A third successive 5-point win sees Park rise to fourth in National One, just one point behind the leaders. They owe this one largely to their dominant pack, to which the visitors could find no answer.


Park’s Maurice Nwakor hits the defence

Loughborough were a very busy side, determined to disrupt and it led to a lot of fractured play with sweeping end-to-end moves virtually extinct. Park took an early third minute lead through a penalty from fly half Greg Lound.

The visitors had come to attack but, in the early stages, showed nothing the home defence could not comfortably cope with. However, Loughborough managed to frustrate Park’s own best efforts until 21 minutes when the home side had a throw on the 5-metre line and the pack powered over with centre Peter Weightman at the rear to touch down. Lound added a conversion for 10-0.

Full back Charlie Reed put Loughborough on the scoreboard with a 24th minute penalty.

On the half hour the home Pack asserted itself again with a tremendous drive to the line, stopped illegally at the cost of a penalty try and a yellow card for Loughborough scrum half Callum Watson.

Five minutes later Park pressure yielded an eminently kickable penalty, but it was propelled to the corner for the inevitable forward drive and this time it was centre Joe Munro who touched down, Lound converting for 24-3.

Park nearly scored again, but the ball was spilled close to the line after a good move. No matter, pressure led to a poor clearance that enabled Park to set up another drive which saw flanker Jack Barnard touch down in the left hand corner to secure the 4-try bonus point. Lound narrowly missed the ‘impossible’ conversion, but nevertheless Park went into the interval with a useful 29-3 lead.

Loughborough came out for the second half with a ‘do or die’ attitude, and for the first 12 minutes they did. After only two minutes some neat interplay up the left saw flanker Victor Keunen scamper over for a try, converted by Reed for 29-10.

Park were soon back on the attack, but were hit again when, following a clearance, Loughborough earned a throw to set up a catch-and-drive of their own that saw lock Thibaut Flament touch down, Reed again converting for 29-17.


Park's fourth try ..Henry Spencer

Park resumed control, winning a penalty that was propelled to the corner and from the throw the pack again drove over for flanker Henry Spencer to claim the try and extend the lead to 34-17.

Loughborough proved to be resilient and conjured a good try out of not very much, winger Austin Beckett going over, converted by Reed to put his side within ten points at 34-24.

But the reply was inevitable. A throw close to the corner and this time it was lock Gregor Gillanders who touched down for 39-24 with only ten minutes remaining.

Loughborough did everything they could to rescue the match and with the very last move piled pressure on the Park line. A penalty try resulted to bring them a 4-try bonus and the final whistle at 39-31.

It was, in truth, a bit of a scrappy affair but Park did what they needed to do to pick up maximum points. They know, though, that a sterner test awaits them next weekend away to Chinnor.
Park: Robinson; Amesbury, Weightman, Munro, Edwards; Lound; Weir; Wade, Vaughan-Edwards, Doran-Jones; Frampton, Gillanders; Spencer, Barnard, Laventure.
Bench: Hughes, Nwakor, Mills, Grove, Hayhow
Park scorers: Weightman (T), Munro (T), Barnard (T), Spencer (T), Gillanders (T), Lound (P, 2C), Penalty Try.

Next Saturday Rosslyn Park face a tough away match at Chinnor, who were promoted from National Two last season. They hit the ground running with wins in their first three matches, including over fancied sides Plymouth Albion and Ampthill, to go top of the table. However they then suffered successive defeats at home to Caldy and Bishops Stortford and away to Rotherham that saw them slip to mid-table. They steadied the ship with a creditable home draw 20-20 with league leaders Old Elthamians, before securing a superb 23-21 away win at Darlington Mowden Park last weekend.



Charlie Addiman

Images: David Whittam

October 28, 2018