Bedford win, but Nottingham grab crucial bonus point

Nottingham Rugby went down to a 14-9 defeat away at Bedford Blues in some of the most horrific weather you can imagine.

The Green and Whites were by far, the superior side in the first half as they used the slope and the calmer conditions to their advantage.

They built a 6-0 lead through the boot of Matthew Jarvis but went in at the break leading 6-3 after Pritchard hit a penalty for Bedford.

The heavens opened during half time, so Nottingham had to deal with the infamous slope, the weather and a now rampant Bedford side.

Bedford clawed their way back into the match via the boot of Pritchard and scored the only of try of the game through Vermolen to take them 11-6 ahead.

Another penalty from Pritchard completed their scoring.

Nottingham scored a further penalty through Jarvis but were unable to trouble the Bedford line sufficiently enough to overturn the deficit.

A bonus point was the least the team deserved after one of their better performances of the season.

It was another afternoon of frustration for Nottingham as they went down to another defeat, this time at Bedford's Goldington Road where the home side held on in the closing stages for a 14-9 win.

As if playing up that infamous slope, and into a strong wind, was not bad enough, Nottingham also had some atrocious weather to contend with as a storm at half time almost saw the game called off, soon followed by yet another yellow card.

With first use of that slope, and wind, they built up a 6-0 lead, with Matt Jarvis slotting over a couple of penalties, only to see James Pritchard halve that lead with his first penalty.

A three-point lead at Goldington Road, with the slope to come in the second half, is rarely enough, and so it proved as Blues played the conditions perfectly and pinned Nottingham in the bottom corner for long spells.

In such appalling conditions it was inevitable that controlling the ball would be a big problem, and knock-ons and handling errors from both sides made for a disjointed game.

Nottingham's second half task was difficult enough, but Alex Shaw's sin-binning five minutes in for obstruction made it a good deal worse.

Pritchard levelled the scores from the resulting penalty, and Blues made their numerical advantage count as they forced a couple of close range scrums.

This brought them the only try of the game when No 8 Joe Vandermolen brushed the Nottingham back row aside to cross to make it 11-6.

Another Pritchard penalty gave the home side a 14-6 lead, but Nottingham did well to hold them out for the remainder of the game.

It was they who finished the game on the attack and they put together a good chance to at least snatch a draw in the closing stages.

After Jarvis had landed his third penalty the Nottingham pack put together a strong maul, but the Bedford defence matched it and forced them into touch.

Nottingham stole the resulting lineout though and hooker Alun Walker powered forward only for Sacha Harding to tackle him into touch.

Although a losing bonus point was the least they deserved for another improved performance, sadly it was a game dictated more by the conditions than the quality of the rugby, the result, consequently, little more than a lottery.

by Andi Starr