OUTLAWS 23 WARRINGTON WIZARDS 35
Report by Ant Bullick
Photos by Matt Ormian (gallery)
Nottingham Outlaws earned their second bonus point in a week with a last minute Paul Calland drop-goal as they suffered a tough 23-35 loss at the hands of Warrington Wizards today.
The Outlaws put in a hard-working peformance in the heat but gave up possession too easily and Warrington ensured Nottingham paid for their errors.
The Outlaws were missing several first team players going into the match and matters were not helped when their bench reduced to two through injury midway through the second half.
Oliver Crick, George Strachan and Adam Millward were all unavailable while Tom Tsang (shoulder), Simon Perry and Will Thomas (both knee) were out through injury.
The return to action of club captain Calland, prop Aidan Pritchard and wingers Melbourne Weir and Harry Mostyn helped to soften the blow for head coach Martin Crick but being without key players proved too much for the Outlaws.
Above: Aidan Pritchard and Simon Morton attempt to subdue a Wizards attacker
Nottingham were on the back foot from the start and five minutes in were 6-0 down as Wizards' full-back Chris Campbell made the Outlaws pay for a knock-on on the half-way line. Stand-off Warren Ayres converted the try.
Warrington doubled their advantage less than ten minutes later. Centre Chris McNamara forced the pass in the tackle and Bryn Waldram knocked on and just like the first try, Nottingham were put to the sword for their mistake by Campbell who grabbed his second try of the game. Ayres made no mistake with the boot.
The Outlaws re-grouped and Dom Walsh put the first points of the day on the board for Nottingham. Nathan Walmsley's kick off bounced out to give the home side excellent field position and this was aided further by a penalty against the Wizard's defence. Four plays later Jimmy Lewis put up a high bomb which was collected by Walsh and the winger continued his impressive season by beating three defenders to touch down. Nathan Walmsley added the extras.
However, the Outlaws were made to pay for yet another mistake as full-back Walmsley dropped a high kick on his own 15 under no pressure. Anthony Brade drove the ball in on the right hand side for the try but Ayres missed the conversion.
Nottingham continued to battle despite the setback and scored two tries before half time to go in at the break all square.
First Calland touched down to make Warrington pay for a knock-on at the play the ball and the half-back finished off the drive after strong runs from Pritchard, Dan Reeds and Nick Van Buren. Walmsley converted to bring the Outlaws within four points.
Above: Strong-running back rower Nick van Buuren proved a handful all afternoon
Then McNamara completed the first half comeback. Simon Chilcott broke through the line before being tackled deep in Warrington territory to give Nottingham good field position. Lewis put up another high bomb which the Warrington winger lost in the sun but Walmsley tracked the ball perfectly to tip it backwards to the waiting McNamara who went in to make it 16-16. Walmsley was unable to send the Outlaws in at the break in the lead as he nudged his conversion just wide.
All the Outlaws hard-work was undone though just one minute into the second half when Walmsley dropped another high bomb deep in his own half. Craig Middlemoor went over two plays later and Ayres made it three from four with the boot.
Warrington continued to press and they knocked on at the line twice, the second one coming as the ball was being placed down for the try.
The next Wizards' try eventually came after James Sadler knocked on a Paul Calland pass and then second-row Tim Thompson-Essex was harshly ruled to have committed a grapple tackle to give the visitors superb field position and Brade needed no second invitation to get his second score of the game. Ayres got another successful kick to make it 16-28.
The Outlaws then, crucially, lost the services of Simon Morton and Dan Reeds leaving just two on the bench in the searing heat.
With 15 minutes remaining in the match the Outlaws went further behind. Lewis was ruled to have knocked-on and Warrington worked it wide, where they had looked sharp all game, and Danny Shaw scored the try with Ayres adding the two points.
Nottingham hit back when they took advantage of back-to-back penalties and a Paul Calland grubber kick was grounded by Walmsley who picked himself up to add the extras and put the Outlaws on course for a bonus point.
They were temporarily out of the running for the bonus point when Jono Smith landed a drop goal but Calland replied with one of his own to get the bonus point.
Above: Craig Carter presents the Sponsor's Man of the Match certificate to Eddie Shaw on behalf of Match Sponsor Trent Rugby League Old Boys
M Crick said, "It was a really tough defeat today for the lads today. We were missing a lot of key players and those that came in did a fantastic job. Our composure in attack let us down again at times and we were made to pay for simple errors.
"It was already a patched-up side but losing two more influential players in Morts and Dan half-way through the second half was a big blow. Morts kept the Warrington defence honest with his play out of dummy half and Dan Reeds was always there to carry the ball and make the tackles.
"Next week we will have Oli, George and Ads back for another tough game, this one away at Featherstone and the lads who have made the step up to play first-team Rugby over the past couple of weeks are really banging loudly on the door now.
"Hopefully this is the end of injuries and other unavailability issues and we can get settled as a team and as a squad and kick on with the season now."
Match Sponsor Trent Rugby League Old Boys selected hard-running back-rower Eddie Shaw as Man of the Match. The Trent University player made an impressive home debut off the bench, and was instrumental in providing the go-forward to allow the Outlaws to snatch a losing bonus point.
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