SOUTH HUMBER 34 OUTLAWS ACADEMY 20 (28/6/2008)

Report by Richard Johnson

Nottingham Outlaws Academy team put up a brave performance away at South Humber Rabbitohs on Saturday, leading their larger, more-physical opponents for long periods of the match before finally succumbing to a late scoring burst that saw them lose 34-20. The result in no way reflected how close this game was, indeed with 5 minutes remaining the scores were level and it could have gone either way before a late try-scoring burst snatched the game for the bunnies.

The match started in difficult conditions, not least caused by the piles of hay left across the surface after a recent harvest, that made running difficult and handling off the ground even harder!

Straight away it was clear that the long journey had taken its toll on the Outlaws and in a whirlwind start by the home team, the Rabbitoh's backs blitzed their travel-weary visitors. The hungry rabbits hopped into a quick-fire 8-0 lead as huge gaps in the Outlaws defence appeared on virtually every play and with points coming at the rate of a point a minute it looked like being a hard day at the office for the shell-shocked visitors. Indeed the Bunnies looked likely to score again from a high cross-field kick only for Dalmane Alberga to leap bravely into the air and defuse the bomb in what was a desperate situation for the reeling Outlaws

Having weathered the early storm, the Outlaws at last gained some possession and with their first meaningful attack they scored a well worked try. Instigator was Chris Kemsley who put in a lovely chip-kick over the defence after a sharp break by the hard-working half back and as the ball stuck in the hay, the Outlaws re-gained possession and good hands released Rory McQueen who scorched over the line for a smart try. Kemsley converted to claw-back the defecit to 8-6 to the bunnies.

With the Outlaws now starting to get to grips with the larger Rabbitoh's pack they began to ask more serious questions of the home defence. The Outlaws faster play-the-ball and quick hands really started to cause problems in the home ranks and with the clock on 15 minutes the Outlaws went into the lead for the first time. Once again it was the Outlaws backs that did the damage and a smart cross-field attacking move, instigated by master-craftsman Oliver Crick released pacey full-back Nick Barraclough who scorched over for a copy-book try that nudged the Outlaws 10-8 into the lead.

The Outlaws were not finished yet however and in a golden 15 minute period for the visitors they scored a third try. This time it was debutant second rower Richard Leadbetter who marked his first game in an Outlaws shirt with a well taken try after a fine break by Danny Crampton had opened up the home defence. Kemsley just missed the kick but the Outlaws were ahead by 14-8 and looking for more points. However, as the half time whistle approached disaster struck for the Outlaws as the Rabbitohs broke from inside their own 20 metere zone and scorched down the pitch for a well taken try that levelled the score at 14-14 as the half time whistle blew.

During the half-time break coach Shepherd re-shuffled his team, bringing on 3 substitutes during the interval as the Outlaws went looking for more points. Unfortunately for the hard-working coach his charges started the second half just as slowly as they finished the first! Once again poor defensive work left a 4 on 1 overlap and the hungry bunnies scampered over the whitewash for a try out wide that was subsequently convereted to make it 20-14 to South Humber.

Stung by this reversal, the Outlaws stormed back into contention and with Keiron Curtis and Crick working their magic the Outlaws once again scored. Yet another smart pass from Curtis released Crick and the pacey stand-off mesmerised the home defence with a dummy pass and then a drop-off to Leadbetter who burst through a flailing home defence to bag his second try to crown a memorable debut for the big Yorkshireman. Once again Kemsley slotted over the extras and at 20-all the match went into the last 10 minutes with the game in the melting pot!

With both sides desperately searching for the winning score, the match could have gone either way. In a decisive moment of play, the Outlaws broke upfield as Kemsley produced another pin-point chip kick behind the Rabbitoh's defensive line. The young half back regathered and passed to the supporting Niall MacSweeney for what looked like the winning try. Unfortunately the Referee blew for a forward pass, much to the dismay of the travelling fans and the chance had gone. Indeed, such was the dissappointment in the Outlaws ranks that from the ensuing scrum on the home 20 metere line the Outlaws defence cracked and the Rabbitohs broke through for a length of the field try that put the home team in front again at 24-20 with 2 minutes left.

With the chance of a win gone, the rapidly tiring Outlaws took their foot off the gas and the Rabbitohs, now in the ascendancy, scored 2 further tries from the 2 re-starts to wrap up the game with a 34-20 victory that in no way reflected how close this game really was.

After the match coach Joe Shepherd was not too disheartened by the loss of his teams unbeaten tag adding "although we lost I am really proud of my team, especially as we had no fewer than 10 teenagers in the squad. These youngsters will learn far more today than they have done previously in games where we have scored 50 or 60 points. They all tackled bravely against physically larger opponents and they never took a backwards step"

After match the Outlaws gathered around the coaches to hear who had received the highly-prized manof the match trophy. A few players had their eyes on the prestigious award but in the end it came as no suprise when the award went to rookie hooker Kieron Curtis. The young number 9 had a great game on attack and defence and was a thorn in the side of the bunnies all afternoon.

The Academy now have a weekend off before they resume battle against Bedford in double-header with the Outlaws first team on July 12th.