Saturday 29 January 2022
Durham City Saracens (2nds) v Durham University Palatinates
(Home - The Racecourse) 2:15 pm KO
Result : Durham City 29 - 38 Durham University Palatinates (HT 10-24)

Team sheet :

15 Ben Speight
14 Russell Harris
13 Myron Dempsey
12 James Cook
11 Max Bailey
10 Alec Barradell 1 try
9 Dan Spence
1 Jim Earley
2 Jack Bengochea
3 Andy Kirkup (Captain) 1 try
4 Matty Sayer
5 Rhys Powell 1 try
6 Dan Young
7 Jack Moralee 1 try
8 Noah Hindley

Replacements

16 Greg Roberts
17 James Coxon 1 try and 2 cons
18 Jonny Hedley
19 Michael Huntington
20 Fran Silveira

Physiotherapist None

Referee Jason Ashman (Durham Referees Society)

What a good game of rugby was had in the awful conditions of the cross-field gale of Storm Malik. It produced a 29-38 (5 tries to 6) defeat for the Saracens and a deserved win for DU Palatinates who were always points up. The game was a great credit to both sides and in some ways was a bit of a classic with the University’s pace, handling and off-loading skills meaning they were always a threat but they were almost matched by the terrific spirit shown by the Saracens during the full 80 minutes.

Despite the First Team’s game at Morley having been postponed and the late inclusion of James Coxon on the Saracens team list, the starting XV was true to those ‘Saracens’ who had made themselves available. Though very windy it was dry underfoot and the University Palatinates (DU) kicked off towards the Pelaw Wood end. After two penalties to City saw the ‘home’ side move up towards the DU half, a missed touch from a third was run back convincing by DU and after carries and recycling it culminated in a run around converted try to give the ‘visitors’ a 0-7 lead after five minutes.

The game was then punctuated by penalties that frustrated both sides with the University’s pace making them look the more likely side. And so it proved when they went over in the right hand corner for a try which was beautifully converted with a kick into the wind that extended the DU lead to 0-14 at the end of the first quarter.

Shortly afterwards more DU combined play got them their third score after a ruck on the City line and though it wasn’t converted, a 0-19 scoreline and Jim Earley’s yellow-card for incurring the referee’s displeasure on the fringe of the ruck, meant that it looked like there was no way back for the Saracens.

However a fine try after half an hour from Alec Barradell after a catch and drive from a City line-out on the DU five metre line, then another DU try before Andy Kirkup got a second for City when he was on the end of successive drives for the line with half time approaching and the return of Jim Earley gave City renewed hope with the score at 10-24.

And so at half time when the Saracens firmly believed they could turn the game around based on : their performance ; their try before the break keeping them in contention ; and to a lesser extent, their belief that the bright sunlight affecting their defence accounted for two of the DU scores. As planned first- teamer James Coxon came on at centre with Myron Dempsey moving to the left wing and Russell Harris coming off.

Within five minutes of the restart City’s optimism proved well-grounded when Rhys Powell got the Saracens’ third try after another catch and drive from another line-out in the University 22 to reduce the deficit to 15-24. Unfortunately the Saracens then lost one of their attacking advantages when a DU prop forward retired and the game went to uncontested scrums.

With half an hour left the Saracens then used their other replacements with : Greg Roberts into the second row for Rhys Powell who moved to No.8 and Noah Hindley leaving the field ; Jonny Hedley and Michael Huntington on the wings for Max Bailey and Myron Dempsey ; and Fran Silveira at scrum half for Dan Spence. The University backs, who had looked threatening whenever they broke City’s first-up defence, profited from the tidy possession the uncontested scrums gave them and scored two well-converted tries to go 15-38 up with less than 20 minutes on the clock.

City’s loose head prop, Jim Earley, then swapped teams to allow the resumption of contested scrums, to play tight head for DU against Dan Young who moved from blind-side to tight-head with Noah Hindley coming back on to play on the flank. This gave City the impetus to put increasing pressure on the DU pack in a bit of a forward battle for the rest of the game, ably supported by their backs with James Coxon’s kicking to touch a decided asset.

The home side’s effort yielded two well-deserved City tries both converted by James Coxon for the final score-line of 29-38 to the University. The first by the prominent Jack Moralee (a very effective forward and certainly one of the best forwards, certainly when measured pound-for-pound, to have played this season) and the other by James Coxon who crossed with the panache of his customary swallow dive as he broke tackles to score with the last play of the game.

In between times during the second half Dan Spence and a University player were yellow carded for what I think was no more than squaring up to each other and I think, though I could be wrong, Rhys Powell ended the game on the touchline having been replaced.

Thus a competitive game ended with City wishing it had gone on for another ten minutes and given that it was riddled with penalties it was a good advert for lower rank rugby. On returning to the Clubhouse we found there was a boisterously good-natured DU re-union of recent graduates. That it ended in most of the revellers singing - those that didn’t included some who were worse for wear - was an indication of the amount of drink consumed that would certainly be welcomed by the Treasurer. The singing was something that hasn’t been heard in the Clubhouse bar for a long time.

To continue last week’s theme on nicknames, not least Dave ‘County Dave’ Atkinson who like a lot of City people watched the game and he told me that he had turned out for Falkirk RFC during his time in Scotland, Myron Dempsey having played so well and having told me he wasn’t fit he also said he hadn’t got a nickname. He was one of the many who had played well and though Jack Moralee was in contention for ‘Man of the Match’ for the second week running, standing out as he did with his red headguard, the Man of the Match award was given to Alec Barradell.

Also to continue my waffling on - my list of wacky cry-off excuses that in the past included ‘I can’t play as I’d forgotten I have a guitar lesson’ now includes one to rival this from Saturday with ‘Sorry but I’ve had a tattoo’ - literally a sign of the times. With apologies to the player who told me this. Apologies were my thing this week. They also included my apology to the players for the confusion over second half replacements ; to the referee Jason Ashman for getting irate on the touchline ; to his mentor Derek ‘Doc’ English and his Assessor for appealing to them about a need to referee the game with more empathy and finally to the University for my exasperated language on the touch-line for my second half frustrations for which my only excuse was that it’s down to what I hope is my passion and not my poor temper.

This Saturday 05th February 2022 the Saracens may have a home friendly against Gateshead 2nds as Stockton have elected to play our Candy Cup home game on Saturday 26 February and we have yet to hear back from Horden about re-arrranging our postponed home League game with their 2nds. The Friday night Newsletter email will be able to give an update - assuming, that is, that we don’t lose too many who prefer to watch the start of the Six Nations.

The DU result brings this season’s Saracens record for the eight matches played to date to :
Played : 8 Won : 3 Lost : 5 Points for : 180 Points against : 176 Tries for : 30 Tries against : 26

of which the League record is :
Played : 7 Won : 2 Lost : 5 Points for : 147 Points against : 173 Tries for : 24 Tries against : 26

SE
03 February 2022