Kesteven Colts vs Boston – 10 Apr 22

Bathed in sunshine, with nothing more than a light breeze to trouble them, Kesteven Colts took to the field for their final home game of the season. With Boston struggling for numbers, both teams elected to play 13-a-side and Kesteven dominated from the start. With less than 10 minutes on the clock, the home team were 19 points ahead with fast flowing rugby seeing wingers Owen and Williams exploding through gaps to score largely unopposed. With the forwards providing consistently quick ball at the breakdown, and pin-point distribution from stand-in scrum half Whaley, silky smooth handling in the backs delivered a torrent of Kesteven tries. With only one momentary loss of concentration, allowing Boston to capitalise on a rare chink in Kesteven’s armour, the hosts went into half time comfortably ahead at 54-5.

The opening exchanges of the second half saw Kesteven on the back foot and the half-time changes allowed Boston back into the game. Allowed to gather momentum with ball in hand, the visitors exploited a disorganised Kesteven defence and missed tackles were punished hard, conceding 2 tries within 10 minutes. To add to the pain, a misjudged challenge for a high ball saw Kesteven reduced to 12 men, although the additional pressure appeared to re-focus attention on the job in hand. Griffiths stepped on the gas to outrun the Boston three-quarters and score a spectacular solo try in the left corner, followed shortly by Fowler running in under the posts to shift momentum back in Kesteven’s favour. The irrepressible Owen, not content with 4 tries in the first half, came back for yet more glory and although Boston scored a late but very well worked consolation try in the dying moments of the game, the victory was secure.

Kesteven undoubtedly lost their shape at the beginning of the second half and elements of their defence offered Boston a way back into the game when the door should have remained firmly shut. However, with some fast-paced, heads-up rugby from the forwards and the searing pace of the back line, there were a plethora of crowd-pleasing moments showing Colts at their best. Ford-Pain removing his pants in the first half came a close second to the dancing feet of Owen as the stand-out feature of the match but slick handling and the sweetest of offloads under pressure from every player provided just rewards for all the hard work behind the scenes in training.

Kesteven: Ford-Pain, Turford, James, Harris, Ingamells, Muir, Griffiths, Pilkington, Whaley, Owen, Walker, Fowler, Coyle, Williams, Bullement

Subs: Login, Sheard

Tries: Owen (5), Williams, Walker, Coyle, Harris, Griffiths, Fowler
Conversions: Walker (9)