Lichfield racked up another 50 point haul to win their final league game of a season which saw the Myrtle Greens finish second in the table.
They scored eight tries and five conversions as they triumphed against Matlock at Cooke Fields.
The home side made an ideal start as David Mott cleverly evaded his opposite number and sprinted 30 metres to the posts. Captain, Adam Spinner, added the first of three first half conversions.
Matlock came to play and produced some intelligent rugby, driving either side of the breakdown, keeping the game tight and stacking the blindside with numerous runners.
Lichfield didn’t see much of the ball and it took them another 15 minutes to widen the margin when, following some goal line pressure, Rich Burton crossed from an opportunistic offload.
Five minutes later, the Matlock policy of ganging up on the blindside worked really well and their captain Luke Howard raced over from the 22 unopposed.
Fortunately for Lichfield, they responded immediately with Cal Turner picking off a pass and cantering.
Half time was reached with the scores at 21-7 – and the second period saw Lichfield quickly add to their tally as good support play and quick offloads allowed Mott to cross the try line.
In a rare attack, Matlock full back, James Fairclough ran a clever line off his stand off and went clean through to the posts. He added the extras for the second time.
Lichfield were playing some flowing rugby, based on support and keeping the ball alive. The visitors could not cope defensively and started to fade. Paul Maxwell-Keys benefited from such an attack for a try and Freddie Wilson stretched over a try following another breakout. Kai Lucas-Dumolo, now on at full back, converted the first of two tries.
The hosts did not relent in the final few minutes and more clinical play ended with scores for Dylan Whittington and finally Turner to bring up the half century of points.
This was the 113th try of the 21 game season and the points total was 755 – Lichfield were also the only side to concede less than 400 points across the campaign.
Maxwell-Keys and Burton ended the campaign with 15 tries apiece, with Lucas-Dumolo on 11 – with a personal 142 point haul in total – and then Mott and Turner on 10.
Long Eaton, the only side to finish above Lichfield in the table, will be the next opponents this Saturday (13th April) when the Papa John’s Cup campaign starts at Cooke Fields.
Kick-off is 3pm with the day also marking President’s Day.
In other action last weekend, a young 2nd XV lost 28-45 to Dudley K. There were tries for Chad Southam, Jack Hamlet, Isaac Craig and Kieran Higgins, all four converted by Southam.
This Saturday the 2nds are at home to Burntwood 2nds in a county cup competition at 3pm.
On Sunday, the women’s 1st XV – already league winners and going to Twickenham on 12 May in the Papa John’s Cup – had a routine 72-5 win against Bury Foxes.
Abbie Lamb and Charlotte Gauja were voted the two most effective players and the side’s final league game is at home against Hitchin on Sunday at 2.30pm.
The women’s 2nds needed at least one bonus point from their home game against second place Rugby Lionesses to win the league.
They faced the wind in the first period and turned around 12-0 down having played some decent rugby, but neither side could make space for themselves.
Rugby had four powerful runners and they were the difference at this stage as they moved the score to 19-0.
But as players became more tired, the game opened up and this suited the Green team.
They scored two tries from Kim Walton-Evans and Alice Hodgkinson, but the visitors’ scrum half was adjudged to have crossed the whitewash in between these tries, leaving the score at 24-12 going into the final quarter of the game.
There was no throwing the towel in and it became more and more one way traffic. Ella Woodward added an unconverted try and the Green team had a further try in the corner ruled out by the referee. The bonus was that the game restarted with a goal line drop out and, after more pressure, Woodward scored under the posts.
But the drama was not over as Phoebe Weaver’s conversion hit the crossbar, but there was enough momentum for the ball to sneak over as Lichfield secured the league title by four points.
The girls under 14 side drew their county cup final at Stafford 12-12 – but because Burton scored first they were awarded the title.
Meanwhile, the Colts host Longton on Sunday in the county cup semi final at 2pm.