Six try South dismantle ON's again!

South defied the hype to record the double over Old Northamptonians at Billing Road. Six converted tries accounted for the home team in an open and entertaining game in the sun.
Dan Holmes and Jack Hague came in for the injured Phil Daffern and Chris Bale respectively while Phil Stimson was added to the bench joining Len Fincham and Chris Mark.

South started the game playing up the pronounced slope and were immediately challenged by ON’s who wanted to move the ball wide at every opportunity. This tactic, however, backfired as early as the fourth minute when Gareth Clarke intercepted a floated pass to gallop to the line opening South’s account. Mark Lord added the straightforward conversion.
James Stapleford had to retire from the game after twenty minutes with a badly gashed eye from a suspected cheap shot as South were forced to defend for long periods. Len Fincham entered the fray as ON’s added a penalty and converted try, all by Will Kingston, to reach the half time break 10-7 in the ascendancy. South were forced back repeatedly during this period and only collective resolute defensive tackling of a high order kept the home team from adding to their lead.

Now with the benefit of the slope South took the game to ON’s immediately and were rewarded with a second Gareth Clarke try after great work from forwards Sam Badham, Josh McLaurin and the rejuvenated Stu Bale. Lord nailed a fine conversion from wide on the right into the wind.
From the kick off South went to work again this time with the backs making inroads into the home defence with Dan Holmes just stopped short of the line although Jack Hague was on hand in support to touch down for his first try for the 1st XV. Lord repeated another fine conversion from virtually the same position as South opened up an eleven point lead. ON’s came back to force Len Fincham to see yellow as South again defended desperately against some good attacking play from the ON’s ex Loughborough contingent of the Barker brothers and Dan Falvey. It was, however, Kingston who added to his total with a converted try to narrow the South lead down to four points.
Unrepentant South surged forward again as the backs made room for the bonus point gaining try machine Matt Fisher to add to his considerable tally wide on the left. Lord stroked over another fine conversion. Almost immediately South’s own ex Loughborough contingent of Stu Bale and Lord combined to add the next converted try.
Chris Mark and Phil Stimson were introduced into the game for Bale and Holmes as the warm weather took its toll. South, however, weren’t finished yet as Josh McLaurin added South’s sixth try again converted by Lord to take a commanding lead into the last throes of the game. ON’s did score and unconverted consolation try in injury time, but by that time South had convincingly won the game.

Overall a great performance in the second half from all the squad overcoming a potential banana skin in the quest for promotion.

Team: Griffin, Holmes (Stimson), Clarke, Smith, Fisher, Lord, McFedries, McLaurin, March, Hague, Badham S, Bale S (Mark), Bayley, Green, Stapleford (Fincham)

Man of the Match: Jack Hague – uncompromising commitment both in defence and attack and a good support try.