PAPA JOHNS MENS REGIONAL 2 NORTH PLATE FINAL
LUTTERWORTH RFC 34 V PERCY PARK RFC 15
AT THE DARLINGTON ARENA SATURDAY 6th MAY 2023
No Hurrah for Park as Lutterworth take the silverplate.
We couldn’t have asked for a better day. Dry and sunny, perfect for running rugby and for the first half we took advantage. Some of our play was simply brilliant. The conditions suited and we went for it. Lutterworth were on the back foot and it is testament to the Midlands side that they absorbed, dug it out and worked their way on top. Lutterworth deserved their win. At the eighty the scoreline didn’t lie. In sport sometimes you have to acknowledge the better side; well marshalled in defence, strong down the middle and importantly fitter in the final third of the game. Shame we didn’t win but hey ho we had a great campaign and I for one have hugely enjoyed watching our young embryonic side grow into a very good side.
With strong vocal support Percy Park attacked and on three minutes their fast start was rewarded as Lutterworth strayed offside preventing quick ball. An easy penalty and duly taken by Ash Smith. We continued in the same vein akin to an express train. However, our opponents stood up to most of what we threw at them. Eventually we scored a try through the forwards starting with a driving lineout we rumbled over the Lutterworth line. A heap of bodies before Niall Combe emerged the hero. Ash Smith converting. 10 nil to the black and white.
We were looking good and it sounded as if half of North Shields had made the trip south to DMP. We also had a try disallowed; Aaron Smith held up by only the grass underneath him!
We were comfortable at 10-0 but that second score didn’t come. Lutterworth came back strongly and had us on the rack. On 21 minutes Ross Young caught ‘the cheese’. A pass out to the wing, Ross goes for an interception and gathers, but only by the slightest of margins. He couldn’t hold on so he was adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball on in the red zone. Yellow card and a tad unfortunate. We would have loved it if Ross had caught the ball. Lutterworth were in trouble if he had. There was no one home and I doubt they would have caught him.
Lutterworth made their extra body count. They went to the line out. A neat catch and drive was stopped. Lutterworth’s blind side Kieran Hussey picked up from the base of ruck and powered over from 10 metres. The conversion was missed. 5-10 the score.
The game was quick. Park fell onto the wrong side of the referee giving away two penalty kicks. Neither was taken much to the surprise of the Lutterworth’s travelling support. Their kicker Harry Read usually a deadly shot with a 15 from 15 record prior to the game. The lack of accuracy brought some lively banter from Parks young faithful who questioned whether Harry Read “wanted it”. The response from Lutterworth supporters was immediate “he does want it”. Unfortunately for us Read did want it and proved it by being man of the match with 3 tries!!!
Percy Park were offered an opportunity to extend their lead as Lutterworth’s 8 Piers Golby was handed a yellow for a deliberate knock on. Ash Smith missed the penalty. Our support was silent. Strangely Lutterworth weren’t. On 42 mins Harry Read scored his first try of the game. Converting his own try from wide out. A great effort. 12-10 at the halfway point.
The supporters chat was friendly and lively at the interval with the Lutterworth support confident that their team were going to go on and win, one even offered to put his house on it. Not too sure that my little tarantula would be happy with me if I did that!!...never mind he obviously knew more than me as……
On 46 minutes Ash Smith’s attempt to clear the lines was charged down by Harry Read who ran in to score. Soft try. Fortunately Read missed the conversion.17-10.
Coach Laughlin ran his bench to put fresh legs into the fray. Sam Digman, Michael Birkett and Andrew Walker took to the pitch. The game was even. End to end. You felt the next try would prove to be decisive and so it proved. On 65 minutes Read scored and converted another. 24-10 and Park were chasing the game.
Percy Park weren’t getting the benefit of the referee’s decisions and we fell further behind when Harry Read slotted another penalty to take the score to 27 points to 10. Read wasn’t missing now.
