Ipswich Rhinos Rugby League Club

...MATCH REPORT...

TOTALRL.COM RUGBY LEAGUE CONFERENCE

17 May 2003

Luton Vipers 14 - 19 Ipswich Rhinos

(Click picture to enlarge)

On paper this was the Rhinos biggest test of the season, and in every respect the game lived up to its star billing. Luton Vipers are a hard hitting well drilled side and have strengthen their 2003 squad with the strategic signing of the 2002 TotalRL.com conference player of the year Richard Smith and his colleagues Matt Thomas and Alex Murphy from Hemel Stags. However, The Rhino squad has also been strengthened. Mike Fields, Dave West, Tane Trafford, Daniel Garbutt, and Patrick Duffy all figured in the starting line up and made major contributions to the game and there are still a number of new players waiting for their break. Under the leadership of Paul Le Marquand and Chik Knox MacCaulay the young Rhino squad have gelled quickly this season and against Luton showed they have the ability to go well beyond the Divisional stages in this year competition.

ABOVE: "Trafford, Garbutt and A Cook
get to grips with the Luton prop"

Ipswich had marginal territorial advantage for the first 25 minutes pushing Luton deep into their own half on most sets of six tackles only for the Vipers to repel them to the half line on theirs. Vaughan Evans came closest to scoring on 12 minutes, only some desperate Luton defending stopped him on the line. The Rhinos were also guilty of a couple of handling errors within 10 meters of the Luton line with a spare man on the overlap. On 26 minutes having completed 5 tackles Luton kicked deep into the Ipswich half. The ball was well taken under pressure by Paul Le Marquand and passed wide to left winger David West who sprinted a full 80 meters, first evading tacklers on the wing then cutting in at an angle to score under the posts giving Peter Le Marquand a simple conversion. The Vipers however were quick to strike back, a Stuart Langhorn kick was spilt forward by a Rhino defender and from the scrum Luton second row Andy Davey drove over from 10 meters to score an unconverted try. The score looked like staying at 4-6 to Ipswich up to the half time break only for Peter Le Marquand to score with a cleverly chipped drop goal on the stoke of half time to make the score Luton 4 - Ipswich 7.

ABOVE: "The Le Marquand brothers and B Cook
giving Richard Smith the Conference 2002
player of the year some close attention"

With the wind on their backs it took Luton just 4 minutes of the second half to overturn the Rhinos slender lead, Andrew Davey powering over from close range. Davey shortly afterwards completed his hat trick with another short powerful drive from a quick tap Haylett penalty, Hart converting the second try to put Luton 14-7 in the lead. The Rhinos regrouped and responded in style. Their back row of Patrick Duffy, Brendan Cook and man of the match Andy Windridge were outstanding, and it was from their dominance in the centre of the park that the Rhinos were able to pressure Luton for the final 20 minutes as they did the first. An excellent passage of rugby resulted in Daniel Garbutt spinning of the first tackler to charge over the line from 10 meters to make the score 14-11. Within minutes Adam Cook was stopped on the line under the Luton posts. From the tackle the ball moved fast through the hands to Brendan Cook who capped a fine performance with an angled run to the try line for the Rhinos to nose ahead 15-14. In the final minutes Ipswich finally put the game beyond Lutons reach when Mike Fields ran in a try from 20 meters to make the final score 19 points to 14 to The Rhinos.

Ipswich Rhinos: Paul Le Marquand, Adam Cook, Chik Knox MacCaulley, Mike Fields, David West, Peter Le Marquand, Tane Trafford, Andrew Wilson, Vaughan Evans, Daniel Gabutt, Patrick Duffy, Andy Windridge, Brendan Cook, Alex Stratton Thomas, Steve Gleeson, Steve Simms ,Matt Harwood.

Scorers:
Trys - West, Garbutt, Cook (B) Fields,
Conversions - Peter Le Marquand
Drop goal - Peter Le Marquand.

Luton Vipers: Liam Tiddey, Brian Donnelly, Dave Haylett, Matt Thomas, Gareth Harkin, Stuart Langhorn, Paul Hart, Alex Murphy, Richard Smith, Stu Barrow, Andy Davies, Tom Wicks, Graham Lumley, Karl Belmar. James Hankey, Nick Davies, Huw Davies.

Scorers :
Trys - 3 Davies (A )
Conversion - Haylett.

