On Staurday the 1stXV welcomed 3rd placed St Ives to a wet and windy Occupation Road.
Within two minutes S&L had the first score of the afternoon secured. A lineout just outside the opposition 22 and a few powerful pick and goes by the S&L forwards before Jay Manson chipped the ball with a perfectly weighted nudge that saw Connor Jenkinson dot the ball down over the goal. Manson adding the conversion.
With the weather as it was, mistakes were bound to happen and a messy couple of phases from both sides led to scrum after scrum. St Ives piled the pressure on but the defense was solid, led by the always reliable Greg Pieterse.
Eventually the black wave found their feet and a scrum inside St ives territory allowed Tansley Naylor to crash over for his first try of the day. Jay manson slotting the conversion for a 14 point lead.
St Ives then started to bring themselves back into the game, picking away and slowly gaining meters towards the blackwaves goal line. After a scrum on the S&L 22, centres Dev Rilley and Connor Jenkinson clashed heads whilst attempting a tackle, giving St Ives centre an easy run in. The St Ives kicker successful with the conversion.
An infringement off the restart gave Jay Manson a chance to extend the lead with a penalty kick at goal, which he knocked over with ease.
Not to be outdone, St Ives returned the favour with a penalty kick of their own to bring the score to 17-10 at the break. All to play for in the second half.
Straight off the restart S&L had another shot at goal after St Ives were reduced to 14 for a dangerous tackle. Dev Rilley missing on this occasion.
With a man advantage S&L knew they had to capitalise and they certainly did. Great field position added to the incredible black wave lineout, there was only ever one outcome. Louis Trimble calling the strike move, Tansley Naylor, stepping and boshing defenders to go over in the corner for his second score. Manson nailing the difficult conversion to build a 14 point lead yet again.
Now with their tails in the air, the floodgates opened, Greg Pieterse breaking through the line off the kick off, finding Dan martin, who shipped the pill onto Josh Rudduck in space, flying almost to the score line. Rudduck tipped the ball back to a charging Dan martin who wouldn’t be stopped as he smashed over for the important bonus point try. Jay Manson missing the conversion.
Next to cross the whitewash with Louis Trimble to add to his already impressive try tally this season. Jay Manson applying great pressure in defence, leading to a mistake from the St Ives backs. Manson recovered the ball brilliantly, providing Trimble with clean air in front for a jog under the posts. Manson adding the extras.
Minutes later St Ives found themselves on the back foot once more. A scrum in the middle of the pitch, deep inside the St Ives half, Louis Trimble picked up and went blind, drawing in two defenders. Slick off loading through the backs gave Harry Campbell the opportunity to dive over in the corner. Manson again not missing the extras.
With ten minutes left, the black wave were not finished. Working the ball left to right and not letting up in any area of the pitch, the ball was moved down the back line into the hands of the comeback kid, Ellis Brown, who ran in the final try of the match in his first game back following a serious knee injury. Manson once again solid in front of the posts to get the extra 2, the final score being 48-10.
The result meaning it was 8 from 8 for the 1stXV with only 41 points conceded. A fantastic start to the season, which they hope to continue away at brackley this Saturday.
