Another big Richmond win brings Titans into range
ROCK-SOLID defence that kept a clean sheet for 77 minutes plus three first half tries saw Richmond win their second home game in a row at a loud Athletic Ground.
Scores from openside Jack Allcock and wingers Jonathan Woodward and Jordan Simpson-Hefft gave the home-side an unassailable lead in a very stop-start game.
Richmond boss Steve Hill said: “It sums it up well that we are disappointed to not get a bonus point try.
“At the start of the season we’d have been over the moon with a win against Nottingham and we are still very pleased – but the guys will recognise that we had some chances in the second half to get a fourth try.
“I can’t take anything away from them, it was probably our best first half performance this season in terms of discipline, showing how we wanted to play and taking our chances really well against a strong side.
“That’s our fourth win, we want to jump ahead of Rotherham and this puts us within a point of that.”
The home side started strongly, with full-back Rob Kirby kicking a penalty after Nottingham had conceded an infringement at the breakdown.
Richmond grabbed their first try after wing Woodward picked the ball up at a ruck and found a gap through the green shirts to gas 25m to the line. Kirby’s missed conversion was his first to go astray in seven games.
By a quarter of an hour, Nottingham had been forced to replace both wings due to injury and Richmond struck for a second try. After two lineouts in Nottingham’s half, Woodward broke through and the recycled ball was fed to Allcock, who weaved his way through.
Nottingham came back with fly-half Gearoid Lyons beautifully opening up the Richmond defence but the final pass was intercepted by SimpsonHefft, who didn’t quite have the pace to score.
Nottingham had their best chance in the 25th minute when they put together seven phases on the Richmond 5m line, but a fumble allowed Rich-
mond No.9 Stuart to clear.
Richmond added a third when Simpson-Hefft again intercepted an Evans pass and this time had the pace to dot down.
Nottingham came out of hard in the second half but after ten minutes deep in Richmond territory, a penalty at the break-down led to scrum-half Murray McConnell being sinbinned for swearing.
Richmond had a couple of close attempts by Stuart and centre Ronald McLeanDents but couldn’t add a fourth. McLean-Dents saw yellow for fighting in the 76th minute before McConnell grabbed a consolation try.
Nottingham head coach Ian Costello said: “It’s incredibly frustrating, but we got everything we deserved. Huge credit to Richmond not just in terms of execution but also their line speed and energy, it was top-notch.”