RUGBY: Bags of effort not enough for Borough

Last week they were outmuscled by third-placed Lutterworth away and lost 38-5. Today they took on the team occupying second spot in Midlands Division Two East (South) and this time were outpaced by superior opposition.

The visitors from Leicestershire, a very youthful outfit, were quicker in thought and deed and deservedly took the spoils 33-18.

They played an expansive game, running the ball at every opportunity, and they did it with style against a Borough side too often found lacking out wide in defence.

On the plus side, Borough couldn’t be criticised for a lack of effort. They never let their heads drop and at the finish were pressing hard for a bonus point try.

But at the end of the day the patched-up side Borough put out today, with coach Lee Adamson again being forced to raid the second team for players, was too inexperienced and too lightweight.

They started brightly enough and for the first 15 minutes applied most of the pressure. Joe Andresen at fly-half showed some neat touches and back row boys Josh Casbon and Kyle Bratt put in some positive thrusts.

But they were unable to put points on the board and Market Harborough took the lead on 25 minutes with a converted pushover try.

Borough rallied briefly to land a penalty, successfully converted by Will Cook after good runs by Bratt and Chris Sansby, but the final 10 minutes of the half were dominated by Market Harborough and a second converted try gave them a 14-3 interval lead.

A superb start to the second half saw Borough pull it back to 14-8 with a try by lively scrum-half Graeme McWhinnie.

But Borough then lost Cheyne Loades to the sin-bin and 10 minutes later it was effectively game over as Harborough crossed for three more tries - one a pushover and the other two scored wide out by their speedy backs.

That made it 33-8 and there was no way back for Borough.

But, to their credit, they refused to give in and late touchdowns by Tom Williams and Casbon gave them hope of at least winning a bonus point. But, despite some eye-catching breaks by Andresen and some strong running by Sansby, the fourth try just wouldn’t come.

Borough stalwart Bruce Morley came on as a second half replacement at prop at the ripe old age of 51.

Borough: Will Cook, Chris Sansby, John Anderson, Tom Williams, Tom McClure, Joe Andresen, Graeme McWhinnie, Stuart Day, Dewi Pearce, Ben Edwards, John Thompson, Cheyne Loades, Zak McClure, Josh Casbon, Kyle Bratt. Subs used: Bruce Morley, Aaron Thorne, Luke Smedley.

The Old Halesonians v Peterborough Lions game in National League Division Three was postponed because of a waterlooged pitch.