Hartlepool B.B.O.B v Chester-le-Street

Chester-Le-Street played for only the second time in 2012 having already picked up a long overdue win down at Richmond. After Sedgefield dropped their arses, forcing Chester to play out a 48-48 draw inter-squad 10s game, all other games from there on were postponed due to the frost, meaning the lads had spent their weekends watching the six nations and a fat stripper.
Chester fielded a strong side. The front row was made up of the ‘Propstars’, who were possibly facing their toughest test, to see if they could indeed continue to go forward in every scrummage. The second row partnership was Porridge and Pallister. In recent weeks Matt has claimed that' he’s found form and is a 'try scoring machine', so came into the game looking to leap frog second top try scorer Nathan Hope who still thought he had a bad ankle. The back row of Nick Brown, Ben Langley and Paul Callahan, who have been rumoured to be attracting attention from the big leagues, started only their second consecutive game together. Classy halfback pairing John and John continued to cement their places as Chester’s 9 and 10. 12 and 13 saw a new centre pairing in the two 'DILF'S' of the squad Andy Stephenson and Chris Watson, outside of them an inexperienced but most fabulous back three of Watson, Sforza and Kelly. The bench saw 'Mr. versatile' Dom Mewes, 'wannabe centre' Andrew Howson, player coach James Langley, Andrew Brown hoping to make his first appearance and the returning Terry Ottaway.
Chester started the game but were pinned back into their own half straight from the off. Defensive excellence has become second nature to this Chester team and before long there was a break in play after a big double tackle by ‘Propstar’ Adam Welsh and Matty P on a BBOB prop. Matt used this time to tell everyone ‘what does he expect if he’s going to run into me and Adam’. However Chester remained under pressure and although stealing many lineouts could not relieve the pressure until Paul Callahan picked up a dropped ball and went from 70yards to score, ignoring misleading calls from back row partner and try poacher Ben Langley. Mark Watson missed a difficult kick in windy conditions.
Chester then pressed and got a penalty in front of the posts, however as Mark had gone for his kicking utensils confusion in the ranks ended in Chester tapping, been turned over and put back into their own half, where an altercation ended in a Stephenson cheeky little headbutt that the referee deemed a yellow card offence leaving Chester down to 14 men for the next 10 minutes. From here the game would be evenly contested with strong work by both forward packs and the odd ball spun wide by the Chester backline. Until 1/3 of the backrow trio Brown would run possibly the most beautiful line Durham and Northumberland 3 has ever seen. This fine line break looked to have created a try for Brown, however he was starting to tire. Langley and Callahan were working to get with him, when surprisingly in between the two of them appeared big ‘Rooney’ Welsh, To which Callahan shouted ‘what yee doing here Rooney’. It was however to be Langley who would prosper from the Nick Brown break scoring yet another 'poachers' try and Chester's 2nd try of the day.
BBOB would hit back though exploiting unlikely missed tackles in the Chester-Le-Street defence. Chester were not helped by a poor penalty count that kept them from relieving the pressure. BBOB would level the scores at 10-10 after a converted try and a kicked penalty. Chester remained un-phased and exerted pressure in their opposing 22 with 'Propstar' Hardy periscope his way around tackles before a big carry by Pallister and then nice hands to Langley. Ben, not having any idea of where he was, managed to setup a lovely ruck over the tryline. From the following 5yard scrum Kirton had a dart from nine to capture his first score of the season, a well deserved try from arguably Chester's most consistant player this year.
BBOB would not quit though and pressed hard through their large forward pack to crash over for their 2nd score to tie the score at 15-15 as the half time whistle went.
Chester kept the same team going into the 2nd half and carried on the way they had played the 1st, with the backline moving the ball well, Stephenson, Chris and Kelly running their one and only slice move to good effect. An early 2nd half change was made replacing the new with the old, bringing on veteran Jimmy Langley for the young stud tipped as the 'new Jim Langley', Carl Melvin. Langley was keen to try out his one and only forwards move that he had been teaching the lads through the week, and this opportunity came as Chester were awarded a penalty deep into BBOB's half. The lads were all excited to put into practice what they had been working on in recent weeks, but no-one could have anticipated what was to happen next! A perfectly executed move in which both 'Propstar's' Lindsay and Welsh showed quick hands resulted in Callahan in for his second score and hardly a BBOB defender insight. Sforza was left amazed at what he had seen.
