North Midlands beaten by Warwickshire

22/05/10 by Paul Bolton

North Midlands' hopes of reaching the final of the County Championship Plate were shattered by a 30-19 defeat by old rivals Warwickshire in their final Bill Beaumont Cup Division Two North match at Rugby Lions today.

North Midlands failed to recover from a dozy first half performance in a match that was played in stifling heat and missed out on a trip to Kent for next Saturday's final.

North Midlands were 23-5 down at half-time and managed to reduce Warwickshire's lead to just four points with two converted second half tries.

But another scoring chance went begging when Malvern winger James Aston knocked on and it was Warwickshire who sealed victory in the dying minutes when Stourbridge prop Brook Davies went over for their fourth try which Huw Thomas improved.

Warwickshire were 23-0 up at one stage and North Midlands were slow to adapt to the pace and enterprise of their hosts' rugby.

Nuneaton scrum-half Thomas, Earlsdon centre Todd Freemantle and full-back Steve Clarke (Earlsdon) scored Warwickshire's first half tries and Thomas kicked two penalties and a conversion.

North Midlands began their fightback when Luctonians centre Leon Mells crossed just before the break after an attack by Stourbridge wing Chris Tennuci.

Newport fly-half James Curgenven skipped over for the second early in the second half, rounding off an attack he had started. Curgenven also added the conversion.

Mells went over for his second try and Curgenven added the extras to give Warwickshire a fright but North Midlands could not turn their increasing forward domination into more points.

Warwickshire, well-led by Rugby Lions flanker Alex Nash, began to kick for territory which kept North Midlands at arm's length and Davies' try, converted by Thomas, sealed the win.