Team Selection for Saturday, 13th December 2025

# Sheffield RUFC
11. George Castledine
14. Cameron Catleugh
13. Matty Drennan
12. Will Smith
15. Chris Hooper
10. Callum Posa
9. Elliot Fisher ●

1. Alex Reid
25. Will Archer ●
18. George Rogers ●
4. Josh Redfern
5. Dom Parsons
6. Alex Fawdry
7. Felix Crapper ●
8. Zak Poole (Capt.)
Replacements: -
16. Rhodri Campbell
17. Aaron Lonsdale
3. Jake Hicklin (Injured during Warm-up)
19. Matty Adcock ●
20. Jack Hedley ●
22. Will Burden (Replaced injured Jake Hicklin)
● Sheffield RUFC Mini/Junior

Sheffield travel north to Darlington Mowden Park for the penultimate match of the pre-Christmas fixtures knowing that they would have to be fully on their game. DMP were relegated from National 1 last season after a torrid season, but have re-established themselves this season to put themselves in a strong position to vie for promotion back to National 1. They were holding on to 2nd place until their 38-24 loss away to Macclesfield last weekend who took over the 2nd spot I the league.

Sheffield’s trip was to be affected by the loss of Archie Crapper to an ACL injury suffered in last week’s match with Wharfedale. Josh Redfern was to move from openside flanker to the second row and Felix Crapper also came in at flanker. The starting front rows swapped places with Alex Reid, Will Archer and George Rogers starting and Aaron Lonsdale, Rhodri Campbell and Jack Hicklin scheduled to drop to the bench. Sheffield preparations were further disrupted when Jake Hicklin was injured in the warm-up and his place on the bench went to Will Burden. Not an ideal situation replacing a tighthead prop with a back. Finally, Jack Hedley would make his first appearance of the season, on the bench, since being injured in the pre-season match at Huddersfield in August.

Sheffield got away to a lively start and were almost immediately camping in DMP’s 22-metre, with scrum half Elliot Fisher going in in the corner wide out on the left. The conversion was missed, but Sheffield led by 5 points to nil after four minutes. However, the elation of going ahead so early led Sheffield to possibly, push to hard, and almost immediately a handling error led to DMP picking up on the loose ball and moments later, winger James Bent went over on the left. Fly-half, junior Newton added the conversion, and DMP took the lead at 7 points to 5 after seven minutes. Sheffield’s woes continued, with further errors and DMP took advantage of a DMP knock forward which the player miraculously managed to recover before it hit the ground. The ball was moved in-field and with Sheffield somewhat in disarray, DMP went over just to the right of the posts, through backrow forward, Simon Uzokwe. junior Newton added the conversion again and DMP’s lead was out to 14 points to 5 after just ten minutes.

Sheffield however, recovered their composure and after managing to steal DMP’s ball at a breakdown, were back on the attack in DMP’s 22-metre and with a series of drives and pick and goes, managed to get over for a second try through prop forward, George Rogers. The conversion went begging again, but Sheffield wee back in the game, with DMP leading by 14 points to 10 after fourteen minutes. However, a further handling error opened the door for the home team once more, with a break to Sheffield’s five metre line, where the player was hauled down. Sheffield attempt to prevent any further development of the break led to winger Cammy Catleugh seeing a yellow card for a ten-minute rest in the sin-bin. From the resulting penalty DMO fashioned a third try, with centre, Jacob Oliver going over on the right. Junior Newton converted again and the hosts were again out to a lead of 21-points to 10 with twenty-minutes gone.

Sheffield would once more get back ‘on the horse’ and were again, soon back on the attack, and were soon able to get over the line under the posts, but were unfortunately adjudged to have been held up. DMP dropped out from under the posts from which Chris Hooper made inroads into the DMP defence. The move continued, but a knock on in a tackle led to a Sheffield scrum in centre field. Sheffield broke away and centre Will Smith burst through the DMP defence. He looked to have been brought down short of the line, but quick thinking enabled him to just reach out and touch down. Callum Posa added the conversion and once more the DMP lead was reduced to 21 points to 17 after 30 minutes. Sheffield were soon back at the watering hole, and despite some ferocious defence from home team, some smart handling and clever interplay saw Zak Poole take the final pass to go over in the corner, wide right. The conversion was missed but Sheffield had taken the lead for the first time since the seventh minute, at 22-points to 21 after thirty-four minutes. DMP were never just going to roll over and came back strongly and under pressure, Sheffield gave up a penalty in front of the posts, but some 30 metres out. Junior Newton took the kick and strangely pushed the ball wide for the referee to blow for half time.

The second half was to be a completely different affair to the first. All the flash and bang was replaced with grim determination, graft and tense defence, with both teams looking for that error that would lead to a score to break the deadlock. DMP did manage to get over the Sheffield try line after six minutes of the half, but like Sheffield in the first half, were adjudged to be held up. The error was to come with the second haff, halfway through, when Zak Poole intercepted around halfway and sped off in to the distance and towards the DMP try line. It looked for a little while like the chasers would catch him and bring him down, but as they crossed the 22-metre, their chase appeared to fade and Zak was able to cross over the line and run in toward the posts. Callum Posa converted a and the Sheffield lead was out to 29 points to 21 after 60 minutes. The slender lead was a mere 8 points, but vitally making any response a two-score lead for the home team to overcome.

Sheffield managed a brilliant beak down the left flank with sixty-seven minutes gone with Elliot Fisher making the initial break before chipping over the defence. The ball bounced back into the hands of Alex Fawdry, before Chris Hooper scooted off toward the try line wide on the left. He passed back inside to Fisher again, but unfortunately, he was tacked just short and knocked on in the action and the opportunity was lost. From that moment however, the home team took some control and a few minutes later were able to score their fourth try when hooker Harrison Wood burst free of the Sheffield defence to score and with Junior Newton adding the conversion, the last eight minutes were going to be a real tussle with Sheffield’s lead now being a mere one point. Sheffield had one last chance to score again when a clever cross-field kick from Callum Posa saw Jack Hedley fly down the wing to just be thwarted by the DMP defence. The last two or three minutes were very tense for Sheffield with DMP camped in Sheffield’s 22-metre and at the end right on the five-metre line. With time in the red, DMP had a scrum on the five-metre line, but as they moved toward the touch line to get the winning score the ball was intercepted and relief came for the visitors with the ball kicked in to touch to end the match, much to the defence of the home team, coaches and supporters.

Darlington Mowden Park RUFC Team: -
Forwards: - 1: Alfie Barron; 2: Harrison Wood; 3: Sam Clark; 4: Adam Scott; 5: Kieron Forbes; 17: Simon Uzokwe; 7: Jacob Butterill (Capt.); 8: Reuben Parsons;
Backs: - 15: Sam Waugh; 14: Ben Douglas; 13: Archie Callaghan; 12: Jacob Oliver; 11: James Bent; 10: junior Newton; 9: Reuben Dyer
Replacements: - 25: Talite Vaioleti; 16: Dylan Thompson; 18: Tom Larder; 19: Tyler Armstrong; 20: Flynn Ward

Match Officials: -
Referee: - Nathan Howarth
Assistant Referees: - Dean Lythgoe; Liam Rogers;

Up-coming fixtures: -