Durham City Saracens 22 Berwick Bears 21

Saturday 15 February 2020
Durham City Saracens (2nds) v Berwick Bears (2nds)
(Home - Shincliffe 1) 2:15 pm KO
Result : Durham City Saracens 22 - 21 (HT 10 - 21)

Team sheet :

15 Rob Smith
14 David Gardiner
13 Russell Harris
12 Chris Mattison
11 Alastair Taylor
10 Grant Thompson
9 Dan Spence
1 Jim Earley
2 Jack Bengochea
3 John Tindale
4 Jonathan Deighton
5 Matty Sayer
6 Andy Kirkup (Captain)
7 Euan Gardiner
8 Rhys Powell

Replacements

16 Kieron Avis
17 Dave Berriman
18 Jonny Ranson
19 Tom Wilkinson

Physiotherapist None

Referee Colin Davison (Durham Referees Society)

A 22-21 (four tries to three) Saracens win by the narrowest of margins against a very good Berwick side in a game which, though the City forwards would dispute it and despite City out-scoring them on tries, arguably the better side lost. However that is not to say that the Saracens didn’t deserve the victory which was achieved by outstanding defence and determined driving attacking plays.

Once again with shortages in some positions, favours were asked of the more than capable veterans out-half Grant Thompson and centre Chris Mattison to play in this top of the table clash and probable River Aln League title decider. As Storm Dennis threatened, City kicked off towards the town end on a heavy Shincliffe pitch with a strong southerly cross-field wind.

The first minutes showed, to those who didn’t know it, that this was going to be a very competitive, full-blooded game between two sides who were more than capable of giving anyone else in the League a hard time. The game was initially a slug-fest of forward drives and tackling fought out in midfield and the stalemate was broken after 15 minutes when City were moving the ball out of defence and Berwick accepted at close-hand an ill-advised drilled kick to run-in an unopposed try at the posts for a lead of 0-7.

City’s response was almost immediate when Berwick knocked on at the re-start and the forward re-cycling that followed City’s attacking scrum saw No.8 Rhys Powell drive over for an unconverted try that reduced the visitors’ lead to 5-7. Back came Berwick from their re-start to put considerable pressure on City in and around the home 22 and what looked like the inevitable second Berwick converted score came when the visitors’ outside half ran with purpose from one a number of penalties to cross the line and extend their lead to 5-14 at the end of the first quarter.

Another converted try by Berwick after 27 minutes looked to have taken the game out of City’s reach when a misdirected City kick (and not for the first or last time that this happened in the game) was taken on the full by the accomplished Berwick full-back. He then sent his speedy left wing on his way and thereafter two late tackles from City couldn’t halt the pace of the Berwick backs who scored at the posts to make what would otherwise have been penalty try a formality of seven points and take their lead to 5-21.

More aggressive running, driving and tackling from both sides filled the rest of the half as Berwick tried to put the game out of sight and City dug deep to stay in it. A feature of the tight was City’s edge in the scrums on their put-in with evens on Berwick’s put-in and this was eventually used to their advantage to give City a life-line in the game. A scrum drive outside the Berwick 22 gave out-half Rob Smith the platform to launch an attacking run to the line for a second unconverted try that brought play in the first half to a close with the score at 10-21 to Berwick.

At half-time centre Russell Harris called a halt to his return to rugby after injury and was replaced by Dave Berriman and ten minutes into the second half the ‘fresh legs’ of second rows Tom Wilkinson and Kieron Avis and flanker Jonny Ranson replaced hooker Jack Bengochea and second rows, Matty Sayer and Jonathan Deighton with loose-head Jim Earley moving to hooker and captain and flanker Andy Kirkup moving to loose-head. The refreshing of the forward effort brought its reward when with 53 minutes gone winger Alastair Taylor went in at the corner to get City within striking distance at 15-21 down - the conversion though well-struck falling short.

At about this stage (I say ‘about’ as keeping track of timings and the changes was proving to be difficult) Grant Thompson’s body eventually gave out and he was replaced by a rested Russell Harris with Rob Smith moving to out-half and Dave Berriman moving to full-back. Then Alastair Taylor was very unlucky to dislocate his shoulder when taking forward an attack - a recurrence of a previous injury - and off he went to hospital via the Club’s physio to be replaced by Matty Sayer moving to centre alongside Chris Mattison with Russell Harris and David Gardiner on the wings.

These enforced changes though disruptive did not affect City’s desire for a win on a day which fortunately stayed dry but on a wet pitch that was cutting up quite markedly. So it proved when on 72 minutes after City ground out recycled possession Rhys Powell’s strength saw him get over for a try for which Dave Berriman’s conversion proved to be the winner that put City in front for the first time in the game at 22-21. The conversion was not without contention as referee Colin Davison believed it had missed but had to give it because both touch judges raised their flags. (N.B. the bent southside post at the Shincliffe end is to be straightened to avoid doubt with any future touch official’s judgements). Rhys’s efforts had taken their toll on him and he was replaced on the flank by Jonathan Deighton with Tom Wilkinson moving to No.8.

City’s atrocious kicking game was then summed up when a penalty on half-way, that followed some back-chat from the visitors immediately on the resumption, instead of being kicked to touch in the direction of Berwick’s 22 made it into touch behind City’s chasing forwards for a line-out five metres into their own half for a City line-out.

Thereafter, as in the reverse fixture at Berwick earlier in the season, those of us on the touchline were crying out to keep it tight to deny the quick and competent Berwick backs any possible scope by playing the ball up the windward narrow side. However City’s backs continued to move the ball into the middle of the park where they had to defend heroically when the ball, as dreaded, was coughed up - possibly on more than one occasion but seemingly on a regular basis. The game finished therefore with City’s defence holding out against Berwick’s sweeping attacks.

After middling displays in recent matches where mistakes and penalties ruled, it was a joy to see a competitive game between, if for different reasons, two well-matched sides and with periods of continuity in very trying weather and underfoot conditions. That the Saracens won the game was a mini-triumph given the scratch nature of their backs - a minor contribution to why the team suffered so badly from woeful kicking and some singular lapses. This apart, the team’s win was based on outstanding defence whilst Berwick were never fully able to exploit their backs’ advantage. In adversity this was a game in which the home side showed great tenacity to ‘tough-out’ the win.

There were outstanding performances from many players, including : No.8 Rhys Powell whose two tries and forceful play was invaluable ; flanker Euan Gardiner who was City’s ‘one-man’ lineout ; his brother winger David who showed flashes of his undoubted ability ; wing-cum-centre Russell Harris whose certainty in the tackle and his love of tackling is a fine example to others ; and the ever-willing No.8-cum-second row Matty Sayer, but the Man of the Match award went to Grant Thompson for his rugged and uncompromising play at out-half whose literally full-body commitment almost single-handedly kept City in the game with Berwick otherwise looking to stretch out to an unassailable lead.

City scorers :
Rhys Powell 2 tries
Rob Smith 1 try
Alastair Taylor 1 try
Dave Berriman 1 conversion

With currently no game for next Saturday the 22nd February 2020 the Saracens next game is the Second Teams County Cup quarter-final away at West Hartlepool on the 29th February.

This win against City’s main rivals in the ‘River Aln’ League should mean they still top the table for which their record is now :

P 13 W 12 D 00 L 01 F 703 A 224 with a try count of 111 for and 36 against.

And the overall record for the season is :

P 15 W 13 D 00 L 02 F 748 A 267 with a try count of 118 for and 42 against.

whilst last season’s overall record was :
P 21 W 14 D 00 L 07 F 832 A 538 and a total of 133 tries for and 86 against

Stewart Eddie
21 February 2020