Gateshead 3 - 55 Sheffield - (North One East)

Gateshead 3 - 55 Sheffield

Team Selection - 3rd September 2011

15. Liam Wallace
14. Ewan Reed
13. Joe Cribley
12. Dave McCabe
11. Alex Hill
10. Donal Collins
9. Matt Poste

1. Tommy Marples
2. Carl Mortimer
3. Chris Machen
4. John Dudley
5. Kyle Howard
6. Dave Ellis
7. Laurence Thomas
8. Andy Kelly ……..… (Capt)

16. Ramzey Adamo
17. Tom White
18. Martin Balshaw

The start of a new season saw Sheffield, newly promoted to North One East, on their travels for the first match to the North East and Gateshead, also newly promoted to the league. The weather was little dreak, with light drizzle falling throughout the game, making handling and keeping ones feet quite tricky. From the kick-off Gateshead showed an intension to attack and with just 2 minutes gone, a fine kick from Gateshead’s number 10, Jonathan Foster, saw Liam Wallace having to put the ball out of play on the Sheffield 5 metre line. From the restart Gateshead powered hard at the Sheffield line and looked to have scored an early try, but referee Mark Jude of the Durham Society had seen a little knock forward and Sheffield survived with Donal Collins clearing the lines from the resulting scrum.

Gateshead continued to exert the pressure, but a slightly over hit kick going dead and two penalties against them saw Sheffield able to secure field position in the Gateshead half and exert some pressure of their own, and with 9 minutes on the clock, Donal Collins opened the scoring with a bobbling drop goal, but they all count. Sheffield were now slightly in the ascendancy and having weathered the early storm looked much more confident in their running and handling. However, both sides were finding the conditions a little trying and mistakes were made by both teams, with knock-ons in abundance. Sheffield were however, getting the slightly better field position and when Gateshead were penalised for playing the ball on the ground at the ruck, Donal Collins was able to add a further 3 points with a penalty to take the lead to nil to 6 after 18 minutes.

Gateshead came back strongly and pressured into the Sheffield half and a couple of handling errors saw Sheffield under pressure just inside their 22, and with 23 minutes gone Gateshead had a penalty of their own for offside at the breakdown, which Jonathan Foster dispatched to reduce the lead to 3 to 6. From the restart Gateshead knocked-on and provided Sheffield with another opportunity, and after a number of drives had been repulsed, Donal Collins added a second drop goal to open the lead out to 6 points again at 3 points to 9 on 27 minutes. At the kick-off Gateshead went too deep and the ball went dead for a scrum back on half way, Sheffield were awarded a penalty at the scrum, but managed to miss touch, the result was a period of kicking ping pong, which seemed to be won by Gateshead when poor Ewan Reed was deemed to have knock-on in the Sheffield 22. However, the defence held firm and with Gateshead committing too many handling errors, they were unable to cause Sheffield too many problems. Sheffield were able to work their way back up the field and gain a scrum once again from a Gateshead knock-on. From the scrum Sheffield went on to the attack and were awarded a penalty when Gateshead were adjudged to have made a high tackle. Donal Collins added the 3 points and moved the lead to 3 to 12 points on 36 minutes.

The referee having warned both teams on a number of occasions for offences at the breakdown, decided enough was enough just 2 minutes later when he despatched our own Dave Ellis to the sin bin for a well earned rest. Gateshead upped their game as expected, but Sheffield held firm with a defence as good as I have seen from them in some time. Again Gateshead attacked, however, during a resulting attack Gateshead dropped the ball, Joe Cribley kicked on and gave chase, kicking on a second time to the Gateshead line, but unfortunately, in the process of diving on to the ball to score, the ball bobbled and he knocked-on, an opportunity for Sheffield lost on 40 minutes. Gateshead tried to keep the pressure on to take advantage of the extra man, but could not break the Sheffield defence down and the first-half came to and end with approximately 4 minutes of time added on.

The short break definitely benefited Sheffield more than Gateshead and they looked much the sharper of the two teams. Gateshead appeared to be making even more handling errors and Sheffield took full advantage of the errors, and so with eight minutes of the half gone they were awarded a further penalty which Donal Collins converted and moved the score to 3 to 15 points. The Sheffield pack had upped their work rate from the restart of the match at half time and were fully rewarded when with 14 minutes gone; prop Tommy Marples was able to go over register Sheffield’s first try of the league season after Gateshead had lost their own ball at the line out. Donal Collins added the conversion to take the score to Gateshead 3, Sheffield 22.

From the restart Gateshead were penalised when their number 6, James Broadbent was deemed to have taken the catcher out in the air and was despatched to the sin bin, which was followed almost immediately with the loss of their Number 8, Jonathan Charlton, with a shoulder injury, which did nothing for their shape and structure. Sheffield took full advantage of the situation and with 23 minutes of the half gone big John Dudley crashed over the line to record the second try, leaving Donal Collins with an easy conversion and the score at 3 points to 29. Immediately from the restart, Sheffield spun the ball wide and found John Dudley in space with Ewan Reed on his shoulder and with clear space in front of him. Unfortunately, the pass was not the best and the ball and the opportunity was lost. Little did it matter, Sheffield regained possession after another Gateshead handling error and the ball found itself with Joe Cribley with the home defence in disarray to score out wide on the left. Again Donal Collins added the extras and the Sheffield lead was now 33 points at 3 points to 36 with 27 minutes gone.

Whilst Gateshead continued to try to play open and attacking rugby, their handling errors were the predominant feature and Sheffield were for once fully aware of the opportunities and 7 minutes later Joe Cribley intercepted from a promising Gateshead move and covered some 40 metres before handing on to Dave McCabe. Unfortunately the return pass went a little astray as McCabe tried to pass back over the top of the retreating defence and the ball was lost. However, just 2 minutes later Gateshead were made to pay once more, when Sheffield managed to steal the ball and scrum half Matt Poste scurried through the defence from the back of a ruck to record try number 4 right next to the posts, conversion to Donal Collins. Score 3 points to 43.

The errors kept coming from a somewhat dispirited Gateshead side and with Sheffield now rampant more score were on the cards and with a further 5 minutes gone, the ball was delicately kicked aloft to the left wing by Donal Collins in the direction of Alex Hill. As Alex ran to the ball it took a horrible bounce and it looked for just a moment that the opportunity would be lost, but somehow Alex managed to steady himself and get back to the ball before it either went out or was reached by the defence, and score a well worked try right in the corner. Donal Collins added a magnificent conversion from the touch line and extended the lead to 3 points to 50.

The Gateshead team must by now have been despondent and must have been praying for the final whistle, but it did not come, and once more Joe Cribley was able to break away and score once, but on this occasion a much easier opportunity to convert was spurned and the game came to an abrupt end with Sheffield having recorded an excellent win away to their fellow promoted club at 3 points to 55.

Next week we have travel away once more to, more local rivals, Cleckheaton, who lost narrowly 32 to 25 away to the 3rd promoted Club, Malton and Norton, and gaining a loosing bonus point in the process.