Lancaster 88 – 0 UCLAN
Following last weeks emphatic 64-8 victory away at Edgehill, the Lancaster Lynx rugby league team have continued their fantastic run of form with an amazing 88-0 victory over UCLAN seconds.
Two Tries from Martin Sutton, two from Paul Davies, and an impressive five from Adam King comprised of nine of the sixteen tries scored by the Lynx.
The first try came in the third minute of the game when Captain Max Brown crossed over after barging his way through the UCLAN defence. Ben Robertshaw converted for a 6-0 lead in the opening quarters.
An early injury forced Lancaster’s Nathan O’ Connor off the pitch, yet this did little to disrupt Lynx fortunes when Paul Davies touched down in the 10th minute after a good pass opened up the UCLAN line.
Further UCLAN attacks failed to produce many yards due to an aggressive defence, and Lancaster’s obvious advantage when they had ball in hand began to show when Adam King crossed over in the 14th minute over after some great pressure from the goal line dropout.
King’s second of the match came three minutes later in a fantastic move which saw him pounce on a kick through by scrum half Paul Davies on the last tackle. Robertshaw added the conversion to bring the score to 22-0 with barely twenty minutes played.
The remaining twenty minutes of the first half continued in the same fashion. Tries from Paul Davies, two from Adam King and a try from Andrew Clough ensured the game was over before the second half had even began. Danny Myers scored in the 40th minute of the game brushing off some poor tackles to cross over after a successful Lancaster attack stretched UCLAN across the field.
The half finished with the score line at 48-0 to the Lynx.
Due to the incredibly one sided nature of the first half, the referee requested that Lancaster kick towards UCLAN for the remainder of the game. This was rejected by Captain Max brown until eventually the referee forced the decision on Lancaster.
Flimsy tackling by UCLAN and some fantastic set plays and breakaway tries, assured that Lancaster continued to dominate in the second half. Two tries at the start of the half from Martin Sutton, a try from Gary Davidson and a fantastic breakaway try by Dennis Tate in the 57th minute brought the score to 70-0.
A bone crunching dump tackle from Gareth Houghton looked to spark more woe for the travelling side who had turned up with just thirteen men. Lucky for UCLAN, the man returned to his feet shaken but unharmed.
Adam King rounded off his impressive try scoring performance with his fifth try in the 60th minute. Two further tries from Adam Lacey and goal kicker Ben Robertshaw, rounded off an outstanding attacking performance from the Lynx.
However, UCLAN showed they were not dead and buried just yet. A rare gap in the Lynx line found itself exploited by a UCLAN attacker in a desperate break. Fortunately for Lancaster, their defence managed to regain control and ensured UCLAN’s efforts remained pointless.
The referee blew the whistle with the final score at 88-0 to the Lynx.
Lynx captain Max Brown had this to say following the victory; “Overall, I was extremely impressed with every single one of the lads, it was an outstanding performance and I think we definitely sent a message to other teams. We were ruthless in attack, and (for whatever short periods) when we were defending, we showed signs of improvement. I think there is still some work to be done in all aspects of our game, however our confidence is at an all time high and as a team we are enjoying our rugby. As I said earlier, I hope this victory sends a message to not only any opposition, but the University and the governing bodies that decide which league we will be in next season. Rugby League is such a skillful and exciting game, and therefore in my opinion should be much more recognized throughout Lancaster University.
Next week, Lancaster should face a stern test at home Salford seconds. Despite being in a strong position in the league, the Lynx will be hoping for another strong performance if they going to claim the title this season.
