Match Report – Swinton Lions vs Cornwall

22 May 2022

SWINTON LIONS  54

CORNWALL  16

IAN RIGG Heywood Road, Saturday

The Lions put in a ten try performance as they continued their good form against a Cornwall side who played some entertaining rugby and never gave up right to the end. Richard Lepori put the Lions ahead after eight minutes when he combined with Nick Gregson and Rhodri Lloyd to score in the right corner and Dan Abram converted. Cornwall almost hit back four minutes later when Luke Collins went close, but Lepori stretched the Lions lead when he finished a good passing movement again down the right touching down in the corner but no conversion to this one. Cornwall prop Andy Kay was sent to the sinbin after seventeen minutes for a high shot on Lepori and from the resulting penalty the Lions put pressure on the line and Lewis Hatton crashed over by the posts with Abram adding the conversion.

Cornwall scored their first try on twenty-two minutes when the Lions were on the attack and within twenty metres of the scrum half Adam Rusling latched onto a Lions pass to race eighty metres to score at the other end, but Kyle Johns was off target with the conversion attempt. Billy Brickhill increased the home side lead five minutes later when he crashed over but Abram missed the conversion and then nine minutes from the break another good passing movement saw Jayden Hatton cross in the left corner but again no conversion and as the half time hooter sounded Cornwall kept the ball moving and got their reward when winger Joe Purcell took the ball out on the right to cross the line and narrow the angle to score under the posts with Johns adding the conversion.

George Roby put the Lions back on track in the first minute of the second half when he combined with Mike Butt to score under the posts and Abram added the simple conversion. Cornwall were playing some expansive rugby and keeping the Lions defence stretched but it was their own error that presented the Lions with the next try when they were awarded a penalty near their own line but failed to find touch and from this play Max Roberts scored in the left corner and Abram converted from the touchline. The impressive Rusling added his second try on sixty-three minutes when he kicked along the ground towards the posts, but Lions full back Butt completely missed the ball and it rolled under the posts for Rusling to dot it down and Johns added the simple conversion.

Mitch Cox added the Lions next try with twelve minutes left and this was quickly followed by a Butt effort engineered by Jack Hansen, and both were converted by Abram. The final try came in the dying seconds of the game when Hansen sold a huge dummy to round three defenders and score to the right of the posts with Abram converted to complete the scoring.

MATCHFACTS

LIONS

  2 Mike Butt

28 Jayden Hatton

  4 Max Roberts

11 Rhodri Lloyd

  5 Richard Lepori

  1 Dan Abram

  7 Jack Hansen

17 Jack Spencer

14 Matty Wilkinson

10 Lewis Hatton

15 Billy Brickhill

12 Mitch Cox

13 Nick Gregson

Subs (all used)

30 George Roby

24 Jordan Brown

19 Jose Kenga

25 Lewis Charnock

Tries: Lepori (8,15), L.Hatton (19), Brickhill (27), J.Hatton (31), Roby (41), Roberts (55), Cox (68),

Butt (72), Hansen (79).

Goals: Abram 7/10

CORNWALL

  1 Liam Whitton

  2 Joe Purcell

  3 Harry Aaronson

  4 Kyle Johns

  5 Will Adams

  6 Nathan Conroy

  7 Adam Rusling

  8 Jackson Walker

  9 Luke Collins

10 Andy Kay

11 Will Odgers

12 Josh Tora

13 Louis Collinson

Subs (all used)

14 Sam Gilder

15 James Collings

16 Josh Hartshorne

17 Jamie Prisk

Tries: Rusling (22,63), Purcell (40)

Goals: Johns 2/3

Sin-Bin: Andy Kay (17) High Tackle

Penalty count: 12-9 Half-time: 24-10

Referee: Michael Mannifield Attendance: 678

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0,10-0,16-0,20-4,24-4,24-10,30-10,36-10,36-16,42-16,48-16,54-16.