Dini Magic Lights Up Resounding Win

Kendal re-organised, with fit again Chris Park and Dini Nayo, coming in for Nathan Woof and Jordan Johnson, whilst in the pack, Billy Coxon and Rhys Studt came in for the injured Richard Harryman and James Thompson, whilst Ben Leacock made a first start of the season, for the rested Rob Wightman, who started on the bench.

Kendal made an ideal start. The pack drove the Wigton eight off their own ball at two scrums, and from the second, Glen Wightman chipped the ball into the corner. When the ball bounced badly for the Wigton defender, who failed to gather it, Dini Nayo was on hand to gather and touchdown in the corner. 5v0.

The good work was immediately undone by mistakes from the restart, which saw penalties conceded to put Wigton on the attack, and then from a scrumage offence, reduce the gap. 5v3

Kendal were trying to attack at every opportunity, but a mixture of mistakes and wrong options were keeping Wigton in the game. After a quarter of an hour of play, Kendal were made to pay for a fumbled pass in midfield. Wigton put a kick through to the line and whilst Dini Nayo gathered, he was forced to concede a scrum. Wigton move the ball quickly, for a try by fullback Jonathan Charters who also converted to give his team the lead 5v10.

The Kendal lineout was working well again, with Ben Leacock also disrupting many of the Wigton throws, meaning their pack could not get up any momentum.

It took until the half hour mark for Kendal to get back into the game. Glen Wightman made a break out of defence and Blake Robinson took the move on, but failed to spot Dini Nayo outside him. Wigton offended and after failing to score from an early penalty to touch, Glen Wightman was allowed to narrow the gap. 8v10.

Two minutes later the game had turned around, and Kendal had the lead. Dini Nayo made a break, and the ball was then gathered and taken on by Ben Leacock. Nayo was involved again, and Dan Lowther made a powerful run to the line, but could not get over. Alistair Thompson, was in support and kept the ball moving. The forwards recycled the ball, and it looked a certain try, but a pass went astray, and Kendal had to settle for a second Wightman penalty 11v10.

In injury time, when Kendal were defending their line, there was what appeared to be a serious injury to Glen Wightman, who was forced off to be replaced by Nathan Woof. Fortunately Wightman was however later warming up on the touchline, but did not return.

Kendal were on the attack at the half time whistle, but Wigton would have felt unfortunate to be behind. At half time Kendal brought on Tom Voke for Rhys Studt.

Kendal made another good start to the half, with Dini Nayo stretching the Wigton defence on the left wing. The ball was moved quickly into midfield where Liam Hayton broke the Wigton defence, and from the resulting ruck, Matty Kaye peeled away to score near the posts, with Chris Park adding the conversion 18v10.

It took just two minutes for Kendal to extend the lead. Nathan Woof made a break through the centre, and an excellent piece of handling from Mark Carruthers put Dini Nayo over in the corner. Chris Park put over an excellent conversion from close to the touchline.

Kendal almost undid their good work again, with a knock on, and then an offside at the kick off, which put Wigton on the attack on the Kendal line. The forwards however made no mistake, holding their opponents out, and despite conceding another penalty on the line, they withstood a Wigton forward charge from the penalty, to turnover the ball, and allow Nathan Woof to clear.

With just over a quarter of an hour of the half played, Kendal extended their lead with another Dini Nayo try. The ball was moved from right to left across the field and after making a good break, Mark Carruthers gave Nayo a difficult pass. Despite having to stop to gather the ball, he managed to spin out of a number of tackles, for an excellent try.

Kendal were now playing a totally different expansive style of rugby to last season, with the ball being run at every opportunity, with the back division seeing much more ball, and the forwards giving their opponents no time to settle.

With twenty five minutes played, it looked as if the pack may revert to an old tactic, of a drive from a lineout, after an excellent long penalty kick from Dan Lowther had put them on the attack in the Wigton twenty two. When the Wigton defence held out, the ball was released to Nathan Woof who made another break, and when he was stopped, Garry Holmes emerged from the resulting ruck to dart over for the try, which Chris Park converted 37v10.

Shortly after, Kendal made their final change with Rob Wightman coming on for Blake Robinson

The next try came after a break down the right hand touchline by Alistair Thompson. The ball was the moved across the field with Nathan Woof and Mark Carruthers making breaks. When Dini Nayo, could not take the final pass, he improvised, flicking the ball up with his boot, to gather and score, with Chris Park adding the conversion.44v10.

After doing much of the work to set up the previous try, Alistair Thompson was rewarded two minutes later. The Wigton kick off went straight into touch, and from the resulting scrum, the ball was quickly moved to the right, where Thompson powered in from halfway. Chris Park converted. 51v10.

Kendal came under some pressure for the final ten minutes, but it was Dini Nayo again who finished with a flourish. A Wigton player put what appeared to be a good kick out of defence, to set his team on the attack, but instead Nayo gathered and weaved through for his fifth try, which Chris Park converted with the final kick of the game. 58v10.

After taking time to find their way with their new flowing game, it paid dividends after halftime, and whilst Dini Nayo got the scores, with a number of moments of magic, they came from great touches of their own from Mark Carruthers, Nathan Woof and Dan Lowther, whilst up front Liam Hayton and Duncan Green stood out in the new pattern of play. The competition for places, was again demonstrated by Ben Leacock’s performance in lineout, on both Kendal and Wigton throws, plus frequently in the loose.

The coaches will look to keep feet on the ground, and to sort out in training the stray passes which for a second week, slowed the scoring in the first half.

For Wigton, they will hope that their injury list shortens quickly, before it is too late, and will have the consultation that they will rarely come up against a performer like Dini this season.

MAN OF THE MATCH : Dini Nayo (as voted by Website readers)