Reporter: Kevin Cook


	...MATCH REPORT... TOTALRL.COM RUGBY LEAGUE CONFERENCE 17 May 2003 Luton Vipers 14 - 19 Ipswich Rhinos (Click picture to enlarge) On paper this was the Rhinos biggest test of the season, and in every respect the game lived up to its star billing. Luton Vipers are a hard hitting well drilled side and have strengthen their 2003 squad with the strategic signing of the 2002 TotalRL.com conference player of the year Richard Smith and his colleagues Matt Thomas and Alex Murphy from Hemel Stags. However, The Rhino squad has also been strengthened. Mike Fields, Dave West, Tane Trafford, Daniel Garbutt, and Patrick Duffy all figured in the starting line up and made major contributions to the game and there are still a number of new players waiting for their break. Under the leadership of Paul Le Marquand and Chik Knox MacCaulay the young Rhino squad have gelled quickly this season and against Luton showed they have the ability to go well beyond the Divisional stages in this year competition. ABOVE: "Trafford, Garbutt and A Cook get to grips with the Luton prop" Ipswich had marginal territorial advantage for the first 25 minutes pushing Luton deep into their own half on most sets of six tackles only for the Vipers to repel them to the half line on theirs. Vaughan Evans came closest to scoring on 12 minutes, only some desperate Luton defending stopped him on the line. The Rhinos were also guilty of a couple of handling errors within 10 meters of the Luton line with a spare man on the overlap. On 26 minutes having completed 5 tackles Luton kicked deep into the Ipswich half. The ball was well taken under pressure by Paul Le Marquand and passed wide to left winger David West who sprinted a full 80 meters, first evading tacklers on the wing then cutting in at an angle to score under the posts giving Peter Le Marquand a simple conversion. The Vipers however were quick to strike back, a Stuart Langhorn kick was spilt forward by a Rhino defender and from the scrum Luton second row Andy Davey drove over from 10 meters to score an unconverted try. The score looked like staying at 4-6 to Ipswich up to the half time break only for Peter Le Marquand to score with a cleverly chipped drop goal on the stoke of half time to make the score Luton 4 - Ipswich 7. ABOVE: "The Le Marquand brothers and B Cook giving Richard Smith the Conference 2002 player of the year some close attention" With the wind on their backs it took Luton just 4 minutes of the second half to overturn the Rhinos slender lead, Andrew Davey powering over from close range. Davey shortly afterwards completed his hat trick with another short powerful drive from a quick tap Haylett penalty, Hart converting the second try to put Luton 14-7 in the lead. The Rhinos regrouped and responded in style. Their back row of Patrick Duffy, Brendan Cook and man of the match Andy Windridge were outstanding, and it was from their dominance in the centre of the park that the Rhinos were able to pressure Luton for the final 20 minutes as they did the first. An excellent passage of rugby resulted in Daniel Garbutt spinning of the first tackler to charge over the line from 10 meters to make the score 14-11. Within minutes Adam Cook was stopped on the line under the Luton posts. From the tackle the ball moved fast through the hands to Brendan Cook who capped a fine performance with an angled run to the try line for the Rhinos to nose ahead 15-14. In the final minutes Ipswich finally put the game beyond Lutons reach when Mike Fields ran in a try from 20 meters to make the final score 19 points to 14 to The Rhinos. Ipswich Rhinos: Paul Le Marquand, Adam Cook, Chik Knox MacCaulley, Mike Fields, David West, Peter Le Marquand, Tane Trafford, Andrew Wilson, Vaughan Evans, Daniel Gabutt, Patrick Duffy, Andy Windridge, Brendan Cook, Alex Stratton Thomas, Steve Gleeson, Steve Simms ,Matt Harwood. Scorers: Trys - West, Garbutt, Cook (B) Fields, Conversions - Peter Le Marquand Drop goal - Peter Le Marquand. Luton Vipers: Liam Tiddey, Brian Donnelly, Dave Haylett, Matt Thomas, Gareth Harkin, Stuart Langhorn, Paul Hart, Alex Murphy, Richard Smith, Stu Barrow, Andy Davies, Tom Wicks, Graham Lumley, Karl Belmar. James Hankey, Nick Davies, Huw Davies. Scorers : Trys - 3 Davies (A ) Conversion - Haylett. Reporter: Kevin Cook