Lordswood Dixonians 14 points Willenhall 17

Willenhall maintained their recent good form to pick up their 3rd consecutive league win of the season and their 4th in 5 matches. The home team replaced injured Paul Barker at full back with Mike Potts, Harvey Wootton replaced Mike Sadler in the centre, and Paul Husband carried the H2O and warmed the bench after taking his U12 team to Leicester Tigers last week.

Willenhall received kicked off playing into a stiff breeze at UCE sports ground in Moor Lane and within 2 minutes they were behind. A missed tackle in midfield on Dixonians fly half saw the player cruise through the gap and score a converted try to put Willenhall 0-7 down before they could catch their breath. From the kick off the home team spilled the ball and from the scrum Tom Cowell carried through their defence but a penalty at the breakdown allowed Dix to push Willenhall back into the corner. A good tackle from back row Adam Clewley allowed the visitors to turn the ball over and drive the maul 15 metres but handling errors in the strong breeze were giving Dix possession before Willenhall could string any phases of play together. Dixonians had the chance to extend the lead on 11 minutes but the 40 metre goal shot was wide. Willenhall cleared their 22 and from a clean line out catch by Paul Smith, marched Dix back to their own half with a 25 metre line out drive. The ball was then taken on by Cowell and Townsend in turn before feeding Junior off his wing and running powerfully through the middle. The home team conceded a penalty from this first incursion into their half and Ben Potts drilled the kick into the corner. Gilbert took clean ball in the line out and the try looked on but a turn over allowed the home team kick to half way. Dixonians were using high up and unders in the breeze to push Willenhall back but a counter by Mike Potts, supported by Clewley saw them put a number of phases together which ended with Cowell popping to Townsend who was tackled 2 metres short of the try line. Willenhall were now warming to the encounter and their strong driving play resulted in Dix losing a prop to injury on 20 minutes. The home side reverted to their kicking game again and once again Potts countered with Thorley on his shoulder and the winger broke tackles to get to within 20 metres of the line. The home side were now conceding penalties and fly half Ben Potts kicked accurately into the corner to keep the pressure on. Strong drives by front rowers Reece, Wharton and Richardson kept Dix on the back foot but they used the wind well to push the visitors back every time they received possession. However the hard work, controlled play and continuity of the Willenhall fifteen was surely going to break the home defence soon. The try when it came was deservedly belonged to captain Tom Cowell. A line out 10 metres out was driven by Willenhall after a good catch from Gilbert. Ben Potts used Junior to strike through the middle and Richardson and Gilbert took short passes from Tibbitts to drive open. When the ball was recycled, Tibbitts chose to move back to the unguarded short side and Potts and Jones handled to the young captain who crashed over from 15 metres. Ben Potts converted to level the score at 7-7 on 29 minutes. The high kick off was well taken by Smith and the maul was again driven effectively by the Willenhall pack to grind out 15 metres before Jones fed Wootton who sent winger Thorley into Dixonians half. Willenhall were now playing the better rugby by far but it was the home side that took the lead with an excellent try. Dix fly half chipped over the Willenhall backs but it was well read by Junior who took the ball back up the middle of the park. The ball was turned over and moved to the unattended left wing. Short of numbers, Willenhall could match the inter passing home backs who scored under the posts to lead 7-14 with 34 minutes gone. Things could have got worse for them at the kick off when an early hit on the catcher was penalised and the home scrum half took a quick tap. Willenhall were adjudged not to have retreated the required 10 metres but the resulting penalty attempt drifted wide of the posts. With 1 minute left of the half, Clewley was binned for playing the ball on the floor after a general warning from the referee and the penalty was again pushed wide by the Dix fly half.

Dixonians now had the problem of the strong breeze in their faces and they conceded a penalty from the kick off which Tibbitts tapped quickly, catching everyone out including the Willenhall players. However they recovered sufficiently to win the second phase for Thorley to attack the short side with a chip and chase. The home team now could not get the ball out of their own half. Willenhall were back to 15 players after 49 minutes as Clewley was restored to the back row and veteran Paul Husband replaced Smith in the second row. Husband was soon in the thick of the action as he apparently covered across to take out Dixonians flying winger – however this could not be confirmed on later review. Willenhall continued to pressurise the home team with good inter play between back and forwards and as the penalties mounted Ben Potts took the chance to shorten the lead to 10-14 with a well taken penalty goal on 50 minutes. It was now the time for the forwards to take the battle to Dixonians and they did it royally. Potts attempted a 50 metre penalty on 57 minutes and for the next 13 minutes Willenhall hammered the home line until they scored to take the lead. From the 22 drop out Jones chipped to the try line and a great chase by Tibbitts and Clewley forced a hurried clearance by Dixonians. From the line out a further indiscretion by a home forward saw him resting in the bin for 10 minutes. Opting for another line out, Willenhall drove for the line only to be stopped by another penalty conceded by Dix. Again they went to the corner and this time Cowell broke and went for the line – his supporting forwards claimed the try vociferously but the referee was unsighted and awarded a scrum. Willenhall drove – the scrum collapsed; the scrum was reset, Willenhall drove – Dix conceded another penalty – no penalty try yet. Willenhall opted to scrum, drove, scrum collapsed – another penalty. Scrum option. This time the scrum drove and the ball became loose so Tibbitts moved it through the backs for Wootton to feed Thorley who was tackled out of play. From the line out first Ben Potts and then Mike Potts tried to make half breaks and the Dixonians resistance was finally broken with a push over try grounded by Cowell and converted by Ben Potts from the touch line to take Willenhall into a 17-14 lead. The last 10 minutes turned into a farce with Dixonians refusing to scrummage despite having a full front row and the referee not knowing the Law which states that the side going uncontested must lose a player. This was amazing in a Level 7 league match and although Dixonians failed to get into Willenhall’s half, they won enough clean “uncontested” scrum ball to threaten to break out and their back row who now did not have to scrummage were more able to get away from the scrum to bolster their defence. Despite failing to reach the heights of last weeks performance the win was sufficient to move them to 6th in the table and 2 points clearer of the relegation battle. Well done Boys.

Eric Field
Press Officer, Willenhall RUFC