Match Report
Bedford
II 30-34 Nottingham II
The Tigers development side got their first game of the season under their belt against a youthful and enthusiastic Outlaws academy
side. Although fielding four debutants they were confident that they could put in a good performance.
The match started brightly (to match the weather) and the Tigers were soon up 4-0 with a try to centre Ashton after three minutes.
The Tigers seemed to settle down the quicker of the two sides and by the ninth minute the Tigers were 8-0 up with one of the
debutants – second row Bygraves – scoring the first of his two tries out wide. He was soon to score his second, converted by
Walker, and after 16 minutes the Tigers found themselves up 14-0.
The Tigers at this stage seemed to be able to control territory by just playing the game simple and completing their sets of six.
The lead was extended by the first of two tries to man of the match winger Mudokwani (converted Ashton) on 25 minutes to put the
Tigers further ahead 20-0.Not long after, the only blip on what had been a solid first half defensive performance let Wells from
the Outlaws score a
converted try to peg the score back to 20-6. But the Tigers were to score the final points of the half as second row Francis
scored in the 33rd minute, with the conversion by Walker this had the Tigers going to the sheds at half time 26-6 to the good.
Unfortunately during the half time break the weather seemed to change and so did the fortunes of the Tigers, with the Outlaws
scoring a try through Wylde, with the conversion this reduced the Tigers lead to 26-12. A combination of resolute defence as
the Tigers settled down managed to keep the Outlaws from scoring again until the 49th minute, by which time the Tigers squad
had been reduced to 14 players, when Wells went in for his second try of the day, again converted to narrow the score to 26-18.
The lead was reduced further on 55 minutes to 26-22, when Perry scored an unconverted try for the Outlaws. The match then went
scoreless for almost a quarter of an hour, but the lack of player numbers was starting to take its toll on the Tigers who
could be seen to start to fatigue. The players efforts were starting to take their toll, especially with the loss of full
back of Lee after 65 minutes to leave the Tigers with only 13 men.
Hope of a victory was raised when on the 67th minute Mudokwani scored his second try out wide to increase the score to 30-22.
Unfortunately the wind took the ball from the kick off over the head of the Tigers players which resulted in a drop out, from
which Yeardley scored a converted try to put the Outlaws within 2 points at 30-28. By now the Tigers had the heart but
unfortunately not the legs and were not able to prevent the Outlaws from scoring the winning try in the dying seconds of the
match through Hall, to give the Outlaws a 34-30 victory.