Blaydon 2s 34 Durham City Saracens 17

Saturday 4 February 2023
Blaydon 2nds v Durham City Saracens (2nds)
Durham County Second Teams Cup
(Away - Crow Trees) 2.00 pm KO
Result : Blaydon 34 - 17 Durham City (HT 5 - 10)

Team Sheet :
1 Jim Earley
2 Robbie Hall
3 Oscar Fisher
4 Matty Sayer
5 Greg Roberts
6 Joseph Brown
7 Jack Moralee
8 Rhys Powell 2 tries
9 Dan Spence (Captain)
10 Will Robinson 1 conversion
11 Jack Murray 1 try
12 Trey Milgate
13 Will Elliott
14 Jack Cahill
15 Tommy Brown

Replacements

16 Liam Davies
17 Tom Davies
18 Henry Eggleston
19 Andrew Thompson

Physiotherapist None

Referee Alan Thompson (Durham Referees Society)

Well, although the Saracens lost 17-34 (by three tries to six), this was a great performance and from leading 5-10 deservedly at half-time three quick Blaydon tries at the start of the second half from missed first-up tackles did for the team.

There was some initial doubt about which pitch we were to play on as Durham’s Saracens expected to play on a grass pitch but to be fair to Blaydon the game was played on their all-weather pitch despite the grass pitch being flagged out but it was undergoing ‘pitch management’ treatment. So on a good day for rugby - little wind, dry and no sunshine - City won the toss and received Blaydon’s kick-off towards the River Derwent end.

Without City getting out of their own half and after the ball went to each side a couple of times Blaydon took the lead after 5 minutes when their left winger went over for what looked like an easy seven pointer but the conversion hitting a post meant a 5 - 0 lead for the home side. It was then Durham’s Saracens turn to put pressure on Blaydon and as the half wore on between two well-matched teams it was City who looked the more likely side.

So it proved when Jack Cahill fielded Blaydon’s missed penalty kick to touch and good carries and handling saw Rhys Powell getting an equalising unconverted try on the wide left. This was quickly followed by Jack Murray getting another fine running try for the Saracens to take a 5-10 lead with five minutes before half time.

At half time it was all to play for and during the break or just after it Henry Eggleston came off the bench for Greg Roberts.

However Durham’s wonderfully tigerish first half defence wasn’t maintained at the start of the second half when missed tackles meant Blaydon scored three tries in five minutes to take the game away from City who having been 5 - 10 up found themselves 24 - 10 down. Blaydon started the half with more aggression and pace led by their loose head prop (or whoever was wearing their No.1 shirt) who was an eager receiver and runner. City’s cause wasn’t helped by playing with 14 men for a short while during this vigorous onslaught by the home side when Jack Murray had to leave the field to have his blistered foot taped - something only momentarily relieved with Andrew Thompson (a second row forward) leaving the bench and taking up the left wing position.

With an hour gone it then looked for all the world like another Blaydon try when their left wing set away for the line from his own half. However Will Robinson gave chase, ran him down and his wonderful cover tackle won possession back for the visitors. This and the belief that they deserved more out of the game then stirred Saracens and quite determined running from all the side, and Jack Moralee and Oscar Fisher in particular, made life difficult for the home side who like City in the first half defended their line extremely well with some robust and necessary tackling deep in their own 22. With less than ten minutes left, and just when it seemed City’s sterling efforts would come to nought, Rhys Powell got on the end of another City drive for the line which Will Robinson converted beautifully to reduce Blaydon’s advantage to 17-24.

However the City’s Saracens then made changes with Andrew Thompson and Tom Davies coming off the bench to replace Matty Sayer and Rhys Powell and Blaydon scored two more unconverted tries. The last of these followed an astute kick from the Blaydon 10 which sat up nicely for their right winger to score and end the game with the last play and win it by the flattering margin of 34-17.

