New Year Hangover for Leo’s

The home side had won all of their 14 games this season and not conceded a try since November so despite a sprinkling of skill and experience throughout the team Captain Tweds had a serious challenge on his hands. The New Year brought a new warm up, organised rather than aimless, and Leo’s set about the somewhat unequal task.
The pack fronted up well in the early exchanges and kept the home side at bay for long periods. In the set piece the scrums were solid, driving Yarnbury back, and the lineouts were fairly secure. Behind this platform the backs were finding the going tough against a well organised defence and despite some valiant efforts from Will and Si there was little offensive territory gained. The big pitch was also affecting the touch-finders, which invariably didn’t. Frantic fringing defence frustrated the home side and the referee who pinged the over exuberant (offside) Scotty on a couple of occasions. Yarnbury scored out wide after some concerted pressure eventually broke Leo’s line, but not spirit. Jack H tried sniping, Stuey N running from deep but no response from Leo’s was making much of an impact as the game descended into a midfield scrap with Leo’s defending resolutely. Yarnbury then showed their professionalism by opting to kick penalties, in 3rd XV rugby! The first went wide but a further two went over for an 11 point lead at the break.
Leo’s rearranged their troops as the battered and weary left the fray. Yarnbury upped the intensity from the off and were soon running hard and straight as their well drilled backs took control of the game. No amount of scrambling defence could keep them at bay but Leo’s weren’t going to be on the receiving end of a 100 point defeat such as that handed out to Roundhegians before Christmas. Nor were they going to be nilled. Callum had a break and was unlucky with the chip and chase. Jack was also close to skinning the winger but cover defence saw off his threat. The pack was in the ascendancy with a pair of Cadges to the fore and the home side were under pressure. Continual infringing saw their prop sent to the bin and the resultant passive scrums denuded Leo’s of their most potent weapon. However it was off the back of one that Carl drove himself over and Tweds added the extras for some price restoring points before Yarnbury scored again, the sun set, the temperature dropped, and Tweds rallied the troops with an after match oratory to drive them into 2015 with renewed vigour