Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
Percy Park RFC 21 v Durham City RFC 16
 
Percy Parks resolute spirit wins the day
 
 
 
Percy Park and Durham City have always enjoyed a healthy rivalry. A rivalry that goes back to those heady days of 1872; the year both clubs were formed. For the historian you could argue that we have been in dispute with our Durham rivals since 1066. That fated year was the beginning of a period, when we lost our beloved ‘Dun Holm’, to some Frenchmen on horses adorned with odd haircuts. Whichever way you might like to put it, there is and always will be, a real anticipation of ‘a contest’ when Durham City visit. And they did not disappoint. From a Park perspective the game was a slow burner. The first half was all about Durham as Percy Park hung on to the score line with a late try by Leo Caulfield. The second half was a ‘cracker’ with player, supporter and referee leaving the field of play having enjoyed a tense, physical game that had the neutral on the edge of the seat and the partisan supporter chewing their nails. So how did this slow burner ignite and how did Percy Park gain that that victory?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
York RUFC 15 v Percy Park RFC 35
 
Park do the loco-motion and derail York
 
 
 
 
On a very wet day Percy Park travelled down to Clifton Park wondering whether a game might be played. That thought did not leave us as many a York side street was awash with the liquid stuff and was further underpinned by the sight of the York grandees in wellies, armed with garden forks, attempting to drain water from the 1st XV pitch. After much forking the pitch was deemed to be playable and Park knuckled down to the task at hand. Our beloved ‘black and whites were largely unchanged from their feisty, albeit victorious, encounter with West Hartlepool and that continuity of selection proved decisive as Percy Park put in a performance that could arguably rank as their best of the season. So how did Park perform and how much did the returning Jonny, now known as ‘The Influencer’, Dubois effect that result?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North 1 East

Percy Park 39 - 12 West Hartlepool

Howard Stock crosses for 2nd tryA brace of tries each by joint men of the match Howard Stock and Adam Hay helped Percy Park secure another bonus point win at Preston Avenue. Park had made several changes to the team that lost narrowly away to Moortown the previous week, with player coach Ash Smith coming back into the team at fly half, Olly Stephenson at centre and Jack Peter at fullback, a strong bench also saw the return from injury of former skipper Michael Langlands, Ethan Wilson and Austin Phillips. West were without their player coach Stu Waite who was unavailable due to the modern day curse of rugby - "a friend’s wedding".

The weather looked good but rain followed the Scottish exchange referee down from the border, and the home side kicked off with a steady stream of precipitation keeping the supporters in the stand or hunkered down under the shelter of the balcony.

The visitors were first on the score sheet as Owen Westhorp went over in the corner on 15 minutes after a sustained period of pressure. A scrum on Park’s 22 saw the ball shipped wide to the young West wing, but from the wide angle the conversion was missed.

Park responded with a penalty kick from Michael Grove, after a couple of barnstorming runs from Michael Birkett caused the visitors to infringe in a kickable position. 3-5.

Michael Birkett on the chargeConditions were anything but ideal with the ball resembling a bar of lifebuoy, but eventually on the half hour Howard Stock was awarded a try in the right hand corner which was much disputed by West. There was no doubt about Stock’s second try however as Ash Smith ran back a clearance kick from West Hartlepool that failed to find touch. The Park right wing weaved and jinked his way through the defence to score under the posts and Grove added the extra to take Park in front 15-5.

Just before the break the hosts stretched the lead with the first of Adam Hay’s tries from a caught and driven line out in the West 22. Park headed into the warmth of the changing rooms for oranges 20 - 5 to the good.

Park used all three of their replacements from the start of the second half, but Ethan Wilson lasted only 3 minutes before he was given a 10 minute rest by the referee for a no arms tackle. The penalty was kickable but went wide of the uprights. West Hartlepool did make amends however and with the next play as fly half Oliver Connolly, son of kiwi Jamie Connolly from West’s Premiership days stepped off his left foot and through a huge gap in the Park defence to score under the sticks. The conversion brought West back to 20-12.

The game was a fiesty affair and eventually the Scottish referee decided to give his ears a rest and sent West skipper and scrum half Ryan Painter to the bin.

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
Moortown RUFC 29 v Percy Park RFC 23
 
Park improve at 'The Bear Pit’
 
 
 
A vast improvement in the set piece, especially around the scrum, was the corner stone of a mettlesome display from an under strength Percy Park side. We travelled with three props on the bench and a little light in the back!  Yet late call ups and some rejigging about did not diminish an encouraging performance in a game played within the confines of a hostile and often negative environment. Noted that the ill deposed and averse atmosphere was not directed toward the visitor but the referee made it all the more unwelcoming. When you play away you do expect some lively banter! Not only was the referee’s regional identity challenged but his ability to adjudicate a game of rugby was constantly questioned. Apologies from the gentlemen of Moortown (and they were excellent hosts) to their guests really should have been directed to the man in the middle. If our coach driver commented that the home crowd was more ‘football than rugby union’ you can probably get the idea….so how did Percy Park fare? And how did fly half Michael Grove keep his nerve whilst being distracted by a cacophony of sounds designed to put him off?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
Percy Park RFC 32 v Huddersfield YMCA RFC 22
 
Jekyll and Hyde
 
 
 
At the end of this game the faithful would have left Preston Avenue with mixed feelings. In broken play we were deadly, full of quick feet, pace and invention. Exciting to watch. In the tight and at the set piece we were, at times, awful. The scrummage was a mess. I’m not sure what was going on in that front row; the makeup of the three seemed to change at a blink of an eye and it was only toward the end of the game when Michael Langlands stepped in at hooker did we get parity at all. Being shoved backwards over distance and at a decent pace proved too much for many in the North Stand. Yet, yet…..when we move wide, create space, operate behind that gain line we are good, very good. The first 20 minutes of this game was testament to that. Why arm wrestle when there is no need? It was a blistering start with 3 tries to the good….so how did it go downhill from there?
 
  1. No Mint cake for Park as they continue to bemuse.
  2. Park outdone by a ‘Jordi’
  3. Bonus point win at home for Park
  4. Park battle the United Nations