1st Team
Matches
Sat 28 Sep 2019
Northallerton Rugby Club
1st Team
31
29
Wetherby
CLOSE HOME WIN

CLOSE HOME WIN

H JOHNSON30 Sep 2019 - 08:21
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.northallertonrugby

3 out of 4


Northallerton first team made it three wins out of four with a tough and close victory at home to Wetherby by a score of 31-29.
North welcomed back floppy haired Jack Barker for his first game for North in nearly 4 years, after travelling and being loved up - and it showed as the game progressed. Hopefully a bit more training sessions will be of benefit to him for the rest of the season.
North opened the scoring after ten minutes when Welsh wannabe Ashley Rio produced a precise cross field kick to the waiting arms of Matthew Marsay, who beat two defenders to touch down ten years in from the try line. Taffy Rio added the conversion to take a 7-0 lead.
After twenty minutes, a delicate grubber kick through from Rio was chased up by North and the Wetherby defence, with Alexander Metcalfe winning the foot race to touch down under the posts. Metcalfe suffered a slight knock with a debatable late contact after scoring. Rio again added the conversion to take 14-0 lead.
After twenty five minutes Wetherby came more into the game and produced a good backs move finished off under the posts by their outside centre for the converted centre.
Five minutes later Wetherby were awarded a straightforward penalty in front of the posts which they dispatched to close the gap to four points.
One minute before half time a clearance kick from Rio was again successfully chased up by the sniping Marsay, who still had plenty to do before touching down near the corner flag. Despite being very close to the sideline, Rio added the conversion to send North in at the break 21-10 up.
Wetherby started the second half pressing North back into their own 22 and were rewarded after five minutes with a unconverted try in the corner to bring them within six points of North. However, five minutes later another precise grubber kick by Rio caught the visitors off guard and on their back foot, allowing Marsay to use his turn of speed and go over for his hat trick. Rios conversion unfortunately drifted just wide. Ten minutes later it looked like North had sealed the victory with a catch and drive lineout move finished off by captain Iain Swall even though 60 year old Paul Dixon was desperate to get his hands on the ball. Even with the conversion being wide, North now seemed to be in a unassailable 31-15 lead.
With fifteen minutes remaining there was a turnaround in fortune for the visitors as influential prop Dom Dalby was yellow carded for an innocuous misdemeanour. This handed Wetherby a man advantage which they took with both hands scoring two converted tries in five minutes to leave them only two points behind. The second try was especially frustrating as the North players had stopped expecting the referee to blow for a shirt tug on one of their players. Wetherby continued to play to the whistle - as you should, and touched down under the posts.
With five minutes left Dalby was reintroduced after his sin binning and his presence calmed North down and shored up the defence to the final whistle.
Man of the match was awarded to scrum half and Daniel Radcliffe’s little brother Jack.
Next week Northallerton firsts travel away to local rivals Wensleydale with a 3pm kick off.

Northallerton second team travelled away to Horden and Peterlee despite being a few players short. The home team sportingly loaned North a couple of players to make the encounter much more competitive and enjoyable. Despite a heroic effort, North succumbed to a 48-22 defeat. Norths points coming from tries by Kris Morrison, Doug Mulholland and two from loaned Horden players. Brian Tucker adding one conversion.
Next week North are awaiting fixture confirmation.
These thoughts are those of myself only and not of Northallerton RUFC.

Thank you

H Johnson

Match details

Match date

Sat 28 Sep 2019

Kickoff

15:00
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Club Sponsor - Marshall Honda
Club Sponsor - Tank Promotions
Club Sponsor - Simon Warren Osteopath
Club Sponsor - P+HS Architects
Club Sponsor - Northallerton Steel Erection Ltd