Parks Lion Cubs and Puma Cubs travelled together on the party bus to Greensfield Alnwick . The meet was early but there was an excited spirit in the air with the colts , accompanied by their equally excited coaches , who at long last had a bus trip to look forward to.
On arrival at Alnwick , COR Turnbull divided the 31 players into two sides . Of the 31 , 19 were colts . Without them , we would be in a bit of a pickle . With them , we are competing with the stronger sides in Candy League 1 and exposing our talented youngsters to senior rugby . In the last 5 games the lions have played DMP , Blaydon 2s and 3s (but it was really the 2s both times ) Boro and Alnwick . That's a tough schedule for a senior side , never mind a side where the majority have been colts . Don't get me wrong here they are brilliant , they're an absolute pleasure to be be around and they are playing fantastically well . However I feel like the senior players are letting these kids down with their complete apathy to playing at the moment , whether it's injuries (genuine or not ) , unavailability and training . On Saturday there were more seniors in the Pumas , but as the seniors are not training and the colts are , then selection favours those that are trying to improve thrmselves . So seniors , it's time to stand up and be counted .
The lions started as follows : Cook , Kidd , Dan , Niall , Aaron , Lake , Ben , Jake , George , Ben , Sutherland (Kieran not Kyle), Zak , Gilmore , Josh , Gould . Colts 9 seniors 6 .
The players had warmed up in lovely winter sunshine , however , the sun by kick-off had disappeared behind a huge mound that has appeared due to the building of a new high school directly behind the pitches . The breeze was starting to pick up and it was going to be a chilly one .
The first half was dominated by Alnwick . Park , certainly for the first 20 minutes , were defending their line . But boy did they defend it . Alnwick were easily 2 stone a man heavier in the pack and the Park forwards were under the cosh in the scrum . Alnwick also had that experience on the pitch , to help guide them and point things out to the ref , former Northumberland and Kelso man Simon Manners playing his first game in 10 years . Parks task was made somewhat more difficult when Ben (flanker ) injured has knee and played no further part . The fourteen men played like 15 , some of the tackling was heroic , as the half wore on they came more into it as the Alnwick fatties started to tire . Zak making some strong runs in midfield (a number 8 by the way playing 12 ) and veteran Gould lively as well . Sutherland was unlucky not to have been given a score by referee Ash , but the half closed 10-0 to the home side .
The second half started disastrously for Park , despite being restored to 15 men with Ross (another colt , hooker) slotting into the centres to allow Zak a run out in his favoured position , Alnwick scoring twice in quick succession . But with the kicker having an off day , the score was still only 20-0 . A quick huddle and chat under the posts , seemed to do the trick . Park now speeded their game up , stretching the home side as much as possible . In the next 15 minutes Park squandered two try scoring opportunities . Gould being guilty for once of looking for contact , I know , Gould , looking for contact with the whole field to run into !! The second , saw a 5 on none messed up with poor passing . However , the Lions did score and what a try it was . A break out and continued attack into the Alnwick 22 , from a ruck Park attacked left , left winger Josh sensed the opposition scrambling in D so he angled his run from the 15m mark toward the posts . He took the short pass at full tilt and took two Alnwick defenders over the line .
Unfortunately , try as they might , Park just couldn't score again . In fact it was Alnwick who had the final say , and it ended 27-7.
In conclusion . Couldn't be happier . Yes I don't like losing , and the Lions will probably drop to third . But in the bigger picture , we have a very young side , actually a very very young side , even our seniors are young , but they are producing performances that you can only enjoy . If's and buts , but had we been awarded the try in the first half and scored one of the two big opportunities we had in the second , who knows ! What I'm actually trying to say is that I blame @3$!± and Gould . Merry Xmas you filthy animals x