Heartbreak for Peterborough RUFC after a late collapse against leaders, Peterborough Lions beaten again and dramatic finale for Oundle

Rob Moulds on the charge for Borough against Lutterworth. Photo: David Lowndes.

There was heartbreak for Peterborough RUFC as they led by 15 points with five minutes to go… and yet contrived to lose their Regional 2 Midlands East game against Lutterworth!

All looked set for a comfortable home win for Borough who had delivered a much improved performance, but a 30-15 lead turned into a 36-30 defeat in a frantic finale as the table-topping visitors ran in three converted tries, the last following an interception and a 95-yard dash to the line.

It’s now three defeats in a row for Borough who had started the season with a win.

“I’m gutted as for 75 minutes we played the best rugby I’d seen from us for a long time,” Borough director of rugby Shane Manning said.

Borough's Byron Van Uden makes a tackle against Lutterworth. Photo: David Lowndes.

"We were in complete control and then threw all that hard work out of the window. We have lost our last 3 games by 5 points and every time it has been our own fault.

"It’s not the physical side of the game it’s the mental. I do feel for the guys as they played their hearts out.

"Zac McClure and Robert Moulds were outstanding and Byron Van Uden controlled the game really well from fly-half. This one will hurt for a while but we are going to have pick ourselves up.”

Borough are eighth in a 12-team division and travel to fourth-placed Market Harborough on Saturday.

Aram Jones, George Offer and Tshepo Mooki are the Borough players in this action from the Lutterworth match. Photo: David Lowndes.

A Van Uden penalty gave Borough the lead in a first-half that turned into a topsy-turvy affair. Converted tries from Aram Jones and Tshepo Mooki and more kicking accuracy from Van Uden saw Borough 22-15 ahead at the break.

They stretched that lead to 30-15 with the help of a Luke Swindells try before collapsing late on.

Lutterworth pounced for the winning score after Borough inexplicably threw the ball out wide chasing a score they didn’t need so close to the end.

ROUND-UP

Peterborough Lions lost a fourth straight Counties 1 Midlands East Division game, 38-20 at Stamford.

Lions are next-to-bottom of the table, while Stamford are flying high in second. Spalding are third after a 21-7 win over Oakham.

The city side host Stockwood Park on Saturday.

Oundle snatched a 17-17 draw in their Regional 1 South East game at Sudbury with a last-gasp try from Samson Ma’asi and conversion from Ben Young.

Vernan Horne also crossed for Oundle.