Nottingham Outlaws kept their Midland Premier play-off ambitions alive with a hard-earned 30-18 victory away over bottom-placed Leamington Royals on Saturday. However they did it the hard way, having to come from behind on two occasions before overpowering the home side with a strong second half performance.
Any thoughts of a stroll in the park for the Outlaws disappeared in the opening five minutes when a loose pass on the home twenty was intercepted and the Royals raced up the pitch to open the scoring and a 4-0 lead.
The Outlaws soon replied, with the next attack Jimmy Goodwin crashed over from ten metres out with a typical effort to level at 4-4 with less than ten minutes played. However the respite was short lived as the Outlaws failed to gather a loose ball and with the defenders looking on, Leamington picked up the ball to score and go back into the lead at 10-4.
Once again, the Outlaws had to come from behind but they did so in emphatic fashion as captain Coryn Ward burst through a gap to score a great solo effort and two minutes later he repeated the effort to notch a quick-fire brace. Whitfield added one of the conversions as the Outlaws went in front for the first time in the game at 10-14.
With the clock ticking down the Outlaws looked like they would go into the sheds with a small lead but on the stroke of halftime the Outlaws lost possession with a ball-steal on their own twenty and in the next play the home side levelled at 14-14 with a well taken try.
The second stanza started with a re-shuffle as Outlaws influential scrum half Tom Wigglesworth was forced from the field after being hit with a high shot that resulted in a lengthy stoppage and a short exchange between the forwards.
The break seemed to revitalise the Outlaws and a great kick through on the last tackle saw Jimmy Goodwin reach the ball first to grab his second of the game and then Harry Hemmingway opened his account as Leamington lost the ball in the tackle and the young winger picked up the loose ball to score with the simplest of efforts.
At 14-24 the Outlaws appeared home and hosed but a late try by the home side saw the deficit reduced to one score at 18-24 and the visiting supporters nerves began to jangle once again!
With the clock ticking down the Outlaws finally put the game to bed with the best try of the match and it came from some fine interplay between the Ward brothers.
The move started out wide as Ward senior broke through the line on halfway and he fed Ward Junior who went on a foot race down the line. As the cover came across he swapped passes with Ward Senior before Junior once again received the ball from his older brother and the young winger sauntered under the post to score. The evergreen Steve Page added the extras for his first points of the season to wrap up the scoring at 18-30 in the Outlaws favour.
Several players were in with a shout for the man of the match award but it was fullback Gaz Whitfield that took the honours, bossing the match from start to finish with some great ball handling and attacking kicks.
The Outlaws now have the luxury of a week off before their final league game at home to Coventry, a game they must win if they are to have any chance of reaching the play-off final.