L&Y pay too much respect

RUGBY: L&Y expected a hard game against the league’s early pacesetters, but they were guilty of paying them far too much early respect in a pulsating encounter, ultimately giving themselves too much of a mountain to climb.

Four Basildon tries in the first half and a monopoly of possession for the first 30 minutes won the game, and by the time L&Y realised they were just as competent, the score was too far gone to retrieve – despite scoring four tries of their own.

From the first scrum of the game L&Y were immediately on the back foot. As the referee appeared to a knock-on, Basildon hacked through and won the race to touch down for a try.

The ref awarded a scrum only 10 metres out instead of on the 22 for an over-hit drop-out, and Basildon took advantage when their No 8 scampered over for a second score.

L&Y hit straight back with their first foray into Basildon territory on the kick-off. Steve Adams and Marc Thomas double-teamed the Basildon receiver and the spilled ball caused such panic that L&Y won a five-metre scrum from which Scott Nelson sent Myles McAlone over with a neat switch move.

L&Y lost flanker Steve Powles to the sinbin then almost immediately conceded a try through a weak covering defence.

L&Y recovered and a series of forward drives led to a penalty which Kris Nelson took quickly to send Marc Thomas under the posts. True to form, they relaxed again and let in another score.

A missed penalty attempt just after the kick-off led to a knock-on under the posts and Basildon capitalised by scoring another try wide on the left.

Thereafter L&Y threw caution to wind, toughened up and took the game to the visitors. Some expansive play following a series of scrums led to Adams bustling over.

Basildon conceded a bunch of penalties and lost two men to the sinbin, opening the opportunity for Brad Sutherland to score again for L&Y from a long Nelson pass, before pressuring unsuccessfully for a second bonus point.