Lancashire lift rugby's County Championship

Rugby union's Bill Beaumont County Championship trophy is fittingly coming back to Lancashire yet again after a dramatic decider at Twickenham.
Lancashire celebrate winning the Bill Beaumont County Championship after seeing off Hertfordshire at TwickenhamLancashire celebrate winning the Bill Beaumont County Championship after seeing off Hertfordshire at Twickenham
Lancashire celebrate winning the Bill Beaumont County Championship after seeing off Hertfordshire at Twickenham

It took two late tries to seal a 32-16 victory over Hertfordshire at the national stadium, enabling Fylde prop and Red Rose captain Adam Lewis to lift the cup which bears the name of Lancashire rugby’s most famous son.

It was Lancashire’s 25th County Championship triumph in all and their ninth in 16 seasons under the stewardship of head coach Mark Nelson, the former Fylde supremo now in charge of Rossendale.

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Lancashire had romped through the group stages, averaging 60 points in their their three group games, but the final was less predictable with the lead changing hands four times in the second half alone.

Indeed, Hertfordshire led going into the final 10 minutes, only for tries out wide by former Fylde backs Anthony Bingham and Steve Collins to pull the Red Rose clear.

Another former Fylde player, Sale FC fly-half Chris Johnson, had earlier kept Lancashire in the contest with his impeccable kicking, his eight goals earning him a personal tally of 22 points.

Hertfordshire had opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty, and although Johnson responded in kind four minutes later, Lancashire were conceding too many early penalties and gave their opponents the upper hand.

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They took advantage with the game’s opening try on 12 minutes, though the missed conversion enabled Johnson to close the gap to two points with a drop goal on 17 minutes.

It was nip and tuck for the rest of the half but penalties by Johnson made the difference as his goals on 23 and 39 minutes sent Lancashire into the dressing rooms 12-8 to the good.

They held that lead for 15 minutes after half-time, when Hertfordshire scored their second try but, again, they failed to convert, meaning their lead was only one point.

Penalties were traded as Johnson put Lancashire back in front on 62 minutes, only for Hertfordshire to edge back ahead 16-15 four minutes later.

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But Nelson had told The Gazette 48 hours earlier that all his players had bought into the winning Lancashire culture and so it proved as winger Bingham scored in the corner.

Johnson converted, and when he added another penalty on 76 minutes, Lancashire were two scores clear at 25-16.

It was left for Collins to ice the cake with a minute remaining with a try which, inevitably, Johnson improved.

As Fylde captain Lewis lifted the cup, it was an emotional moment for one of his predecessors as Fylde captain. flanker Evan Stewart of Vale of Lune, who was bringing down the curtain on his illustrious career with an unforgettable final game.

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Lancashire: Lewis Allen (Rossendale); Scott Armstrong (Kirkby Lonsdale), Chris Mayor (Sale FC), Scott Rawlings (Longton), Anthony Bingham; Chris Johnson (both Sale FC), Callum McShane (Sedgley Park); Danny Birchall (Sale FC), Alex Loney, Adam Lewis (both Fylde), Rob Birtwell (Sedgley Park), Rhys Davies (Sale FC), Evan Stewart (Vale), Phil Mills (Rossendale), Tom Ailes (Sale FC). Replacements: Pete Altham, Scott Jordan (both Preston Grasshoppers), Reece Tomlinson (Rossendale), Danny Maher, Steve Collins (both Sedgley Park), Adam Aigbokhae (Sale FC), Connor Wilkinson (Fylde).