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REPORT | Gritty win in Nottingham
An attritional defensive showing saw Bedford Blues rise to joint top in the Championship table thanks to a 17-10 victory at Nottingham.
There won’t be many sides who head to Lady Bay and win, but Blues showed a calmness that meant they led the game pretty much from the first whistle for a massively morale boosting victory.
It sets up an unbelievable battle against the title favourites, Ealing Trailfinders next week at Goldington Road. Don’t miss out on tickets for the BIG game; buy them at discounted prices now by clicking here.
After the bruising battle with Bath last week, you’d forgive the lads if they were off the pace in terms of intensity. That game against the Premiership leaders took a lot out of the squad but they found a second gear to match the physicality of their hosts and go about their business.
They rode lady luck a little bit, and if Harry Graham had kept his feet on a sodden surface, Blues may be reacting to a different result. He could have had a hat-trick, should have had at least one of those with the line at his mercy, but his dancing feet became his worst enemy every time he looked dangerous.
If you wanted to criticise one facet of the game last weekend, then it would be the set piece, the only blemish on a strong day. In this one, it was a major weapon and set the stall for Nathan Langdon to get an important opening score off a driving maul.
Dean Adamson doesn’t often go a trip to Nottingham without scoring and he was back at his majestic best again to ensure Blues took a 10-5 lead to the sheds. Just 10 more to go for Deano to become the club’s greatest try scorer in history.
A multitude of stoppages in the early exchanges of the second half made it very much a stop start affair and in danger of losing its momentum. Cometh the hour, cometh the man… and that man was Louis James.
Nottingham had no real need to attempt a cross-field kick, and they were made to pay. James plucked the ball out of heaven and off he went, a full 60m to the line. A decisive moment in the intense battle.
It was no more than Bedford deserved for finding a way to front up at a notoriously tough place to go. Job done… onto Ealing.
