Regional 2 North

Northern RFC 22 v Percy Park RFC 26

First half points prove decisive as Northern strike back in the second.

Relieved faces on the travelling faithful said it all. From a 3 to 26 lead at the turn, Percy Park conspired to throw away all their hard work to allow Northern back into the contest and almost sneak the win. For the away supporter it was edge of the seat time as Park needlessly gave procession back to Northern allowing the City boys to run back ball with some aplomb. Fortunately Percy Park are made of sterner stuff and resolutely held their line as Northern ran out of minutes to influence the point distribution.

As post game conversation and analysis flowed, the neutral supporter commented on how good Percy Park were in the first period and how poor they were in the second. Park took to the new season with a flow that was eye catching and at times exciting to watch. Northern were catching air and despite their best endeavours to take the contest to the melee, found an opposition pack that were up for a bit of mingling. Park were good and at times very good; then came the second half. Scoring opportunities weren’t taken. Their kicking game failed to go to plan and all watched on as the fire gradually left our team. Perhaps the answer lies in the word momentum. The first score went to the home side. Park failed to keep the scoreboard ticking on. Northern scored again. The home crowd woke up and the Northern players found renewed energy as ours drifted away.

The fact that we held on to come away with the ‘5’ is testament of the characters we have playing in a black and white shirt.

The game started with an easy penalty shot to Northern and a big hit on Thomas Moore as he carried up field. The lost ball put Park under pressure. Northern contrived to drop the ball allowing Percy Park to exit their end. Moore took revenge by taking out three and as the ball spun, Howard Stock was over the Northern line to score an unconverted try.

As the ball returned to Park possession the away side went down the middle. The crash up attracting players to the ball before the release allowed Josh Hedley a trot over the line for Park’s second.

Park were in control and fly half Ash Smith was in imperious form. Northern were on the back foot and decided to go to the melee. Josh Hedley found himself pinned to the floor before his team mates came to aid and bodies tumbled to the floor. Words were spoken and handshakes made but you just knew the truce would fail to hold.

And so it proved as Northern made hits form the side or from offside positions. An obvious tactic to rattle the opposition and take the pace out of the game. A late hit on Matty Atkinson from an offside position gave Park the penalty. Down the line we went. Deep into the bottom right hand corner. Line out went well and as the ball went to the floor….we had another melee.

On this occasion referee Rikki Handa went to the pocket showing ‘the cheese’ to Jonny Dubois and Northern’s Sam Gaff. Dubois exiting the field with a torn shirt, reminiscent of the Incredible hulk, whilst the home player was given a sponge. The Northern bench blaming the black and white but you would not expect the City suits to say different.

Percy Park stayed on the front foot and within the Northern 22. Our forwards moving the Northern pack left and right. Ash Smith orchestrating the stack on the favoured side. Tom Robinson made the call to go, flashing the ball out to Ash Smith, with Toby Davison taking a sublime line to crash over and score. Try converted.19-3 to Percy Park.

Percy Park began to raise the bar with some scintillating rugby. League debutant Dan Shuttleworth ripping the ball away allowing our backs to flood into open spaces. On the overlap Toby Davison collecting down a narrow right hand channel. As the player cruised over the line to score the linesman’s flag went up for a foot in touch. That one handed action causing a watching Park individual to internally combust. As the volcano erupted, the referee was across and smoothed ruffled feathers before taking further objection to some harsh words spoken by an on field player, marching the away team back ‘10’. Feeling aggrieved at the decision Park responded in the best way possible by putting in some enormous hits and big scrums. Northern were at sea and from one such shove Ash Smith put Ross Young in for a well taken try.

3 points to 26 at the half.

Park started well but a kick through hit a Northern wall and cannoned back toward Percy Park territory. The rebound spawning a foot race toward our line. A pass out of the covering tackle was well taken as Northern crossed for the score. The conversion missed.

The away side wasted a number of chances to keep the score line ticking over in our favour. One penalty in front went to the line and not the posts. Although early in the half, it felt like a big moment. Percy Park suddenly, looked a little leggy as Northern began to upset our rhythm and turned the game into a scrappy affair with one or two moments off the ball and then the home side soon offered a timely reminder of the threat they carried. From a Park mistake Northern broke out of their half to score a converted try. 15 points to 26 and we return to that word momentum and it was swinging toward the home side.

Decisions from the man in the middle gave encouragement to that momentum. Northern began to stand up in the scrum and lie over the top of the ball without recourse. Howard Stock, Thomas Moore and Toby Davison helped their team to ‘get out of jail’ with fine individual defensive moments and when we did get our hands on the ball a poor kick would see the ball returned. We were under pressure and the Northern crowd from being subdued began to wake up.

Percy Park lost the influential Sam Digman to a head injury and had to reshuffle the pack. The scrum went with the ball but it was Percy Park’s decision making behind the scrum that allowed the pressure to remain. Northern took advantage scoring another converted try with 7 minutes to go.

With 4 points the difference we needed to keep the ball and kill the game. Losing balls in the tackle area or being caught offside didn’t help the nerves. Neither did the unpenalised crossing and unseen ‘knock-ons’. Or a Northern try ruled out in the corner for a foot in touch. Yet on the flip side what we saw from Park was a resolute determination not to give in, coupled with some well organised and disciplined defensive work. Karl Thompson, Josh Hedley, Matty Atkinson and Jake Smith marshalled by Michael Langlands put in some big hits. Captain Howard Stock was very vocal along the back line. Everybody played their part.

With time running out Northern tried to be expansive attacking the left hand channel. A big hit caused the knock on and scrum to Park. Last play called. From the side lines encouragement was given to the front row. Ball in and a neat shove had Northern on the back foot. With a clean pick up at the back scrum half Tom Robinson kicked the ball into touch securing a hard fought five point win. Relief all around from the black and white whilst the city men placed hands on knees.

Representing Percy Park RFC

From 15: Jamie Wrigley, Howard Stock, Toby Davison, Thomas Moore, Ross Young, Ash Smith and Tom Robinson

From 8: Michael Langlands, Leo Caulfield, Jonny Dubois, Josh Hedley, Karl Thompson, Matty Atkinson, Dan Shuttleworth and Sam Digman

Finishers: Aaron Smith, Jake Smith and Paul Spowart.