City Saracens 15 West Hartlepool Stags 17

Saturday 02 October 2021
Durham City Saracens (2nds) v West Hartlepool Stags (2nds)
(Home - The Racecourse) 3:00 pm KO
Result : Durham City 15 - 17 West Hartlepool (HT 12 - 07)

Team sheet :

15 Russell Harris
14 Dave Berriman
13 James Cook
12 Matty Sayer 1 try
11 Jonny Hedley
10 Rob Smith (Captain) 1 try
9 Julian Cadigan 1 con 1 pen
1 Dan Young
2 Jack Bengochea
3 Jim Earley
4 Jonathan Deighton
5 Josh Cotton
6 Liam Davies
7 Tom Wilkinson
8 Rhys Powell

Replacements

16 Sam Marshall
17 Tom Davison
18 Greg Roberts
19 Tom Davies
20 Andy Oxenham
21 Mark Berriman

Physiotherapist None

Referee Carl Hall (Durham Referees Society)

A 15-17 (two tries each) defeat by West Stags was hard to take but it was a great game of rugby especially for the neutral. Exciting to the last when City thought they’d won it with a penalty with two minutes to go only to lose it to a West penalty on full-time.

From the 17 (14 forwards and three backs) who were in last week’s squad there were 21 this week but again there was an imbalance of forwards and backs. 14 of the former and only 5 ‘regulars’ of the latter. However City had the comfort of numbers and it became obvious that they may well need them once the game started. City, having won the toss, received West’s kick-off towards the Maiden Castle end in rainy wet conditions but with surprisingly little wind - surprising because though it was gusty gales had been forecast.

After the relatively easy time City had last week against Horden this quickly developed into a really competitive game of rugby with both sides running hard, re-cycling and pressurising their oppositions’ lines. However it was City’s makeshift centre Matty Sayer who broke the deadlock after 12 minutes when he got the first score reaching out for the line after good carries and support play. Julian Cadigan missed the conversion with what could best be described as a low trajectory kick.

The game resumed its competitive edge but as the game entered the second quarter the ‘line was crossed’ when Dan Young was subjected to a blatant red card offence that many people saw but, unfortunately for Dan and City, the referee did not. Dan had to leave the field for treatment to his re-arranged face and his five minutes off the field was covered by City’s replacement and debutant Tom Davison.

Terrific West pressure on the City line was thwarted by excellent City defence and was relieved when a West penalty to touch went dead. It was then City’s turn to challenge the West line. First Rob Smith’s long kick and chase was nudged beyond the West dead ball line when a score otherwise seemed inevitable then another chance was lost when Jonny Hedley was bundled into touch at the flag. However with five minutes to go to the break a typical weaving run by Rob Smith saw him go in for a seven pointer at the posts to extend City’s lead to 12-0.

This credit to City’s account was undone just before half time when a wayward relieving kick along their 22 gave West the ball and the incentive to threaten the City line. Good carries and re-cycling eventually weakened the City defence with their outside half (I think) stepping inside and going over at the posts just before half-time to bring the score back to 12-7. All that remained of the half was a West penalty and a scrappy line-out on half way which let Dave Berriman boot the ball into touch knowing it was the last play of the half.

Half time changes made by City saw Sam Marshall on from the bench to scrum half, Julian Cadigan moved from scrum half to outside half, Rob Smith to full-back and Russell Harris moving from full-back to the right wing with Dave Berriman going to the bench.

Spurred on by being only one score down West produced more pressure on the City line that provided some amusement to the spectators and bemusement of the players when the referee introduced the new law change of goal-line drop-outs. It was then City’s turn to threaten the West line. Successive City catches from line-outs and drives for the line were only stopped by a knock-on. As the match moved towards its third quarter an astute West clearing kick exposed City’s defence and the single City defender was then accidentally bounced to the floor by a chasing West attacker whilst the ball fell kindly into the hands of a visitor for a run-in score at the posts. So West now had a 12-14 lead.

The exciting nature of the game became even more so as both teams made mistakes. Both teams also suffered injuries - though Josh Cotton’s temporary departure and replacement by Greg Roberts was for hopefully nothing more than strapping to his boot.

A very competitive last quarter was dominated by City as they made great efforts to win the match. Rhys Powell powered over but wasn’t given the try. West then made a hash of goal-line drop out but a sweeping City attack in the West 22 was penalised for crossing. City re-took the lead 15-14 with two minutes to go when Julian Cadigan kicked a penalty given for off-side in front of the posts after touchline calls to go for the ‘sticks’ that were to Josh Cotton’s disappointment who was keen to tap and go for a trundle. Unfortunately City were unable to see the game out after a knock-on from the re-start gave West the ball and even then City appeared to have turned the ball over from a West kick to the corner only to be penalised. This let West convert the penalty beautifully from wide-out on their right to win it for them 15-17 at the death.

This was an exciting finish to a match that neither side deserved to lose but City weren’t helped by their missed opportunities, a number of players in unaccustomed positions and they also felt aggrieved by the second half penalty count in West’s favour. Sadly with the game being so close the City replacements didn’t get anything more than Sam Marshall getting on for the second half and Tom Davison’s and Greg Roberts’ brief appearances.

Though Liam Davies, who played the whole of the second half having put his shoulder out and put it back himself in the first half, and Dan Young, for his line-out work and strong running, both warrant special mention, the ‘Man of the Match’ award went to Tom Wilkinson. He got it despite Jonathan Deighton’s outstanding first half performance being matched by Tom’s in the second half and in no small way was thanks to Jonathan’s father Jack’s magnanimously naming Tom as the recipient.

This defeat by West means that the Saracens playing recorded for the season becomes :
Played : 2 Won : 1 Lost : 1 Points for : 48 Points against : 17 Tries for : 7 Tries against : 2.

With the Players’ Dinner arranged for this Friday 8th October wisely there’s no game for Saturday 9th October but the next league game is against Durham University Palatinates on Saturday 16th October. The DU Palatinates team has been put together from those University players who find themselves without many games. It is a side that won 104-0 against Horden while City’s Saracens were playing West Stags and on that basis alone they will be difficult opponents. The 16th will be a busy day as the 1st team are due to play a home League game against Morley.

SE
Thursday 07 October 2021