Harrogate v Yarnbury U15s

Harrogate (0)10 Yarnbury (33) 47 Tries:Joe Birchall, Maxwell Lee, Darwin King, Jacob Rawson, Jamie McDonnell (3) Cons:Darwin King (6) Match report by Alex Mitchell

The normality of a game being played on a Sunday morning is resumed with a game away at Harrogate. Similar to the match at Morley, underfoot conditions are difficult with all the recent wet weather.
A whirlwind start sees Yarnbury score 2 tries in the first 5 minutes. In the 1st minute Harrogate are penalised for offside at the ruck and Yarnbury kick to touch for a lineout on the Harrogate 22. Centre Edward Green punches a hole in the Harrogate defence and Joe Birchall is in support to take the offload and score under the posts. Darwin King kicks the conversion. From the restart Yarnbury are turned over and with an overlap formed it looks like Harrogate will score but knock on from the final pass. Yarnbury are able to kick clear from the ensuing scrum for a Harrogate lineout on half way but the throw in is not straight and Yarnbury elect for a scrum. Attacks through the centres move play into the Harrogate 22 where Maxwell Lee snipes from the base of a ruck and sidesteps the full back to score the 2nd try, again converted by Darwin King; Harrogate 0-14 Yarnbury.
The Yarnbury dominance continues with good breaks by Luke Woodend and Edward Green. Harrogate are penalised for not releasing at the tackle and Yarnbury kick for a lineout on Harrogate’s 22. The driving maul makes 5m before the backs are released. Some training ground moves with inside passes creates an overlap out wide but Darwin King knocks on in the tackle when Jamie Baker is in the clear outside him. Harrogate concede numerous penalties allowing Yarnbury to encamp themselves in the Harrogate half. The pressure finally tells when a Jamie Baker attack is stopped just inside the 22. From the ruck Joe Birchall makes further ground and good clear out work provides quick ball to Darwin King to score under the posts which he duly converts. Later in the half Harrogate knock-on from their own lineout.From the scrum, the ball is moved wide and a poor pass is excellently gathered by Jamie Mcdonnell to continue the attack and release Jacob Rawson to score in the corner (despite a last ditch tackle where linesman Longhawn has to take evasive action, and hurdle the falling defender like a pro). The difficult conversion is just missed. As the half is coming to an end, Yarnbury win turnover ball and, following another Edward Green break into the Harrogate 22, Jamie Mcdonnell is released to score under the posts. The conversion is completed with the last kick of the half. Half time Harrogate 0-33Yarnbury.

Harrogate look a different side in the 2nd half and score the first points with a well worked try, the forwards exploiting gaps round the sides of rucks before they break out wide to score in the corner. The conversion is missed but after 5 minutes the score is Harrogate 5-33 Yarnbury. 10 minutes later, Yarnbury lose a scrum against the head and are then penalised for offside at the ruck. A quick tap sees the big Harrogate prop take contact but Yarnbury are quicker to the breakdown and secure the turnover. Yarnbury move the ball forward through pick and drives before Jamie Mcdonnell makes a clean break in centre field and just manages to beat the scrambling defenders to score under the posts. Darwin King completes the conversion. In the final 5 minutes the Harrogate forwards are again gaining territory through their forwards with continual pick and drives and eventually go over near the posts to score their 2nd try. The conversion is missed; Harrogate 10-40 Yarnbury.
Harrogate concede a penalty on their 22 yard line. A quick tap by Oscar Andrews(which he almost kicks over his own head), is passed to Jamie Mcdonnell out wide who beats three defenders to score in the corner. An excellent kicking display by Darwin King sees this difficult conversion completed and the full time whistle is blown soon after following a Harrogate knock on. Full time Harrogate10-47 Yarnbury.

Yarnbury:Dan Mitchell, James Longhawn,Luke Woodend, Ruairi Daly, Lex Galloway,Joe Birchall,Joe Pilling, Alex Koppany, Maxwell Lee, Oscar Andrews, Jamie Baker, Edward Green(capt), Jamie Mcdonnell,Jacob Rawson,Darwin King.
Substitutes:Harvey Goodall,Carter Proctor,Sam Brown, Leo Mercer, Danny Goodall

Man of the Match –Jamie Mcdonnell–for a hat-trick of tries, creating another for Jacob Rawson, and all with zero handling errors.

Sporting Result of the WeekDaniel Ricciardo winning the Chinese Grand Prix with a series of overtakes in the last 20 laps. Honourable mentions to England’s netball team who win the Commonwealth gold medal for the first time with another dramatic last second win, this time against Australia, winning 52-51 and 10 man Rochdale’s 1-0 away win against Peterborough (always good to see the Posh lose).