Wounded both before and during the final battle, Lancashire’s 15 Group Tens squad faltered in the Roses’ match at Rugby School, losing the RFU National Tens Cup Final to Yorkshire by a 20-12 margin.
Entering the second day of the annual festival event in the ‘Cup’ section of the draw, sponsored for the fifth year by Royal & Sun Alliance, Lancashire reckoned that they would be one player down for the remaining three matches. By the time the festival’s final whistle blew - some time after three o’clock and an hour later than scheduled - to the earlier dislocated shoulder, the stretcher-bearers added a broken leg, a fractured collarbone, and a neck-brace injury. With delicate stitching to a split eyebrow also required, Lancashire kept the the St John’s Ambulance brigade fully occupied.
28 ‘constituent bodies’ started but it was down to the last eight as Lancashire faced East Midlands in the quarter-final. Ryan Glynn and Josh Stratton continued where they had finished the night before, dominating the centre field, and whatever threat was posed, Andrew Dauncey’s team quelled it. By half-time Lancashire lead through a slick backs’ move that enabled Alli Sutherland to force his way through from 22 metres for a score. After half-time, to counter any possible response by the Midlanders’ fly-half, the ball was targeted to the opposition’s corners, but the game was over as a Nick Costello spark fired him from his own half, through grasping hands, for a superb try.
Devon, qualifying as the best runner-up on the opening day, came from behind to beat Kent in their quarter-final, and benefited in the early semi-final encounters as Lancashire conceded a string of penalties. Once again, Stratton’s classy distribution caught the eye, and feeding off Glynn’s solid platform behind the scrum, created the only two chances at either end. Sutherland almost opened the gate to the try line, as did James Morris, but although announcer (normally to be heard at the Millennium Stadium) broadcast the absence of any score at the interval, the momentum was moving Lancashire’s way.
Morris is was who finally unpicked the lock, gaining possession from a skilful catch at the restart, setting yet another backs move. Costello’s progression down the right wing was devastating. Costello’ first try, followed by the second, and then a third, in a six-minute, second-half hat-trick ensured a berth in the final. Ryan O’Neill, ever-present throughout the six-match programme, produced a slinky side-step to complete the scoring. Glynn added two conversions, a one a drop kick from close to the touch-line, and so to the Final
Built up as a “Roses” battle, Yorkshire went ahead from a kick-ahead in the opening minute, the chasing players causing more than a suspicion of off-side. However, the referee’s arm was raised and, whilst there the first was doubtful, the second score in the third minute was a perfectly worked move, albeit similar to the first.
Lancashire’s playmaker, Stratton was then removed, both from the game, and then on a stretcher from the field before - after a long delay as the emergency services were stretched - Lancashire struggled to regroup and to hold on. Three minutes into the second half, Yorkshire extended their lead to 15 points. Finally, as Yorkshire claimed the fourth, and Lancashire called on medical assistance yet again, the option to bring the match to an early conclusion three minutes from time was spurned by the Lancashire captain, Andrew Dauncey.
Showing well-disciplined aggression, Kyle Manson-Kullin was at the end of two determined efforts to fight back, his two tries and Glynn’s conversion ensuring that the Red Rose was not seen to wilt at the home of rugby, finishing the festival in second place.
Report from the first day at this year's National 10s event at Rugby School, sponsored by Royal & SunAlliance Insurance which concludes on Monday 7th May....
With the expected rain holding off, a superb second-half fightback against Staffordshire in Lancashire's opening day pool secured the top spot, sending the team through to a vital Monday match against East Midlands.
As Staffordshire took a 7-point lead straight from the kick off, Lancashire were on the back foot - so much so that when the side was 19-0 down at half-time, results elsewhere suggested an early exit from the main event. However, Ben Vernon grounded in the corner in the opening minute of the second period; an immediate response to a high wattage half-time roasting from the coaches.
Alisdair Sutherland then ended a superb move to bring Lancashire closer, but with scores on the adjacent pitch not going in the side's favour, a points from a win became urgent.
With four minutes remaining, and with Ryan Glynn and Josh Stratton dominating the centre ground, Stratton exploited an all-too-rare crack in Staffordshire's defence to claim both the try and conversion. Stratton followed his first try with his second and final try a minute from time, which he again converted to complete a remarkable turnaround, Lancashire registering 24-second half points, without response.
Earlier, skipper Andrew Dauncey opened the scoring against Buckinghamshire. Turning around at the interval 5 points ahead, Ryan Glynn and, on the stroke of the final whistle, James Morris earnt a 15-0 victory.
Against Sussex, with John Pape out through injury, Lancashire conceded in the opening minute.
Stratton, Glynn and then Ross O'Neil then added their own scores, Stratton slotting two drop-goal conversions. A darting side-step and sheer pace gave Nicholas Costello his try in the second half following sustained Sussex pressure.
Stratton's extra two points for 26-5 saw Lancashire cruising towards the main event on day two, but that was before Staffordshire, who had lost 19-22 to Buckinghamshire and 19-21 to Sussex, decided to test the Red Rose metal.
On to Day Two!
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