Tamworth’s woes continued as they were simply brushed aside by an Ilkeston side which were physically massive compared to the Tamworth players who were always going to be up against it in the physical battle with twelve of the eighteen man squad aged twenty one and under many of which were playing Colts rugby last season First team experience was in short supply.
This is the situation the club finds itself in with so many of last season’s squad departing over the summer for various reasons some of these players have been catapulted into the First team without being given any opportunity to gain any experience of senior rugby in the lower XV’s. Not an ideal situation but the situation none the less and these lads should be applauded for putting their hands up to go into battle for the club they all love. Especially when they know they are going to wake up Sunday morning feeling like they have come out on the wrong end of a fight with a number eight bus.
Ilkeston need to be congratulated though they were rampant playing some slick rugby and taking full advantage of their physical superiority pushing the scrum all over the place making it virtually impossible for Tamworth to gain any time with the ball a task not helped by three starting players having to be replaced by half time making Tamworth’s already lengthy injury list even longer. There was one moment of brightness for Tamworth in an otherwise torrid first period when Dylan Whittington starting at full back scored a fine individual try chipping over the Ilkeston defence and re-gathering his own kick to score under the posts. Jack Dalton added the extra two from the tee.
These were the only points that Tamworth could muster as Ilkeston ran riot in the second period running out convincing victors.
Final Score
Ilkeston 78
Tamworth 7