Propstar 1 would leave the field for Mews, after spells out in the centres he was to return to the position he really hates. The scrummages had gone very well, and the 'Propstars' had passed any so-called 'test' with flying colours. The man in the middle, Jonathan Lindsay, had done what has come to be expected in turning over a good percentage of opposition balls. This meant that later in the bar after several pints James Langley would say he was one of the better hookers he'd seen, then slightly back tracked in stating he had not seen many though.
The game was still not over as BBOB were to hit back again. They were held off for some time though with excellent defence from Boom Boom and Andrew Sforza. Sforza also linked up with fellow back 3 lads, Kelly and Shoulders, to field difficult pressure situations at the back. The way the back 3 ran ball back and kicked when needed. You could be fooled into thinking they had played for years and actually knew what was going on. However just to be sure Michael Hardy took a break from his rucking and mauling to hang out with Kelly at fullback and took on a beautiful high ball. No one can be sure how long he had been there for.
Then, from defending on their line, a turn over gave Ben the chance to have a run into space, and with the help of some John Kirton ‘blocking lines’, he made the length of the field and scored his second of the day. Ben would then leave the field with tears in his eyes because someone had told him he was looking a bit fat. This made way for the experienced Andrew Howson.
BBOB were still refusing to give in and eventually the pressure would tell and the BBOB hooker, who had caused problems all day, would score his third try, leaving the scores at 20-25. At this point Pallister would leave the field, meaning a return to action for 'Propstar' Welsh. Welsh had a hectic 30 seconds before harshly receiving a yellow card for tripping a player who was trying to take a quick penalty.
With only 5points in it and about 15minutes to go things were getting tense, and when BBOB number eight broke the line and looked to have scored in the corner if not for a one on one show down with tackling guru, Kelly. If it wasn’t for this tackle by Kelly, the game may have taken a different end.
From here on Chester pushed on and won a penalty deep in BBOB territory. Mark Watson held his nerve after a difficult day with the boot to push Chester beyond a converted try. This would be Watsons last act as he made way for debutant Andrew Brown on the wing. At the same time backrow cripples swapped, with Ben Langley returning to the field for Nick Brown.
Chester were awarded a scrum on the halfway line with 5 minutes left. This allowed the returning Ottaway to enter the fray, replacing the ever composed and knowledgeable Ryle, who has made the 10 shirt his in recent weeks. From the scrum Terry received poor ball from a disrupted C-L-S scrum, but threw a famous Ottaway dummy and set off. Stephenson was right with him. It has been two years since the pair last played together as a Chester 10/12 combination but they looked like they had never been apart, reading each other like a well known book. After Andy went to ground, two phases on and the ball was spun again, however it wasn’t Terry or Andy there, but the now playing second row Mewes, who dazzled the BBOB centres with his trademark horrifically shit sidestep and dummy to cruise under the post with his pace face. Terry converted leaving the score at 35-20.
The last few minutes saw squadron leader Michael Hardy jump into action after Chester lost scrum ball to a wheeling BBOB scrum. Hardy then led the charge to regain the ball while singing ‘two can play that game’ as he wheeled the Chester scrum. At the following ruck Hardy thought he'd get the game called a few minutes sooner by starting a little scuffle with their scrum half.
Chester have now gone 2 in 2. Unbeaten in 2012. Kelly was doing flips, Hardy was aeroplaning and Chris Watson was stripped. A truly great day for players and supporters. The new breed march on.
BBOB awarded Nick Brown M.O.M and Paul Callahan dick of the day. The Chester boys gave Craig Kelly their M.O.M. and doubled up on Callahan's prick of the week.