Spalding 21 Loughborough Students 28
A disappointing outcome for Spalding on Saturday against the young and enthusiastic students from Loughborough University who, in both halves, started the brighter giving Spalding an uphill challenge.
Spalding opted for a heavier pack with Luke Turner returning, Ash Anker coming into the team as hooker and Alex Worth joining Lachlan Summers in the engine room.
The tactic paid off during the game with Spalding having a distinct advantage in the scrums but this would not offset the open play running from the Loughborough backs.
In heavy conditions under-foot following the recent rain, the game kicked off with Loughborough quickly into their stride with the ball flowing through their backs at pace.
Spalding’s defence was caught off-guard as a tackle came in on Loughborough centre, who off-loaded to a supporting runner to sail through a gap to score under the posts for a converted try after five minutes.
Loughborough were into their stride and looked dangerous and they were awarded a kickable penalty but instead opted for a kick to touch and with a good lineout jumper the backs again crashed over the try line and with a good conversion kick from out wide Loughborough had a 14-point advantage after 15 minutes.
There was an early response from Spalding.
Spurring a kickable penalty they opted for a kick to touch for a line-out.
In the absence of the regular line-out jumpers it fell on Ryan Firth and Worth to do the business.
With line-out ball secured, scrum half Will Shields’ pass to Willis ingleby was good, who then off-loaded to Summers to forcibly drive forward and with the ball recycled, Jack Patrick dived over, with Ingleby converting.
Within a couple of minutes Loughborough restored their 14-point lead. Taking advantage of a well held scrum they ran in a try out wide followed by a good conversion kick.
Spalding’s forwards responded on the half hour.
With field position gained, they used a driving maul from a line-out and crashed over the try line.
Jack Grundy emerged as the try scorer and with an excellent conversion kick from nearly the touch line Spalding were back in the game at half time just seven points adrift.
It was Loughborough who got into their stride at the start of the second half, using their backs, running at pace with support runners scoring a good try and with a fourth successful conversion, they had restored a 14-point lead.
Again it was catch up time for Spalding and it only took them only a couple of minutes.
Having gained territory just inside Loughborough’s twenty two, flanker, Jack Lambe hacked a loose ball into the in goal area and outsprinted the cover defence to touch down.
With a simple conversion by Ingelby there was 30 minutes to play and seven points behind.
Miguel Da Silva came off the subs’ bench for Firth and shortly afterwards Elliot Humphreys replaced Anker.
Loughborough had a front row player yellow carded but the visitors were in no mood to give anything to Spalding.
A very good passage of play took Spalding right up to the try line, but with the try line beckoning possession was lost.
Then Spalding attacked down the left wing and with an overlap, the pass to winger Gav Sharman, with a simple run in, was called forward by the referee.
This loss means Spalding drop down to fifth in the league with Loughborough climbing up to third place
Team: Zain Berge, Ash Anker, Luke Turner, Alex Worth, Lachlan Summers, Ryan Firth, Jack Lambe, Jack Grundy, Will Shields, Willis Ingleby, Gav Sharman, Henry Duce, Jack Patrick, Charlie Beecham, Ollie Machin. Subs: Alexander Creak, Miguel Da Silva, Ollie Machin.
Pictures by Adrian Smith.
