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SHEFFIELD RUFC Many Teams; One Club | Established: 1902

Club Rank: 41

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Old Rishworthians

SHEFFIELD RUFC - 1902

Tries

E Topley, E Fisher, S Veall

Conversions

B White (3)

Thu 10 May 19:45 - Cup Full time

Report

Highlights

Selection

Sheffield Colts Win The Yorkshire Cup

By Matthew Gilder

Magnificent Third Yorkshire Cup For A Talented Side

Well that's it then... as they say all good things come to an end and tonights magnificent result is tinged with a bittersweet sadness knowing that this is the last time this team play together!

The game started brightly enough and Sheffield seemed in control without ever really getting out of third gear. Old Rish were pumped and came at us with their yard gain strategy of the ball carrier supported by two colleagues at each attack. An interesting tactic that Sheffield certainly held firm against in the opening exchanges.

Then Sheffield started to get possession and after pushing into Rish territory a slick back move eventually saw Sam Veall slip a well timed pass for Ed Topley to score in the corner. Ben White had his kicking boots on today (just as well as so did Old Rish) and he calmly slotted over the conversion to take the lead.

22 photos

Match photos

As has happened before (at times) this season Sheffield seemed to relax a touch and a determined Old Rish started taking the game to Sheffield with occasional dangerous flurries near our try line. But Sheffield held out and looked dangerous in possession and could and should have had a at least two more tries but Old Rish held firm with a very last minute try saving tackle and some uncharacteristic handling errors. This was personified with a superb Sheffield move which set up a dangerous attack only for a slight hesitation between Ben White and Sam Thompson saw their most dangerous player intercept the ball and set off down the field like a hare being coursed - but no one could get near him and he duly went under the middle of the posts. (As an amusing side note it was funny watching the touch judge trying desperately to keep up - he needed a rest after that).

The half ended and the second started with Old Rish in control. Strong front row drives punctuated with some neat and pacy back play eventually got it's reward with a well worked try that they even managed to move from the corner to under the posts with sheer pace. At that point it was only what Old Rish deserved as they extended the lead with a conversion and it looked ominous for Sheffield! Would the trauma of losing in the semi final of the national cup allow their heads to drop...? Not a chance after their try Sheffield upped their intensity and started to take control of the match. Tor Borrowdale disrupting their line out, Matt Hale & Joe Peckett doing some good stuff at the breakdown Louis Gilder making some of his trademark ball carrying and the Sheffield scrum was now in full control pushing Old Rish back on every occasion - twice Sheffield got a knock against the head.

It was from our forward pressure that Sheffield got within site of the try line and from the melee Elliot Fisher made the last yards to score near the posts. That was duly converted by Ben White to tie the scores. Then again Old Rish on the back foot and 5 minutes remaining Sheffield again powered into opposition territory and the ball was passed to Sam Veall who managed to just dance his way through the defence to score under the posts - it was converted and Sheffield were in the lead.

For the last 5 minutes Old Rish tried to respond but Sheffield were winning everything, again this was illustrated with the last play which saw Rish have a line out (from a penalty) in the Sheffield half - Rish won the line out but from the ensuing move Sheffield's ferocious tackling saw the ball turned over at the break down and Ben White kicked the ball out for a deserved victory.

It was a fitting end to a magnificent season Warren Turner, Malcolm Heslop, Andrew Ramratten, Colin Fisher, Simon Bebbington & Chris Borrowdale (and others over the years) have welded together a superb team that has never shirked from any challenge. The whole squad can look back on these last few years with pride. I myself have only been around this team for the last two years but even watching the development team over the last four years progress from a side that looked overawed and sometimes being thrashed to producing players who have moved up and performed superbly and improved year on year is also a testament to the coaches and the set up they built.

I hope that everyone in the squad goes on to continue playing be it at university or one of the better local sides in the area (or better!!!) as you are all very capable of playing at a high level. I wish you all the very best.