The SLC v Padua game started off as expected, with the Lauries forwards displaying their usual dominance. Padua spent the first 10-15 minutes of the game in their half. After holding Lauries off, Padua gained momentum and got a pretty quick try to make it 7-0. Almost immediately after the kick off from this try, Laurie's hooker Angus Sawtell got a converted try to even things up. Padua made it 14-7 with a late try in the first half. With the exception of a penalty kick that made it 14-10, the second half was scoreless up until the last five minutes. Lauries nonetheless were dominant but just couldn't finish their chances. There was also a controversial knock-on called when the SLC winger had to run backwards in order to catch the ball - a moment that, had the questionable penalty not been called, would have most likely shifted the momentum well and truly for SLC. After a Padua player was yellow carded for mouthing off to the ref (another questionable call), Lauries made the most of their advantage and one of their second rowers scored an unconverted try to make it 14-15 to lauries with 5 minutes left. It was close, but looked like Lauries would just inch their way to a victory. But Padua battled hard and had Lauries against their tryline for several sustained minutes. After the ref (once again very controversially) played advantage following a Padua knockon right on the tryline, Padua had a scrum in the final play, got it to their winger and scored the winner in the dying seconds. 19-15. Some very controversial refereeing that would have angered both sides, but nonetheless a very exciting game that really could have gone either way. Unlucky that Lauries couldn't get the win but a nonetheless well earned victory for Padua, whose forwards showed outstanding grit, however, their backline (particularly their 15 who I believe was new to the squad and looked nervous every time he got the ball) had a fairly lackluster game with several handling errors.
