Currie 16 - 23 Nottingham: Nottingham bide time to bludgeon plucky Currie with tries

CURRIE crashed out of the British & Irish Cup, unable to repeat the form that saw them get their first-ever victory in the tournament against Swansea down in Wales last week.

Nottingham, fourth in the English Championship with an all-professional squad, were a different proposition, although, in a close-run first half, they seemed to be taken aback by the ferocity of the Currie pack.

But Nottingham bided their time well and in the second half usws the rolling maul as the weapon to bludgeon Currie into submission with a hat-trick of nicely fashioned tries.

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Currie, always dangerous with ball in hand, ultimately had no answer to the power of the Nottingham maul but at least had the last word with a late try.

Currie made three changes to the line-up that beat Swansea. Stand off Andrew Binikos failed a late fitness test and Gregor Hunter stepped from the bench. Club captain Mark Cairns, pictured, returned from the World 7s Series in Dubai to take his place in the back row and home-grown Steven Turnbull replaced the injured Kiwi Rob Verbarkel at lock. The teams exchanged penalties by their full backs, Jamie Forbes for Currie and James Stokes for Nottingham, before the visitors went into the lead with a second penalty as Currie scrum half Chris Leck went into the sin bin for killing the ball.

At the other end, Nottingham lock Lee Morley joined Leck in the bin for an identical offence and the game was held up for several minutes as Steven Turnbull received treatment on the pitch before being stretchered off. Forbes missed the penalty and the score at halftime was 3-6.

Currie closed the gap within minutes of the restart but then Nottingham got the stranglehold and the mauls began to operate smoothly. Hooker Oli Taylor was first to touch down as one rumbled over. Then winger Jack Cobden scored and Nottingham stretched away as flanker Jonny Baird added a third.

Currie could only show their defiance by kicking a third penalty and then releasing winger Barry Mansfield for a late try to chip away at the margin. Forbes thumped the conversion from the touchline to gain the a bonus point.

Scorers: Currie: Try: Mansfield. Con: Forbes. Pens: Forbes 3. Nottingham: Tries: Taylor, Cobden, Baird. Con: Mama. Pens: Stokes 2.

Currie: J Forbes; B Mansfield, D Fife, A MacMahon, J Johnstone; G Hunter, C Leck; J Cox, F Gillies, C Phillips, S Marcell, S Turnbull, S Burton, M Cairns, R Weston. Subs: A Kelly, R Merrilees, G Temple, M Peacock, R Snedden, M Erskine, J Houston.

Nottingham: J Stokes; A Savage, D Mama, J Munro, J Cobden; J Cobden, F Barnham; M Parr, O Taylor, M Shields, M Todd, L Morley, R Cooper, J Baird, P Eggleshaw. Subs: R Olive, J Duffey, B Prescott, C Hammond, S. Romans, J Bradford, R Hough.

Referee: Greg MacDonald.

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