We kept plugging away. As a side we certainly don’t fold. A catch and drive from a line out produced a classic forwards try with hooker Dan Shuttleworth claiming the points. The conversion was missed. 27 to 15.
As the game marched closer to its finale, we began to tire and on 82 minutes Lutterworth’s number 8 Golby broke through our defensive line to score under the posts. Read converting bringing the game to a close at 34 pints to 15.
Tries just before half time the charge down and a try at the death made the score line more flattering but Lutterworth were definitely the better side – no complaints. Their offloads and direct running better than ours with us making one too many unforced errors with passes going behind the player rather than running onto it.
Coach Keith Laughlin had mixed feelings about the game but great hope for the future
"Yesterday was a little strange, I’m quietly content with where we are at as I’m looking further afield than just a cup run. As mentioned, a few weeks ago this gave us a great opportunity to develop our gameplan. Winning the final would have been icing on the cake but it wasn’t meant to be. We have a few more layers to bake first.
We had our legs taken from underneath us a few times yesterday with dubious refereeing decisions and this knocked the stuffing out of us in the second half. I’m not one to blame the ref for losing, this isn’t why we lost. Head knocks and tip tackles, with no players leaving the field for review or sanctions just can’t be cast aside when the game is in uproar with RFU protocols lowering tackle height to minimise these scenarios.
I’ve loved coaching this season and its testament to the players buying in to what Ash has put in place. We won 15 games in 17 since November and it shows we can compete at the tight end of the league next year."
Our First team manager Paul Jobson reflected eloquently on our campaign:
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the end of our season. 5 games, 3 bus trips and a final at the end of it. It wasn’t our day but my goodness they gave it everything they had. I don’t think any of us knew what we were getting into, with murmurings of discontent about not entering the County Cup. But our Coach made a great decision, he believed we could get to the final and game by game that belief grew amongst the lads and by the time we reached the final the whole club was excited, we were going to DMP!! Unfortunately, our opponents hadn’t appeared to have as tough a competition as us. They seemed to blow their opponents away and had only conceded 5 points in the 4 games. We on the other hand we’re out on our feet after last week’s outstanding performance at Birkenhead. Our rugby last week was great to watch, I would’ve loved playing in that side, what a win that was. Should the RFU have given a Rest week to watch the Coronation? If they had, I think we would’ve won!”
“15-34 didn’t reflect the game. We were better than that. But the opposition were just better on the day. We wanted it, but so did they and they just had a little bit more than us.
In the huddle, Coach Ash Smith spoke with great clarity, emotion and threw down a challenge to the lads about getting promoted and coming back and winning this thing. If they don’t accept then it will be a real shame. They have grown as individuals and as a team over the season. It has been wonderful to be a part of it. I think our coaches are doing a fantastic job , they complement each other perfectly , but more importantly the lads have bought into what they are asking them to do.Roll on next season.”
If we are fortunate to be back next year something needs to improve. The RFU hospitality was a shambles, and is something they need to reflect upon, no meet and greet and food put out at 1 minute before kick-off. None of our travelling alikados and supporters were able to mix or join the hospitality with our Lutterworth counterparts. A missed opportunity to meet as both of our clubs were founded in 1872 and were celebrating their 150th season. We had alot to talk about. Mind one of our supporters was happy to miss the start of the game to get a piece of cake…some things never change.
Many Many thanks to all who supported on the day ...once Black and White always Black and White!
Representing Percy Park RFC
From 15: Jamie Wrigley, Howard Stock, Seb Reece, Paul Spowart, Ross Young, Ash Smith, and Tom Robinson
From 8: Michael Langlands, Jonny Dubois, Niall Combe, Josh Hedley, Chris Reekie, Tristan Grant, Dan Shuttleworth and Aaron Smith.
Finishers: Joe Cassidy, Eddie Saint, Andrew Walker, Michael Birkett, Sam Digman, Andy Dunn and Adam Hay.