SHEFFIELD RUFC Many Teams; One Club | Established: 1902

Sheffield 1st XV v Chester XV - This Saturday - 14th October 2017

By Paul Bradwell

National League 2 North resumes at Abbeydale Park Sports club, with a 15:00hrs ko

This weekend we are taking on Chester. Come down to our home, Abbeydale Sports Club on Saturday 14th October at 3pm to support the team! Tickets will be available on the day! The tickets are priced at just £5 per Adult. #National2North

We also have spaces remaining for our Pre-Game Lunch and Entry to the game for just £20! Sit down to eat at 1:30pm and enjoy a delicious meal before the team kicks off at 3pm!
*The contact details to reserve your seat are on the flyer*

Andrew Langdale and his 'Chairman's Chirps';

A warm welcome to Abbeydale especially to the players, Committee and supporters of Chester RFC its taken been some 12 years since you were last here but entirely of our making. We first played in the 1967/68 season (presumably Bill Reichwald was about 30 then and on 101 caps...) and have played 26 times since then with the aggregate score 14-12 to us. Their last visit was in 2004/05 when they won 23-29 and our Director of Rugby, Danny Porter MBE was the captain... but we still love him. They sit six places and 8pts ahead of us in the League having won all their home games whilst losing all the away games this season. I believe in tradition so fingers crossed!

Last week saw another huge battle at South Leicester where we were winning 6-7 just before half time and contrived two intercepted tries to in 18-7. Many a side would have capitulated in the circumstances but the spirit and commitment saw us win the second half ( as with Stourbridge) 17-19 to gain the four try bonus point. Things will change our way, they're are so many positives as we take our first steps back at this level.

The front cover reflects what we are about and I will ask our stat man Andy R to run through some of the Club's archives. Last week at SL saw the First XV debut of Ben Hopkinson at No8. He took the field with two of his Age Grade compatriots Ben Whitney and Ben Parker. Has the First XV ever had three members of the same Age Grade with the same forenames before. We could take this a step further with the RFU (Adie?!) is it a First at Level 4? It's ironic as it comes two weeks after Sale RFC announced on their match report against us that their No 10 was the first ever Age Grade player to represent their Club. The development of young players both male and female is pivotal to our Club and indeed the games future and I thank every player, Coach, parent and carer for putting the time and effort in to make it happen every Sunday morning. Let's make another front cover like this one.

It leaves me to wish both sides and today's officials the very best of luck for an open, attacking game of rugby and we'll see you in the bar afterwards.
Enjoy the game!

Match Report: South Leicester 35 - 26 Sheffield RUFC

Team Selection for Saturday, 7th October 2017;

Starting 15
15. Jamie Pearson
14. Rupert Broadley
13. Francis Robson
12. Joe McHale
11. Danny Williams
10. Andy Hodgson
9. Steve Depledge
1. Tommy Marples
2. Ianto Jones
3. Dan Rylance
4. Dom Parsons (Capt)
5. Dave Clayden
6. Connor Mitchell
7. Matthew Palphryman
8. Sean Casey

Replacements
16. Ben Whitney (FR)
17. Joe Cooke (FR)
18. Sam Graham (FR)
19. Ben Hopkinson
20. Ben Parker

The general malaise of injuries and unavailability continues at Sheffield, however, despite that Sheffield were able to take a very competitive team to South Leicester, with Jamie Pearson returning to the team and Ben Hopkinson making his debut from the bench.

Sheffield made a good start to the match, putting pressure on the South Leicester defence straight from the kick off. However, a number of errors including two early interception chances for South Leicester prevented Sheffield from gaining any real advantage. Sheffield first chance to get on to the score board cam on nine minutes with a penalty for offside, but Andy Hodgson's attempt at goal was pulled to the left of the posts. South Leicester were immediately penalised again for off side from the 22 drop out. Sheffield decided to kick to touch and from the line out initiated a forward drive for the South Leicester line. Unfortunately, the drive was halted when Sheffield knocked on just short of the South Leicester 5 metre line and Sheffield were then penalised at the scrum and South Leicester were able to clear their lines with touch on half way. Dave Clayden stole the ball at the line out, but the resulting kick for territory fell directly into the waiting arms of South Leicester's full back who kicked deep to touch in Sheffield's half. Sheffield secured the lineout, but gave away a penalty shortly afterwards for not rolling away at the breakdown. South Leicester's fly half, Rickie Aley kicked the penalty and South Leicester had an unlikely lead by 3 points to nil after 16 minutes.

However, from the restart, South Leicester were penalised. Sheffield kicked to touch and secured a line out on the 5 metre line, driving again for the South Leicester line. Referee Ieuan Davies, decided that South Leicester had prevented Sheffield from scoring a try illegally and awarded Sheffield a penalty try, with South Leicester's second row, Josh McLaurin finding himself on his way to the sin bin and Sheffield had a 7 point to 3 lead after 18 minutes. Over the next period South Leicester were able to take advantage of a number of unforced errors by Sheffield and after securing good field position from a penalty given away be Sheffield on half way, had a line out in side Sheffield's 22 metre. Sheffield gave away another penalty and Rickie Aley converted to reduce Sheffield's lead to 7 points to 6 after 27 minutes.

