Bosworth put leaders to sword
THE visitors to Cadeby Lane on Saturday were league leaders Leighton Buzzard who were relegated from Midlands One at the end of last season.
They were top of the league because they had not lost a game so far this season and expecting that impressive run to continue with a win over fifth placed Market Bosworth. However, as the game unfolded the visitors were not as impressive on the field as they were on paper as the home side ran out 27-22 winners.
It took twelve minutes before the first points were scored during which time Bosworth had the upper hand keeping play in the opposition’s half by winning penalties and lineouts and eventually two five metre scrums from the second of which Harry Milner was able to dive over under the posts and make it relatively easy for Mitch Culpin to add the conversion.
Within another couple of minutes, the Bosworth threes produced some good handling moves and with the addition of number eight Ricky Wikwar who passed the ball out to winger Tom Randon who went over in the corner to add another five points for Bosworth. The conversion attempt went just wide of the posts this time.
The game started to develop into more of what was expected of an encounter with the league leaders who began to make inroads into the Bosworth half only to keep finding themselves back defending their own line. Leighton Buzzard eventually got three points on the board when the referee awarded them a penalty right in front of the Bosworth posts.
As half time approached and Bosworth once again camped on the visitors line a mistake by the home side let Leighton Buzzard clear the ball to the half way for a line out which they won and then ran in a fine try in the corner to demonstrate that they had the potential to pile on the points if they were allowed to.
The half time score still had Bosworth in the lead by four points.
The play in the first few minutes of the second half was a repeat of those at the start of the game with Bosworth mounting attack after attack. Ultimately Bosworth won a line out about eight meters out from which a maul developed and from the pushover scrum half Guy Goodman got the touch down. At this point the referee got too involved in the game and had to seek medical help having sustained a wound from a stray boot.
He managed to soldier on as no one was available to replace him. Fantastic tackling by Bosworth kept the game alive and centred in mid field for a long time but Leighton Buzzard began to put on the pressure and move the game up into the Bosworth twenty-two only for the home side to win a scrum from which Mitch Culpin, playing at standoff, ran, like a hot knife through butter, avoiding the opposition’s attention to score under the posts and not only convert his own try but to add a bonus point for the fourth try. Culpin then added another three points with a successful penalty kick from about twentyfive metres out.
With only five minutes left to play Bosworth took their foot off the pedal as they were running on empty so to speak after such a tremendous effort and let in a couple of soft tries letting the visitors get close enough to get a losing bonus point but the day was Bosworth’s winning by 27 points to 22, a great achievement which put them up to third in the league.
Only four points now separate first and fourth and if bonus points are ignored there would only be two points between the four and as such it is very close at the top as the half way point in the season approaches. This Saturday sees Market Bosworth playing away at Long Buckby.