And so a good game of rugby came to an end. A game in which, although Saracens’ line-out didn’t work too well and they had difficulty in getting the ball away from scrums, the visitors played extremely well and the home side would certainly vouch for them being in a tough match. It was pleasure to watch and I dare say play in a game that Alan Thompson refereed with some empathy that meant it had a lot of continuity - witness Blaydon’s first and last tries.
Unfortunately Liam Davies didn’t get off the bench as he was still suffering a back back. Also I have to say that playing on an all-weather surface surely gives an advantage to the side when their opposition don’t have an all-weather surface available to them. It is perhaps something for the County’s Competitions committee could look at as it wasn’t the first time that City’s Saracens were beaten on an all-weather pitch by a score-line which didn’t reflect the game.

Though Rhys Powell was a strength in the pack and scored two tries; Jack Moralee played a first class aggressive straight running game and Will Robinson is a very talented outside half and his second half covering tackle alone made him worthy of the Man of the Match Award, the award went to Oscar Fisher who gave up his preferred back row slot to play a magnificent forceful game from tight head. Blaydon’s 2nds will now play at either Billingham or Durham University in the next round of the County Durham Second Teams Cup so as some of the lads said (though it isn’t the writer’s sentiment) : ’at least the defeat means the Saracens won’t be facing a drubbing in the next round.’

The travelling and my haste to return to the Club means there are very few amusing events to report but my ‘six of the week’ are :

Telling Ollie Chaplin that he shouldn’t wear his Blaydon top at Club training sessions.

Blaydon’s Chris Nunn telling Mark Berriman that he ‘forgot to sort a ref for today until earlier this morning and the only option is Alan Thompson who is pretty old to say the least, but being a Gateshead stalwart will be impartial. Please be patient with him as he is well into his 70s and he is doing me a favour. I could have got a qualified ref from the youth section at Blaydon but this is a cup match.’

Referee Alan Thompson saying he enjoyed a first half in which in his opinion the City’s Saracens were a better side than their 1st team having videoed them for the Referees Society in recent weeks.

The joy of youth in the side. There were at least ten of the match day 19 who were under the age of 21, many of whom were ex-City Colts. And boy did it show primarily in the performance on the pitch and to a lesser but important extent nevertheless in the camaraderie in the changing room off it.

The 1st team crushing South Shields Westoe 71-0 in a League match.

and finally

Returning to a vibrant clubhouse - at least it was until England lost the 4:45 kick-off to Scotland at Twickenham

The next Saracens game is a home League game on Saturday 11 February against Medicals and it’ll be a 1pm kick-off as Medicals 1st team are travelling to Guisborough by bus and want to drop their 2nds off at the Club before returning to Durham, I believe for a night out.

The result of this week’s game means that this season’s Saracens playing record is :

Played : 15 Won : 9 Drawn : 1 Lost : 5 PtsF : 435 PtsA : 330 Tries for : 68 Tries against : 52.
and …

The Candy League 2 North’ record is :
Played : 12 Won : 7 Drawn : 1 Lost : 4 PtsF : 321 PtsA : 257 Tries for : 50 Tries against : 39

AND

As this is the 100th of my reports, that go back to Saturday the 1st of October 2016 when the Saracens lost 74-5 at Horden & Peterlee, it’s an appropriate time to make some announcements :

The first is my retirement from the physical side of Saracens management at the end of this season. As many of you will know I have been diagnosed with non-tremor Parkinson’s disease of which one of the symptoms is increasing stiffness. It means I will no longer be able do the physical things involved with team management.

The second announcement is made on Jack Deighton’s behalf and it is his retirement from all Saracens management duties from the end of this season as he will be, among other things, a granddad ℅ Jonathan and his partner and managing the building work on his new house. Jack has often said that we complement each other quite well since he has some deafness and, as a result of my illness, I struggle with my speech.

The third and last announcement is that I’ll still be able to carry out the non-physical work of Saracens management. So there’ll be more reports from me and more Saracens Team Secretary duties for a little while yet as I now count myself as one of the oldies who have said ‘Though I’m fraying at the edges I’m still vertical’.

SE Tuesday 07 February 2023