Raiders seize late victory

WORTHING Raiders Rugby Club left it late on Saturday as Joe Govett touched down in the final minute at Launceston sealing a 25-24 victory to take their National 2 South winning run to six games.

Raiders came up against a tough Launceston side and found themselves looking at what could be their first defeat of the season when 24-13 down in the second half, but Worthing turned the tides on recent weeks and put on a late fight-back on their own.

Rob Smith first went over and Matt McLean converted to take the score to 24-20, before Govett put down his second of the match on 80 minutes to keep Raiders on the winning track near the summit of the table.

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Worthing team manager David Hinchliffe said: “To work that hard in that heat was excellent and the boys just didn’t give up at all.

“When I was standing watching the final try one of their supporters leaned over the railing and said ‘I thought we’d got you beat at 24-13 but you just keep coming back, you don’t when you’re beat’ and I said ‘no, we really don’t’.

“Six on the trot is certainly our best in the National League, especially at the start of the season. And we have dropped just one bonus point so it’s very tight at the top.

“There is a real team spirit that Will (Green) got going and Kieron (Dawson) has continued and if not improved, if that’s possible.We are playing for one another and although we are giving points away we’re playing fast, running rugby.

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“The backs haven’t really fully fired yet, but when they do they are going to destroy someone.”

Launceston came out firing and had put down two converted tries in the first 10 minutes for a 14-0 lead.

Worthing started to find their feet and a Matt McLean try and Finlay Coxon-Smith try before the break took the score to 14-8.

The home side added the first points after the break with a penalty, before Govett’s first took the score to 17-13. Another Launceston try gave them a 11-point lead, before Smith and Govett masterminded the comeback.

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After two weeks on the road, Raiders return home to Roundstone Lane on Saturday when they host Dings Crusaders.

WORTHING: Cleveland, Miles, Burns, Coxon-Smith, Stutchbury, Hewick, Redmayne, R.Smith, Govett, Dudley, Neilsen, Clayton, Wilcockson, Briggs, McLean. Subs: Dawson (R.Smith), Stubbs (Stutchbury), J.Smith (Burns), Metters, Dunkley (Clayton).