LIVERPOOL BUCCANEERS 36 OUTLAWS 22
Report by Ant Bullick
Nottingham Outlaws blew a 12 point lead at Liverpool Buccaneers as they got the new season off to the worst possible start on Sunday.
The Outlaws excelled in the opening 25 minutes building a 4-16 lead on the back of some fast, free flowing Rugby League before they capitulated against the hosts, eventually losing 36-22.
It was always going to be a tough trip to face the Merseyside outfit and the journey was not made any easier with the news that wily head coach Martin Crick would miss the trip as he was stuck in Lanzarote due to the Icelandic Volcano cloud! Had he witnessed the second half performance there is no doubt he would have erupted with fury.
Senior players Simon Morton, George Strachan and club captain Paul Calland took over first team affairs for the opening game of the Co-operative Rugby League Conference National 2010 campaign in his absence.
In addition, the Outlaws could not call on a number of players due to injuries and the student internationals. Calland partnered Oliver Crick at half back for their first league game together since 2008 due to Crick's back injury in 2009.
The opening exchanges saw both teams attempt to take control of the match and it was the Outlaws who drew first blood after eight minutes.
Back to back penalties against the Buccaneers gave Nottingham excellent field position and the ball passed through the hands of Calland, Crick and the supporting Will Thomas who sent winger Melbourne Weir in down the left hand side to make the scores 0-4. Calland missed the conversion.
Neither team threatened to change the score line until Liverpool drew level 10 minutes later. Dan Reeds knocked on and the Buccaneers pounced on the loose ball and raced up field for the score. Luckily for the Outlaws the conversion was unsuccessful.
Nottingham did not let the setback faze them and re-took the lead just five minutes later through a converted try, aided in large part to a Buccaneers knock on deep in their own territory. From the next set of six, Morton released Simon Chilcott down the inside left channel to touch down.
The Outlaws at this point were playing some fantastic Rugby with stand-off Crick playing an instrumental role in the Outlaws attack.
Another converted try soon followed to give the visitors a healthy lead. The Buccaneers were again guilty of giving away back to back penalties which did not go unpunished by a rampant Outlaws' attack.
A sublime behind the back pass during the tackle gave star prop Adam Millward room to find a gap down the right hand side and cross the try line for the points. Calland converted to make the score 4-16.
However, Nottingham switched off in defence at vital points before half time and Liverpool scored two converted tries in two minutes following a Matt Abbott knock on and a penalty for holding down.
The Outlaws had two good opportunities to retake the lead before the end of the first half but did not take advantage as they squandered possession and went in at the break level at 16-16.
Morton gave the half-time team talk in the absence of Martin Crick and it did the job as the Outlaws went back in front after five minutes of the second half.
The Outlaws seemed to have no room to maneuver as the Liverpool defence attempted to trap them on their own goal line before Millward found a hole to burst forward. As three men wrestled the Staffordshire hitman to the floor, he managed to offload to the supporting Chilcott who showed a clean set of heels to the chasing Liverpool defence before sending in Weir for his second try of the contest.
Calland converted to make the score 16-22.
Unfortunately for the Outlaws, it would prove to be their last score of the game. They enjoyed little possession in the second half, made errors when they had the ball in hand, were sluggish off the line, missed tackles and were the victims of some baffling referee decisions.
The Buccaneers hit back with three tries in a devastating eight minute spell which started when their man of the match Andy Sooter sliced through a flailing defensive line for the try. Weir was then tackled into touch deep in the Outlaws half and were made to pay when Liverpool regained the lead off the back of that. It became a 10 point deficit when Liverpool were awarded another score - despite it looking as though the Outlaws had managed to bundle Sooter into touch before he planted the ball to make it 32-22.
To rub salt into the visitors wounds, Liverpool added a further try to ensure Nottingham missed out on the bonus point.
As the Outlaws made the long journey back to Nottingham, Chairman Richard Johnson said: “It is of course a disappointing start to the new season but it is a marathon not a sprint. We know it will be a tough year for us due to the success we enjoyed last season making us marked men but I know we can handle the pressure.
“I could not fault the players for their efforts today and I thought Chilcott, Crick and Morton were in particular good form. It was a tough game to start the season and all attentions will now turn to our first home game of the season next weekend against Dewsbury Celtic were I am confident we can get the first win of the season under our belts.”
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