The reversal of fortune seems to spur Sheffield on and from the kick off they took the match straight back to South Leicester and they made good inroads into South Leicester territory. However, when the Gods are not smiling on you and you are trying, maybe, a little too hard, things do not always go your way. Sheffield were very much in the ascendancy, but a wayward pass just outside South Leicester's 22 was intercepted be their left wing, Myles Bean, who went all the way to score just to the left of Sheffield's posts. Rickie Aley converted and after just 33 minutes South Leicester led by 13 points to 7. They say lightening does strike twice in the same place, but in South Leicester it obviously does. Just five minutes later, we saw South Leicester intercept again, this time just outside the South Leicester 10 metre line. Rickie Aley passed to Myles Bean, who in turn handed on to full back, Corey Venus, who touched down wide out on the left. Aley could not manage the conversion, but South Leicester led by 18 points to 7 after 38 minutes, which is how the half ended.

The second half saw Sheffield pushing hard to get back on terms after the disastrous last few minutes of the first half. The pressure eventually told when after 10 minutes of the half, South Leicester's other second row, Will Ward was sent to the sin bin for an offence at the breakdown on South Leicester's 22 metre line, but wide out on the left. Sheffield elected to take the scrum and blindside forward Connor Mitchell did the honours with a try to the left of the posts. Andy Hodgson added the conversion and South Leicester's lead was reduced to 18 points to 14 after 51 minutes. However the elation was short lived. Sheffield coughed up a lineout to South Leicester and in trying to recover the situation gave a penalty away about 10 metres outside the 22 and wide out on the left. Aley converted for South Leicester and the lead was again out to 7 points at 21 to 14 after 57 minutes. Things did not get any better for Sheffield, with what can only be described as an outrageous off side from South Leicester that went unpunished by the officials. A chip over the top and across the pitch by alley was secured by a South Leicester player who was at least 5 metres off side when the kick took place. Sheffield were left floundering and South Leicester's scrum half, Adam Shaw was the grateful recipient of the score under the posts. Alley added the conversion and the lead was out to 28 points to 14 after 60 minutes.

The battle raged, but Sheffield were not making a great deal of headway, but on 69 minutes, South Leicester received their third yellow card, in this instance to hooker Adam Johnson. Sheffield did take full advantage immediately, because as they drove for the line they managed to knock on again and turn the ball over to the home team. The scrum was then reset several times by referee Davies, before awarding Sheffield a penalty. Sheffield reverted to the scrum again before spinning the ball wide for full back Jamie Pearson to score out on the right on seventy two minutes. Unfortunately, Andy Hodgson failed with the conversion and the gap between the teams was 9 points at 28 to 19, with both sides having scored 3 tries. Having given themselves a chance of getting something out of the match, Sheffield went into their shell and a series of penalties gave South Leicester every chance of increasing their lead, and with just 3 minutes left to play Sheffield melted away to allow South Leicester's scrum half, Adam Shaw his second try. Aley converted and South Leicester led by 35 points to 19 and had secured a 4th try and therefore, a bonus point, leaving Sheffield with nothing at all. However, South Leicester were now guilty of loosing their way, giving a penalty away at the kick off. Sheffield kicked to touch on the right and began an attack. The attack faulted when Sheffield knocked on again, but at the scrum, South Leicester erred and Sheffield had another chance. The penalty was kicked to the corner again and Sheffield set off again to attack the South Leicester try line. Time was up, but Sheffield played on sand moments later tight head prop, Dan Rylance crashed over the line, to score a fourth try for Sheffield. Andy Hodgson added the conversion and referee Davies blew for time. Sheffield had been defeated by 35 points to 26, but a vital bonus point had been secured.

Scoring:-
1st Half

9' Andy Hodgson (10) Missed Penalty Sheffield RUFC 0 - 0
16' Rickie Aley (10) Penalty (1) South Leicester RFC 3 - 0
18' Penalty Try (1) Sheffield RUFC 3 - 7
27' Rickie Aley (10) Penalty (2) South Leicester RFC 6 - 7
33' Myles Bean (11) Try (1) South Leicester RFC 11 - 7
34' Rickie Aley(10) Conversion (1) South Leicester RFC 13 - 7
38' Corey Venus (15) Try (2) South Leicester RFC 18 - 7
39' Rickie Aley (10) Missed Conversion South Leicester RFC 18 - 7

Half Time 18 - 7

2nd Half

51' Connor Mitchell (6) Try (2) Sheffield RUFC 18 - 12
52' Andy Hodgson (10) Conversion (2) Sheffield RUFC 18 - 14

57' Rickie Aley (10) Penalty (2) South Leicester RFC 21 - 14
60' Adam Shaw (9) Try (3) South Leicester RFC 26 - 14
61' Rickie Aley (10) Conversion (2) South Leicester RFC 28 - 14

72' Jamie Pearson (15) Try (3) Sheffield RUFC 28 - 19
73' Andy Hodgson (10) Missed Conversion Sheffield RUFC 28 - 19

77' Adam Shaw (9) Try (4) South Leicester RFC 33 - 19
78' Rickie Aley (10) Conversion (2) South Leicester RFC 35 - 19

80' Dan Rylance (3) Try (4) Sheffield RUFC 35 - 24
81' Andy Hodgson (10) Conversion (3) Sheffield RUFC 35 - 26

Full Time 35 - 26

Updated 16:35 - 1 Sep 2019 by Paul Bradwell

Where next?

Sheff 1st XV This Saturday Home v Blaydon National League 2 fixture, at home - Bring the blue & White support!!
Sheffield v Wharefedale - Yorkshire Derby Day - THIS SATURDAY (30th Sep) The first of our four National 2 Yorkshire oppositions. Let's welcome the Dalesmen with hearty voices and Yorkshire Ale the name of the day.

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