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?
 

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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North One East
 
Kendal RUFC 21 v Percy Park RFC 15
 
No Mint cake for Park as they continue to bemuse.
 
 
 
 
 
In an even hard fought game, Percy Park came unstuck through two penalty decisions that went against.  It is, perhaps, a bit ‘of a reach’ to suggest that Percy Park should have won this game, although the die-hard will adamantly argue that they should have done!!...With the score at 18 to 15 and Kendal tiring, Percy Park went ‘off their feet’ and gave away an easy shot at goal. A kick which was duly taken. 21-15 with time ebbing. Park, needing a converted try to win the game, battered the home line and Kendal were ‘taking the knee’. It was ‘on the ropes’ stuff and Kendal were flagging. Last play was called and Park were plugging away, dragging bodies in. A score looked very likely and in a favourable area to take the conversion. Then a ‘black and white’ shirt went flying in from the side taking the Kendal player out with some aplomb. The refs whistle was heard with a real shrill and the faithful groaned!!...Penalty…an unopposed kick that was tapped and booted high and long into the car park behind the posts…Game over; a finality that left players and supporters wondering ‘what should have been’…and to make matters worse for the travelling throng, a Kendal alikado enthusiastically described our home town and North East coastline as the best the country only for Tyneside flock to discover our host was talking about Whitby in Yorkshire!!...by now the forehead was definitely lying prostrate on the table in despair…so how did Kendal defeat our team and with what kind words did we, politely, pass to our Cumbrian friends to reveal the geographical location of North Shields? 
 

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

Scarborough RUFC 48 v Percy Park RFC 31

Park outdone by a ‘Jordi’

As the tries clocked on for the home side the announcer made constant reference to a scorer hailed by the name of ‘Geordie’. As the faithful stood with ‘head in hands’, that awful thought entered the old brainpan that our beloved had been outdone by one of our own!!....never…it cannot be…I mean what loyal and truehearted Tynesider would deliberately inflict hurt on his own….so at the final whistle, as we dejectedly trooped up the staircase to take our medicine, a thought occurred that we could share a beer or two with our wayward brother and perhaps show him the error of his ways. An approach was made to a Scarborough official to make an introduction….and with great relief I can report that our demise was at the hands of ‘man of the match’ Jordan Wakeham, a Yorkshireman!! And, being a Yorkshireman, I can say with great certainty that he didn’t originate from anywhere near the north side of the Tyne!…..A word was had and an ancestral lesson given…I mean you cannot call someone a ‘Geordie’, even with a ‘J’ if they didn’t hail from where we live, have a mining heritage or first name that looks like ‘George’….and in giving the history lesson we were able to rescue some satisfaction from the day, as we were outscored and outmatched by an ebullient Scarborough side. A display orchestrated at ‘Number 9’ from that man Wakeham…so how did the Yorkshire ‘Jordi’ put Park to the sword?

Category: 1st XV Reports 19/20
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NORTH 1 EAST

PERCY PARK RFC 27 – 19 CLECKHEATON RUFC

Ross Young scorer of Park's opening tryPercy Park welcomed Cleckheaton to Preston Ave for the first home league game of the season hoping to improve on their fortunes of the previous week. Park had been unlucky not to come away from Bradford with a losing bonus point whereas Cleck had started well with a home win against Scarborough. Park welcomed back Toby Davison, Ruairi Meharg, Marc Cook, Andy Dunn and Ethan Wilson to the starting line up and handed a debut to young prop Gus Coningham. Evergreen James Ponton was on the bench for Park along with Mark Barry and Jack Peter.

The home side started well in the bright sunshine and with wind advantage kicked off and retain territorial advantage for the first 7 minutes. Park were awarded a penalty for Cleckheaton pulling down a maul and Ash Smith kicked to the corner to set up a catch and drive. Park drove left and then Ash Smith found wing Ross Young in space on the right and with a cross kick the Park wing took advantage of a cruel bounce that foxed his opposite number retrieving the ball and touching down for the first try of the game. Ash Smith’s kick went across the front of the posts.

Park were soon back on the attack and a loose pass was intercepted by the visitors and play was forced all the way back into the Percy Park half. Park were penalised and both captains were asked to speak to their players. Dale Breakwell took advantage of Park’s slowness in regrouping to defend the penalty and his cross-field kick found wing James Wilson on the left flank to score in the corner to level the points 5-5. Breakwell couldn’t add the extras.

Both sides were guilty of giving away penalties and when Cleckheaton were penalised, Ash Smith turned down the easy 3 points and kicked to the corner. From the line out Park retained possession and spun the ball left playing a free ball as the referee played advantage for another penalty and captain Seb Reece crossed the line to double Park’s lead 10-5 on 20 minutes.

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