All Blacks pipped in Junior Cup clash

NLD Junior Cup
Gainsborough All Blacks v North Hykeham G130831-7cGainsborough All Blacks v North Hykeham G130831-7c
Gainsborough All Blacks v North Hykeham G130831-7c

These two sides have met many times, with the advantage usually going to the home side – and this encounter was no exception.

The Maltings sponsored Gainsborough side lost Ross Duncan from last week but welcomed back last season’s Player of the Year James Taylor.

The All Blacks started badly and were eight points down in the first 10 minutes.

Bourne took advantage of the nervous start and crashed over for an unconverted try, before kicking a penalty.

This poor start was to cost the All Blacks a trip into the next round of this competition.

The visitors started to settle, the scrum came together and really gave the hosts a hard time in the set piece. Mikey Nicholls was particularly impressive, and this advantage led to the All Blacks playing more of the game in their opponents’ half.

Pressure paid off and Gainsborough hit back with a try from Ryan Wood, going through the line out and touching down. Parkinson converted.

The All Blacks were now playing with more confidence and scored again before the break, the ever reliable Dave Gill going over to put Gainsborough 12-8 in front.

Bourne hit back immediately after the break and spent the first 10 minutes in the Gainsborough half of the field.

The constant pressure was more than the All Blacks could handle and the hosts took the lead with an unconverted try.

It was all very competitive at this stage and the game could have gone either way.

Gainsborough went in front again with a superb try by Kyle Dean, taking the ball from Wood, he skipped though the Bourne defence and touched down.

Bourne would not lie down however and with four minutes of the game left scored a breakaway try and the game was won by one point.

Positives from the game were the performance of new number 8 Stuart Logan, superb line-out work from Richard Took, the tackling of Elliot Humphrey and the tireless work of Daniel Chadwick.

Man of the Match was Wood.

Next week the All Blacks play their first league game against Ollerton.