: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:40 pm
From the Outlaws
DONCASTER RESERVES 26 OUTLAWS 35
Report by Richard Johnson
With the new rugby league season less than a week away, Coach Martin Crick had one last chance to view his charges in action when Nottingham Outlaws traveled to Doncaster on Sunday to play a friendly fixture against the reserve team of Co-Operative Championship side Doncaster RLFC. He wasnt dissapointed as the Outlaws stormed to an impressive 35-26 victory over the semi-professional outfit.
The Outlaws went int the match with a somewhat makeshift look to the squad as host of first-team regulars were unavailable due to inetrnational call-ups and injuries. However, the coaching staff were not dissapointed as the changes allowed them to try out a host of new arrivals, including Morrocan international Dan Ljazouli and Myles Rutherford who was having his firs hit-out after a close season shoulder operation.
A somewhat lacklustre start by the Outlaws saw them fall 6-0 behind with less than 5 minutes on the clock as the journey had clearly taken it out of the team. However, the new look pack soon began to get to grips with their opposite numbers and as the pack gained the upper hand the half-backs began to weave their magic!
A superbly weighted kick by Paul Calland forced Doncaster to drop out from under their posts and within 2 plays the rampant Outlaws were on the score sheet when pacey centre Martin Edwards latched onto a Lewis pass to open the Outlaws account at 6-4 and within minutes the Outlaws took the lead when a lovely passing movement down the wing saw Avi Yesufu hit the line at pace and no one was going to stop the 6 foot 5 winger when he was in full stride and he powered over in the corner to put the Outlaws ahead 8-6.
With the Outlaws pack in the acendancy, Doncaster were struggling to make any impression. The Nottingham pack were once again superbly led by Strachan and Millward but they were supported admirably in their endeavours by fellow pack members Simon Morton and Dan Lzazouli . However, the forward having the biggest influence in the early stages of the match was prop Bryn Waldram, who was easily having his best ever game in an Outlaws shirt. The rangy prop forward tackled like a demon and showed the way for his fellow forwards as they kept a tight grip on the Doncaster six.
With the Outlaws pressing more and more, it wasnt long before the score board was ticking over again and this time it came from a beautiful run down the line by Tom Tsang, switching from his usual position at centre to full back. The energetic Tsang drew his opposite number before unleashing Roy Yorke wh dived in the corner for the best try of the half as the Outlaws stretched their lead to 12-6. However, with the game moving towards injury time disaster struck twice in the space of 5 minutes as the poor tackling and a lack of concentration saw Doncaster snatch 2 quick tries to put the Yorkshire outfit into a somewhat flattering 16-12 lead as the referee drew the first stanza to a close.
Outlaws coach Martin Crick used the half time team talk to stress the need for more composure as hurried passes and lost ball had invited Doncaster back into the match when to be honest the Outlaws should have been at least 2 scores ahead.
With the coaches advice still ringing in their ears, the Outlaws set about the second half in a more workmanlike manner and they were soon rewarded when a lovely Calland gruber kick was pounced on over the line as the tireless George Strachan not only set up the field position with a great charge but finished off the move with a try. Calland added the extras to make it 18-16 and the Outlaws were back in front. It was a lead that they never let go of for the remainder of the match.
Withe slope in their favour, the Outlaws forwards were begging to have a field day against their larger, but less mobile counterparts. The Outlaws just had too much pace and power upfront and this was clearly demonstrated when dynamic prop forward Adam Millward broke through the Doncaster defensive line from a tap-20 restart and then the turbo-charged prop showed a clean pair of heels to the home defence as he raced fully 80 metres down the pitch to score a magnificent solo effort that brought roars of approval from the travelling Notts contingent. Again Calland added the extras to make it 24-16 and then the silky-skilled half back switched from scoring goals to scoring tries as he mesmerised the home defence with a series of dummies before scooting through a gap for superb solo effort to stretch the outlaws lead to 28-16 and the game appeared in the bag!
With the match entersing the midway stage the home side at last began to make some sort of revival as the Doncaster coach threw on a series of substitutes that added more firepower to the home team and they soon began to make a difference. With the Doncaster backs at last getting the ball they showed that they too could score tries as they scorched in for 2 quick-fire efforts that reduced the defecit to 28-26 and with 10 minutes to play the odds on the Outlaws taking a professional scalp were lengthening rapidly!
As the Outlaws lead threatened to evaporate it was once again time for the magical half back skills of Calland to conjure up a score. Once again the mercurial half back put in a lovely grubber kick into the Doncaster in-goal and in a mad dash to the line, Outlaws centre Martin Edwards just had too much pace for the home defence as he won the race to the ball for a great score in the corner. Calland added the touchline conversion and then had the audacity to add a cheeky drop goal on the whistle to make it a great day at the office for the Outlaws captain and wrap up a famous 35-26 victory for the Outlaws.
After the game Outlaws coach martin Crick expressed his satisfaction on proceedings, adding "I thought a somewhat experimental side did extremely well against a larger, more physical Doncaster outfit. The defence was very good considering it was a friendly and its clear that I am going to have a difficult selection job in the coming weeks"
As the coach announced the winner of the man of the match trophy winner, he could have picked any number of players with all of the forwards holding up well and Martin Edwards having a superb game in the centres. However, the award rightly went to full-back Tom Tsang who had a near faultless game on defence and was a thorn in the Doncaster defence all afternoon with a great attacking display
Next week The Outlaws play their inaugural match in the Co-Operative Rugby League Conference National. It will be a baptism of fire for the newly-promoted Outlaws as they travel north to play powerful West Yorkshire outfit Featherstone Lions.
