DURHAM CITY 29 SUNDERLAND 34

Saturday 07 March 2020
Durham City Saracens (2nds) v Sunderland 2nds
(Home - The Racecourse) 3:00 pm KO
Result : Durham City 29-34 Sunderland (HT 0 -17)

Team sheet :

15 Russell Harris
14 Jason Coumans
13 John Guthrie
12 Callum Butler
11 James Cook
10 Max Bailey
9 Dan Spence
1 Jim Earley
2 Jack Bengochea
3 Ed Partridge
4 Tom Wilkinson
5 Matty Sayer
6 Andy Kirkup (Captain)
7 Euan Gardiner
8 Joe Spencer

Replacements

16 Dave Berriman
17 Mark Berriman
18 Tom Davies
19 Rhys Henderson
20 John Tindale

Physiotherapist None

Referee Robert Sunley Saez (Durham Referees Society)

City Saracens lost 29-34 (five tries each) to a better Sunderland team after a game of City errors and Sunderland application. Any credit to City was that all 20 players who got on the park (all the replacements eventually being used because of injuries) and the disrupted XV that finished the game kept the result in doubt till the end. Though City were never in front, and never deserved to be, they missed the chance to put pressure on the visitors by failing to get any first half scores.

In dry conditions but with a strong westerly cross-field wind City, having lost the toss, kicked off towards the Maiden Castle end of the firm Racecourse pitch. The kick failing to reach the visitors’ ten metre line meant a Sunderland scrum back on the half-way and though under pressure it gave them possession and some ‘go forward’ which was halted by full-back Russell Harris’ tackle that produced City turnover ball. City’s forward phases then took them into the Sunderland half but a knock-on handed the visitors a scrum near their 22. Another City drive at the scrum put enough pressure on for City to win the ball back only for a Sunderland interception to take play back into the City half. At this point an aggravated shoulder injury meant that City tight-head Ed Partridge had to be replaced by John Tindale. Another City knock-on and then a forward pass meant that City had cocked-up five passages of play in the first five minutes of the game - a period of play that ended with a Sunderland scrum on their ten metre line. This heralded a period of Sunderland territorial dominance for the rest of the first quarter in which, without threatening the City line, they showed that they were a more than competent ‘quick line-speed’ team with good handling skills whose forwards competed for the ball at breakdowns and their backs were not afraid to move the ball.

Though City managed to get into the Sunderland 22 at the start of the second quarter and were still dominant in the scrum they were unable to sustain any pressure on the Sunderland line. A series of conceded penalties returned the visitors to the City half and then to the City 22 where they took the lead from yet another penalty that was converted easily from in front of the sticks with 25 minutes gone. To make matters worse for City the re-start didn’t go the ten - not that Sunderland needed their confidence boosting any more than that provided by their performance and their 0-3 lead.

So as much as City tried they couldn’t string any sustained plays together either showing poor ball skills or giving away penalties and Sunderland’s backs then scored two tries in the five minutes before half-time. Both were from deep when City had no answer to the pace and skill of the Sunderland backs and with one of the tries converted the visitors made it to half-time 0-17 up.

Some appropriately harsh words for the City team in the half-time break seemed to have worked as the side ran two scores within five minutes of the resumption. The first, after a ‘no-pressure’ City knock-on in attempting to take Sunderland’s re-start and a Sunderland scrum inside the City ten metre line, when City won a penalty that was run and centre John Guthrie, who despite still having a bit to do, got on the end of a break by fellow centre Callum Butler to cross for an unconverted try. Then immediately from the kick-off more direct play, first by the forwards then by the mid-field backs, sent James Cook on his way to the line for a try converted by Max Bailey to reduce Sunderland’s advantage to 12-17.

The joy that these scores brought was short-lived as City yet again failed to return the re-start to the Sunderland half instead Sunderland won a penalty on half-way that took play into the City half. Another Sunderland penalty moved them into the City 22 but a Sunderland knock-on gave City some relief with a scrum on their 22 and clearing to half-way. A City penalty and line-out inside the Sunderland ten metre produced the rare event of the visitors stealing the City line-out and them getting a scrum on half-way. A classic cut-back move from the scrum saw a Sunderland centre go through City’s defence to race away for an unconverted try that stretched their lead to 12-22 with 15 minutes gone in the second half. An overthrown line-out ball and City’s scrum error that followed gave Sunderland possession deep in the home 22 which they used to good effect and forward pressure saw them get over for another try wide out as the game entered its fourth quarter. A fine conversion from the touchline into the wind brought the score to 12-29 in the visitors favour and seemingly with no way back for City.

