Midlands 2E(S) --- Northampton Old Scouts 38-6 Huntingdon Stags --- A MAKESHIFT Huntingdon Stags side fell to their third defeat on the bounce as injury and illness took their toll. Illness forced a back-row reshuffle before the kick-off, and two further injuries

Midlands 2E(S)

Northampton Old Scouts 38-6 Huntingdon Stags

A MAKESHIFT Huntingdon Stags side fell to their third defeat on the bounce as injury and illness took their toll.

Illness forced a back-row reshuffle before the kick-off, and two further injuries in the early stages of the match meant Stags had to complete the majority of the game with 10 forwards on the park.

Ben Strangeways had his season ended on 10 minutes by a tackle that left him with a broken jaw, and James Fitch followed him to the treatment room five minutes later with a dislocated shoulder.

Captain Elliot Baldwin said the injuries were not an excuse for the heavy defeat.

He said: "We were very unbalanced after the two injuries and the OS backs exploited the situation as the match progressed - but we also need to look at why we underperformed on the day.

"It's typical of our season in general - we've had injuries that have disrupted us but against the better teams we raise our game, yet when we run up against teams we should boss we fail to step up to the mark."

Stags opened the game on the attack and spent most of the first quarter in the OS half only to allow the hosts to break out and score a try with their first meaningful attack.

Matt Durrant, on kicking duty, pulled the Stags back into the game with a penalty but the home side replied with a converted try. Another Durrant penalty made it 12-6 at the break.

Old Scouts exploited Stags' imbalance in the second half to run in a further 26 points.