First Loss in Five for Ilkeston

All was well at the half way point...although Ilkeston only led by 12 points to nil this was due largely to a solid home defence keeping the score line in check. The visiting pack was dominant at the set piece and the likes of Steve Foulkes, Adam Corcoram, Simon Bennett and Matt Watkins kept probing the home side defence with some hard running... one felt it was only a matter of time before Towcester cracked and the Elks extended their lead significantly.

It was as early as the 3rd minute that Ilkeston laid down a marker at the first scrum which set the tone for the rest of the game and a complete dominance that lasted until the scrums went uncontested mid way through the second half.

Despite early Towcester pressure the Elks eventually cleared their lines through a well placed box kick by Joel Haigh. The subsequent chase by Lewis Taylor resulted in an infringement by the home side fullback and Jake Lamb drove the resultant penalty into Towcester 22. Corcoram collected the ball off the tail of the line out and attacked the hosts defence. Although Towcester cleared their lines they failed to reach touch and Ilkeston moved the ball wide first to the left and then to the right before the ball went to ground with the line begging. The Elks kept the pressure on as they won ball against the head in the scrum and the forwards drove towards the home side line allowing Haigh to eventually cross under the posts for a try that Lamb converted.

The Ilkeston pack continued to dominate but it wasn't until late into the half that due reward came. A Lamb grubber kick was successfully chased and not for the first time the home side yielded a penalty. A quick tap saw Greg Taylor make good ground into the defenders 22 which resulted in a scrum which not for the first time was won by the visitors against the head; this led to another snipping break by Haigh followed by the ball passing through the hands of Lamb and Hugh Smith to Lewis Taylor on the wing but the scrambling home side defence halted a very promising attack. This only led to a series of scrums close to the home side line with the result being somewhat inevitable as at the 3rd time of asking the Ilkeston pack drove Towcester back towards their line which left Corcoram with the simple task of touching down for try number 2.

Ilkeston’s dominance continued during the early exchanges of the second half. Alex Ayres was beginning to break the Towcester line on a regular basis as the Ilkeston backs were going through the gears and first Greg Taylor, then brother Lewis, Dan Mahoney and Smith were all hauled down in full flow by some desperate Towcester defending.

The psychology of team sport and in particular Rugby Union is what makes it such a great spectacle to watch and there was something about the home side that suggested that they still believed they could get something out of the game. Credit where credit due their defence was strong as was their will...yes this will was feisty and at times overly aggressive as a series of niggly of the ball incidents attested...and slowly they clawed themselves back into contention.

Taking advantage of the more open style game of the second half some hard running by their backs saw them score a converted try.

There then followed an intense period when both sides battled for supremacy through some heavy exchanges in the middle of the park and it was around about this time that Ilkeston’s dominance in the scrum was negated as the home side ran out of effective front row forwards due to injury and the set piece went unopposed. Whilst not suggesting that this was the deciding factor in the outcome of the game...we have after all given due credit to the home sides tenacity...it was without doubt a contributing factor.

This is the third time this season that a dominant Ilkeston pack have been forced into uncontested scrums as the powerful front row combination of Matt Maguire, Marc Moore, Ben Wells and Josh Meakin have overwhelmed their opposite numbers.

Psychology kicks in again as the strength sapping pressure of defending a losing cause up front is relieved thus lifting the side on the receiving end, having the opposite effect on their opponents. All of a sudden Towcester legs were stronger and big runners hitherto denied mobility appeared in places they hadn’t before...they were quicker to the breakdown as the uncontested scrum effectively afforded them an extra flanker and this significant change in proceedings undoubtedly contributed towards the Elks yielding field position and having to go through a period of desperate defending themselves.

The pressure led inevitably to a stretched defence having no answer to a Towcester overlap off the back of a quickly taken penalty that saw the home side score a converted try to take them into the lead which they held onto.

Despite the loss this was a good performance against tenacious opposition that have proved hard to beat in recent years...the losing bonus point keeps Ilkeston at the top of the table.

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