PERCY PARK 48 – 10 OLD BRODLEIANS
Percy Park started the New Year with a bang and a comprehensive 48 – 10 win over Halifax side Old Brodleians, reversing the away defeat earlier in the season. Park brought back Sean Williamson into the back row for Hamish Lockwood who had returned to New Zealand for the holidays, and Marcus Rutter came back into the side at full back.
Brods kicked off with a strong wind behind them and immediately put the home side under pressure, but it was Park who had the first chance to open the scoring on 4 minutes with a Marcus Rutter penalty chance which was wide of the mark. Danny Woods then kicked a penalty 3 minutes later for the visitors to take an early lead. Park had trained well over the festive period and the forward pack looked fitter and leaner than the Brods counterparts. Park dominated the early line outs and although it was 15 minutes before the first scrum, signs were not good for the visitors as they were driven back on their own ball with their scrummage disintegrating under the pressure.
Percy Park had much of the early possession and worked patiently through several phases, but the odd stray pass let the visitors off the hook, until Brods were defending with a scrum put in on their 5 metre line. The power from the Park front 5 drove them off the ball and across the try line before Greg Dixon got the touchdown and Rutter converted on 20 minutes.
Although Park had most of the possession in the first half Old Brods defended well and it wasn’t until the 44th minute that Ash Smith, who had an outstanding game at inside centre, cut back on the angle after a break by Thomas Turnbull, to go through the defensive line and over for the try. Marcus Rutter stretched the lead to 14 – 3 with the conversion.
Rutter then thought he had scored after a decisive break by outside centre Ali Blair had put the Park full back into space with the line at his mercy from 22 metres out. A last ditch tackle caught Rutter on the line but he reached out and grounded the ball over the line only for the try to be ruled out by the referee who judged it had been held up and awarded Park a scrum on the 5 metre line. The respite for the visitors was only momentary however as Park won the scrum and fly half Thomas Turnbull threw a long cut out pass on the blind side for left wing Howard Stock to go over for the try. Rutter missed the difficult conversion. At half time Park led 19 – 3 needing a further try for the valuable bonus point.
From the kick off Park exerted pressure and inside a minute Brods had conceded a kickable penalty which Rutter duly converted. Against the slope and wind 22 – 3 down Brods tried to run the ball at every opportunity, but Park’s defensive line was impenetrable. The next score came from prop Joe Wafer after Thomas Turnbull had turned over Brods possession. Scrum half Oli Gilmore moved blind and the ball was played back inside to Joe Wafer who burst through several tacklers to cross the line under the sticks to make the conversion a formality.
With the strong wind in their faces, Old Brods were unable to make any clearance kicks of distance and whilst in attack a chip kick found the midriff of Marcus Rutter who set off up field with Jonny Ward in support. Rutter offloaded to the Park right wing before he was tackled on the visitors 22. Desperate defence by Brods saw wing Aaron Fowler sent to the sin bin for slowing down the ball. Park opted for a scrum from the penalty and the Park eight drove for the line. Greg Dixon at number eight thought he had touched down, but the whistle wasn’t blown and scrum half Oli Gilmore pounced on the loose ball over the line to confirm the try and a 34 – 3 lead with 18 minutes of the match remaining.
This seemed to spur Brods into action as did the introduction off the bench of Richard Holborough who had just returned to the club for his first game of the season. The visitors moved play up to the Park 22 and from a quick tap penalty Adam Standevan crossed the line wide on the right. An excellent conversion against the elements by Danny Woods marked up double figures for Old Brods and the scoreboard read 34 -10.
Howard Stock scored his second try of the game after Park were awarded a free kick, and opted unsurprisingly for a scrum. A training ground move involving number 8, scrum half then left wing earned Park the try and the Rutter conversion moved the score on to 41 – 10.
With only 2 minutes of normal time left Jonny Ward scored Park’s seventh and final try of the game after Ali Blair broke the defensive line and Ash Smith was on hand to recycle the ball. Park’s right wing had moved across to the left to join in the action and received the pass and his pace took him past the remaining defenders to score, with Marcus Rutter converting to take the final score to 48 – 10. Next week Park travel to Halifax to play Brods neighbours Old Crossleyans.
PERCY PARK LIONS 13 – 5 BLAYDON II
Park’s second XV continued their good run against a strong Blaydon outfit who had beaten them earlier in the season. Michael Birkett scored Park’s first try, with Phil Morse returning to the side after recovering from a broken hand scoring a try and kicking a penalty denying the visitors a losing bonus point. The Lions will travel next week with the 1st XV to play Old Crossleyans II.
PERCY PARK PUMAS 59 – 5 WALLSEND II
The Pumas made it a clean sweep for all three Percy Park sides. Next week the Pumas and Marauders have a week off, but the Penguins, Percy Park’s veteran side will be playing touch rugby against a veteran team from Kelso. Percy Park Academy will also be at home, playing Whitley Bay Rockcliff Colts.