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3 weeks ago
27 March 2023
IAN RIGG At CHERRY RED RECORDS STADIUM.
The Lions put in an impressive performance in the Capital and almost snatched victory on the very last play of the match. Josh Eaves put the Lions ahead in the second minute after Jordy Gibson had kicked a forty-twenty which took the Broncos by surprise when it hit the touchline and took a wicked bounce back infield but the touch judge was on the spot to signal the kick was good. From the scrum in the Broncos twenty the defence cracked and Eaves managed to touch down under the posts with Nick Gregson adding the conversion from in front. Broncos tried to hit back five minutes later but the final pass from Alex Walker sailed over his wingers head into touch. Gav Rodden intercepted a pass in his own twenty but the defence chased him down just inside their half.
The first Broncos try was a little controversial when Dalton Grant seemed to knock on going for the left corner but the officials gave Broncos the feed at the scrum and from that scrum Dean Parata managed to dive in to the right of the posts with Olly Leyland converting. The Lions could and should have taken the lead on twenty-six minutes when Broncos were penalised about thirty metres out but the penalty kick from Gregson sailed just right of the uprights. Olly Leyland intercepted a Lions pass near his own line shortly afterwards and raced seventy metres before being caught by the chasing Louis Brogan who showed great pace to pull him down and the chance went as quickly as it came. Gregson put the Lions back ahead just before the break when he kicked a penalty for a ball steal again on thirty metres.
Wellington Albert was sent to the sinbin on forty-six minutes for an illegal tackle but it was their twelve men that put them into the lead a couple of minutes later when Paul Ulberg made the most of an overlap on the right to score and Leyland converted off the touchline. Both sides had good spells of play for the next fourteen minutes before Broncos scored again with Jarred Bassett going over in the right corner but this time Leyland could not covert. The Lions were now chasing the game and it took a lovely measured kick for the line from Gibson which Brogan chased and controlled with his foot to score by the posts and Gregson added the conversion to put his team within two points. The Lions could have won the game in the last thirty seconds when Lewis hall picked up a loose ball in his own ten before making good ground and with the final hooter sounding he put the ball on to the supporting Jake Spedding who took the ball into the Broncos half and he offloaded to the supporting Andy Badrock who was racing for the corner and he got to within ten metres before the defence caught up with him, so it was either get knocked into touch or pass the ball inside which he did but a chasing Broncos defender caught the ball and ran it into touch to end the match. Coach Allan Coleman was happy with the sides efforts and praised the fans who had travelled down to watch the game.
TEAM: Butt, Spedding, Badrock, Rodden, Bruines, Gregson, Gibson, Baker, Eaves, Hall, Lannon, Greenwood, Brogan. SUBS: Waterworth, Case, Cooper, Cox.
Penalties: 6-11, Referee: Nick Bennett, Half-Time: 6-8
