U16s Suffer 10 Point Opening Day Defeat at Leos.

Leos (5) 15
Yarnbury (0) 5
Try: Edward Green

Leos led by 5 points at half time following a 1st half of few chances. Yarnbury would level the scores midway through the 2nd half, thanks to a try from no.8 and Captain Edward Green following a 5m scrum. Leos retook the lead, through a controversial try and with Yarnbury chasing the game, secured the win with a try in the final minute.

The game began in expected cagey fashion, with it being both sides first game of the season and a local rivalry, there was slightly more at stake than just a win. Leos were the dominant side throughout the game, spending long periods of the game and multiple phases inside the Yarnbury 22. Although the first sniff of a chance came to the travelling side when Ruairi Daly ripped the ball from a running winger and made a good 15 meters before the ball was moved out wide. Unfortunately the move ended in a penalty for Leos after Luke Woodend had gone off his feet in the ruck. Leos kicked for touch and secured the ball at the lineout before moving the ball wide to their winger who beat a couple of men before a tackle by Josh Dunn stopped the run. The home side then won an advantage for hands in the ruck which was not required as they passed the ball along the line to their outside centre who broke the line with an arched run that sent him in to score. No conversions were kicked in the entire game, making the numbers much easier to deal with for whoever was manning the pitch side scoreboard.

In fairness Yarnbury were only really able to create one good opportunity in the first half from a lineout 5 meters out, which was followed by a maul that looked to be going over but was stopped, perhaps illegally, by the Leos defence. The half ended Leos 5-0 Yarnbury.

The start of the second half saw Leos really assert their authority on the game, spending the opening minutes camped in the Yarnbury 22. And they really should have scored if it hadn’t been for immense defence on the line to hold the ball up when Leos went over, destined to score. Despite all of this is was Yarnbury that got the first score of the half to bring the scores level. Maxwell Lee could finally get his boot on the ball and cleared into the hands of the opposition full-back, who responded with another kick, leaving all his team mates offside and James Longhawn gathered. The makeshift scrumhalf could then put in a perfectly waited kick that was dived on by the defender a meter out from the try line, however when doing so he knocked the ball forward. The scrum was played directly in front of the posts 5 meters out and it was Captain Edward Green who could collect the ball at the back of the scrum, before charging, with players clinging onto him, over the line.

Leos would score twice again though to eventually take the win, the first coming fifteen minutes from time. After again spending what felt like an age in the Yarnbury 22, the home side knocked on and gave Yarnbury a scrum five meters out from their own try line. The scrum began to move and could potentially have been wheeled by the home side, but the referee said no. The ball was struck back to the feet of Edward Green before the Leos scrum half took the ball on the ground. The Yarnbury Captain complained that the ball was still at his feet within the scrum, but again the referee disagreed. The scrumhalf would then grubber kick the ball through the legs of flailing defenders, but was this after he had already dropped the ball and it had touched the ground before the kick was made? The referee once more called play on and eventually the flanker would touch the ball down beyond the line were it had rolled. The try stands, 10-5.

A minute from time the job was officially done when Yarnbury had to attack if they wanted anything from the game. The ball would squirm out of a ruck (in truth the breakdown was a problem for the away side all game) and be picked up by a Leos back who would make ten meters before falling to ground, getting back up again and passing to his winger who in a one on one situation was always the favourite. He would score close to the posts but as said earlier no conversions were scored. Full time Leos 15-5 Yarnbury.

With the U16s first home game of the season coming next week against Keighley, there are certainly areas for improvement. Today poor play at the breakdown caused by a lack of team work, with players deciding to go on their own instead of latching on in pairs or threes, cost the boys a win, as few chances could ever be created by a lack of quick ball. Those present would say that the lineout was definitely an issue as well, however we know the players are working hard on this in training with help from the first team. Taking all this into account the real message from today is onwards and upwards.

Yarnbury: Jacob Rawson, Ethan Dawrant, Jamie McDonnell, Josh Dunn, Jamie Baker, Maxwell Lee, James Longhawn, Luke Woodend, Sam Brown, Carter Proctor, Ruairi Daly, Alex Koppany, Joe Pilling, Joe Birchall, Edward Green (capt)

Replacements: Dan Mitchell, Jacob Butterfield, Jack Brownridge