Green Army blown away by Storm Boelo and Severnsiders

Regional One South West

Lydney RFC 54 Newent RFC 15

THE outcome of the Forest derby was rather pre-ordained by the weather in the preceding 48 hours, as Storm Boelo’s wind and rain lashed the South West.

To the knowledgeable observer, the conditions were always going to favour the home side and that is how this match eventually panned out.

Newent however, were first on the scoresheet, as Lydney were penalised inside their own half and Tom Webb made no mistake as he stroked the ball between the uprights.

But shortly after the re-start came the first scrum, and Newent’s lighter pack could find no purchase as they slid backwards before the heavier Lydney eight.

This set up the platform for the hosts’ No 8 William Green to crash over mid-way out, Jake Hanley adding the conversion (7-3).

Soon after, a scrum penalty awarded to Lydney led to a line-out, and the Severnsiders’ maul rumbled over the line for Hayden Keogh to get the touchdown, Hanley converting (14-3).

Another scrum penalty then saw a kick to the corner and a rumbling maul, before hooker Nick Selway was awarded a third try with Hanley adding the extras (21-3).

And worse followed for the Green Army on 25 minutes when Newent scrum-half Luke Stephens picked up a yellow card for a dubious tackle and five minutes later another line-out maul saw Selway get another touchdown, again converted (28-3).

The Severnsiders then got their fifth with a well-worked try in the corner scored by George Gladding, Hanley again on target with the touchline conversion (35-3).

Newent were now staring down the barrel of a huge defeat, but despite the awful conditions, they moved the ball at every opportunity, eventually drawing a deliberate knock-on from winger Jesse Ribeiro which earned him a yellow card.

Some good Newent phases then induced a second yellow card with Jack Cuthbert ordered from the field, followed by a third for centre Gladding.

And just before half-time Tom Cowan snatched a try midway out which Webb converted to reduce the deficit (35-10).

This was tempered however because in the preceding action No 8 Josh Lever, one of Newent’s larger forwards, was injured and took no further part in the match, club stalwart Tommy Devries coming on as a replacement.

Newent started the second half well with Will Hartland starting a sweeping move, taking play from inside his own half before handing on to Stevens who smartly took the ball into Lydney’s 22, where he timed his pass to Antonio DeStefano to perfection, who showed excellent speed to get over the line for the try.

Webb hit the post with his conversion, but the ball fell back infield so no extras (35-15).

Newent continued to move the ball, but coughed up possession with a series of knock-ons, and Lydney punished them with another try wide out, this time from winger Bradley Dunn, although the conversion was missed (40-15).

Second row Morgan French then got the home side’s sixth try wide out with Hanley back to full form with the boot (47-15).

Newent continued to struggle at scrum time and were then punished near their line as a scrum went down and the referee awarded a penalty try and a yellow card to the offending visitor (54-15).

At this stage the game moved to uncontested scrums, and it was a relief when the final whistle went.