However almost immediately, and following a Sunderland 22 drop-out, a Matty Sayer interception was well supported and wing replacement Dave ‘The Bizlar’ Berriman was put in for an unconverted score wide out on the left making the score 17-29. City got a scrum at the re-start but the ball, not for the first time in the game and in contrast to Sunderland’s dealing well with difficult scrum ball, was badly controlled as it shot out the side. This let the visitors take it to the City five metre line where City were relieved to see them knock the ball on to give City the put-in at a scrum on their own five metre line and allowing them to clear to touch. From midfield City’s John Guthrie looked to have broken clean through only for City to be brought back for a first offence penalty. the penalty was run and saw Callum Butler cross for a try converted by Max Bailey to bring the home side within one score of Sunderland at 24-29 down with less than ten minutes to play.

City’s renewed hope took a dip when they knocked on again at the re-start for a Sunderland scrum outside the City 22. Sunderland took advantage and put pressure on City in their 22 and, despite valiant City defence that included getting a scrum for holding Sunderland up in a maul, eventually the visitors’ forwards got over in the corner for an unconverted try with only five minutes left and a lead of 24-34. City still found time to get their fifth try when Callum Butler went over by the posts though not without him feeling the pain of a recurring groin strain. City’s day was then summed up by the shambolic conversion attempt with Dave Berriman hurriedly missing a drop at goal while Max Bailey was preparing to take the kick and trying to stop him taking it. The full-time whistle came soon after but not before Sunderland’s re-start kick didn’t go ten and City wasted a glimmer of a chance from the ensuing scrum.

Though this was an exciting match for the neutral and little could be found to criticise City’s line-out and shove in the scrum, some words are needed here in mitigation of City’s overall disappointing performance by recording how injuries affected the team by listing the approximate timings and use of replacements :

1. 5 minutes : tight Head Ed Partridge off injured - John Tindale on ;

2. 25 minutes : loose head Jim Earley off - flanker Andy Kirkup to loose head and Rhys Henderson into the back row ;

3. 30 minutes : tight head John Tindale off injured - Jim Earley back on with Andy Kirkup moving from loose head to his even more unaccustomed position of tight head ;

4. 35 minutes : full-back Russell Harris off injured - Dave Berriman on on the wing with James Cook moving to full-back ;

5. 50 minutes : flanker Rhys Henderson off injured - Tom Davies on in the second row with Matty Sayer moving to No.8 and Joe Spencer moving to the flank ; and

6. 70 minutes : wing Jason Coumans off injured - Matty Sayer moving to centre, Mark Berriman on on the flank and Joe Spencer back to No.8

And so with the Saracens having gone from the sawdust floor of seasons past to the ‘aubusson’ carpet of wins at Berwick and West Hartlepool in recent weeks this was a rapid return to the sawdust and a stark reminder that errors will have to be eliminated if this season’s promise is to be realised. The side simply cannot play as poorly again. This should take nothing away from the cohesive team performance of Sunderland as deserved winners though a severe crop of injuries did not help the home side’s cause. It was difficult to find many contenders for City’s Man of the Match but it was quite clear that the outstanding performance was that of debutant centre Callum Butler whose break led to John Guthrie’s try and he found the room to score two tries himself late on to keep City in the game.

City scorers :
Callum Butler 2 tries
Dave Berriman 1 try
James Cook 1 try
John Guthrie 1 try
Max Bailey 2 conversions

There is no Saracens game on the card for this Saturday, the 14th March 2020, and there is no game likely with the team concentrating on the two tough home games coming up on the 21st against Tynedale Centurions in a League match and then the County 2nd Teams’ Cup Semi-Final against either Blaydon or Stockton on the 28th March.

This week’s defeat takes the team’s overall record for the season to :

P 17 W 14 D 00 L 03
F 797 A 301 with a try count of 126 for and 47 against.

The League record remains at :

P 13 W 12 D 00 L 01
F 703 A 224 with a try count of 111 for and 36 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
12 March 2020