Picture – Owen Randell scoring – Photography Mike Freeman
Redruth RFC vs Luctonians RFC
Saturday 12th October 2024
Match Report by Alex Smith
Man of the Match – Caleb Montgomery
League Table – https://www.ncarugby.com/national-2-west-table/
Luctonians tasted defeat for the first time this season last Saturday down in Cornwall, as they lost 38-29 at Redruth, and with it surrendered top spot in the National League 2 West division.
The league leaders could not have made a better start, going 0-7 up inside three minutes, as Owen Randell’s score in the corner was converted by Jamin Hodgkins, but Redruth tied the scores on 17, after fullback Charlie Levick burrowed over, with Dean Wills converting.
Lucs re-took the lead on 25 minutes with a Hodgkins penalty, but were behind four minutes later after coughing up an error around their 22 when trying to play out and this gave the hosts the field position needed to apply the squeeze and inside centre Thomas Georgiou gathered his own chip, with Wills converting for 14-10.
The visitors would hit back before half time and took a 17-14 lead to the break as Jack Goodwin’s fifth try of the season from a powerful driving maul, was converted by Hodgkins, but Redruth were probably the happier at the break having played up the slope and into the wind, and just trailing by three.
Buoyed by the elements in their favour the hosts came flying out the blocks with two quick fire tries to take a 28-17 lead on 51 minutes as first Wills converted his own score early in the half, before he again converted, this time after man of the match scrum half Will Rigelsford snuck over, after big pressure from Redruth who now carried all the momentum.
But Lucs are a tough nut to crack, and showed great character to not only come back into the game but lead after tries on 58 and 70 minutes.
First, skipper Ben Link went over at the back of another driving maul, before Caleb Montgomery dotted down under the sticks for their four-try bonus point score and a 28-29 lead heading into the final 10 minutes, as Hodgkins could only convert the latter try.
With time counting down, Lucs defended a multi-phase attack brilliantly, until another Georgiou offload released attackers through the middle, and Rigelsford was on hand to receive the final pass to go in under the sticks.
Wills converted this and a penalty late on to ensure Redruth won and denied Lucs what would have been a deserved losing bonus-point.
So Lucs slipped to 2nd in the division after this first loss, replaced by Redruth’s Cornish rivals Camborne in top spot.
The men from Mortimer Park will rue bits of their game management at times, but on the day were beaten by a very useful home side in front of a large, vociferous crowd.
The black and whites will look to bounce back this week as they host Taunton Titans back in Kingsland.
