It was a tough day at the office for Lincoln’s 1st XV who suffered only their second defeat of the season with a 31-0 loss at home against league leaders Southwell.
 
Going into the top-of-the-table clash Lincoln had won four of their opening five fixtures, but it wasn’t to be for Matt Mcclurg’s men this time around.

Lincoln struggled to get into their usual rhythm in the first half and trailed 24-0 going in at half-time.

The hosts improved after the break with around 60% of the possession, playing a lot in the opposition 22, but they just couldn’t turn it into points.

Lincoln came closest to scoring when Grant Cowe had a try held up over the line in the second half.

Lincoln, who are now fourth in the league, will be looking to bounce back to winning ways when they return to league action with a trip to face Loughborough University’s 2nd XV on Saturday, November 14, 2026.

POST MATCH COMMENTS

After the match Lincoln’s 1st XV Head Coach Matt Mcclurg said: “It was a tough day and we were outclassed in most areas of the pitch. We played against the best well-drilled team of the league.

“We played a lot in the 22, just some poor decisions and poor execution, but we wipe our mouths and go into the autumn break now and then we come back against Loughborough Uni and we’ll be okay.

“What I was proud of was the resilience of our guys, we didn’t give up.

“Six games in, we’ve won four, lost two, we build and we go again.”

Lincoln’s 1st XV captain Tom Tucker said: “It wasn’t meant to be. We didn’t play smartly in the right areas and made quite a few mistakes that proved costly for us.

“Plenty to work on in the next fortnight as we prepare for Loughborough Uni.”