but the Elks defence were too well organised and repulsed wave after wave, allowing them a solitary penalty, making it 6 - 10, before breaking upfield to claim a scrum inside the home twenty two. Haigh picked from the base, dashed around the side and touched down for try converted by Connolly to leave the final score 6 - 17.

Man of the Match Ben Gatehouse