Rugby Lions 57 Preston Grasshoppers 7
By Coventry Telegraph
January 28 2008
Lions ran riot to score seven tries in a superb display against fellow top-five side Preston to maintain their outside hopes of a promotion challenge in National Division Three North. "The second half was played exactly how we have been trying to play all season - high tempo, high pace, lots of support play with heads up and players running at holes rather than at men,"
said delighted coach Mark Ellis.
"We had trained really well in the three weeks without a game and got the reward for our efforts."
Lions scored first when Sam Overton was driven over on 17 minutes and although Preston looked dangerous on occasions, Lions were as secure in defence as they were fluent in their attacking play.
The second home try came from Toby Handley's quickly-taken tap penalty, James Hawken converting for 12-0 after half an hour.
After the break, Lions produced a devastating 40 minutes that Preston couldn't live with.
Alex Nash completed a superb move for the third try on 42 minutes before Tristan ProsserShaw's score secured the four-try bonus point.
In the final quarter, Lions scored freely through Lloyd Warner, Shaun Brady, Stuart Riding and Ade Hales twice with Hawken finally totalling six conversions.
Preston could only muster one try by Russell Flynn, converted by Gerhard Boshoff.
Rugby Lions: Hawken; Rust, Goode, Viggers (Clarke 71), Hales; Warner, Handley; Greenbury (Siviter 55), Overton (Price 55), Tyers, Riding, Braband (Wadey 13), Nash, Prosser-Shaw, Brady.