Kesteven Rugby Club beat Nuneaton Old Edwardians in Counties 1 Midlands East (North)
Kesteven continued their strong start to the season with a 37-24 victory over Nuneaton Old Edwardians Counties 1 Midlands East (North) on Saturday.
The match showcased Kesteven's dynamic play and defensive resilience, pushing them to another win in an exciting home encounter.
The game kicked off with Kesteven applying early pressure and it didn’t take long for Archie Tagg to break through the Nuneaton defence.
Tagg's try was converted by Henry Parker, giving Kesteven an early advantage. Soon after, Parker added three more points with a well-placed penalty kick.
Nuneaton fought back with a try of their own, showing they wouldn't go down easily.
However, Kesteven responded swiftly as Will Walker found a gap and darted over for a try, although the conversion was missed.
Nuneaton answered back, scoring a converted try to close the gap and keep the game tightly contested.
Kesteven’s relentless attack continued when Dan Turner, assisted by Walker, powered through for another try.
Although the conversion was missed, Parker added another penalty to extend the lead.
Nuneaton responded once again with a converted try, showing their resilience and keeping the pressure on Kesteven.
As the match wore on, Kesteven's pack showed their strength, particularly in the scrums.
Turner added his second try of the game with a pick-and-go move from the back of a dominant scrum. Parker’s reliable boot added the conversion, giving Kesteven breathing space.
The final try of the match was a showcase of Kesteven's teamwork and quick-thinking play.
Following a Nuneaton restart, Dan Turner broke the line and offloaded to Connor Stewart, who quickly passed to James Goodrich.
Goodrich stormed down the far side, executing a superb scissor move with Harry Cox who then offloaded to Walker who scored under the posts. Parker's conversion wrapped up the scoring for Kesteven.
Nuneaton managed to score another try in the dying moments of the game, but it wasn't enough to overturn Kesteven's lead.
Man of the match honours went to Ben Hall, whose relentless defensive pressure and physicality in tackles were instrumental in shutting down Nuneaton's attacking threats.
Goodrich also played a pivotal role in opening up the field with his vision, leading to several key scoring opportunities for Kesteven.
Kesteven's victory keeps their momentum going in the league, with the team showing impressive cohesion both in attack and defence.
The match also highlighted the strength of the pack and the fluidity of the backline, setting them up well for future fixtures.
They are without a league game on Saturday while the second team take on Bourne in an NLD Merit table clash.
Their scheduled league game was postponed last weekend so Kesteven found themselves travelling to Sheffield to face Mosborough in a friendly.
Despite the unfamiliar opposition, Kesteven put on a commanding display to secure a 41-19 victory.
Jack Jonson scored a hat-trick of tries while Sean Nel bagged a brace with Zeph Hillyer also scoring. Sam Hawkins kicked four conversions and also added a drop goal.
