1st XV
Matches
Wed 14 Apr 2010
Stockton
16
31
South Shields Westoe RFC
1st XV
Westoe v Stockton cup report

Westoe v Stockton cup report

Phil Haswell15 Apr 2010 - 05:06
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Stockton 16 Westoe 31 FOR much of the game it looked as though it could turn out to be a skid pan for Westoe, never mind a banana skin.

It was not until the Shieldsmen ran in two tries in extra time of this Durham Senior Cup quarter-final that anyone connected with the Wood Terrace camp could breathe easily.
While it is true that this squad was substantially different to that which will confront National 2 North opponents Rugby Lions on Saturday, for much of the time a stranger would not have guessed it was the hosts who play three levels below in Durham and Northumberland One..
Stockton launched themselves a gusto and relish that Westoe seemed to have left behind in the dressing room, their beefy forwards gave more illustrious opponents a bone-jarring pounding while their backs were by far the more sure-handed and menacing.
Piling on the pressure, Stockton earned and missed two early penalty chances and it seemed an injustice when on the quarter-hour centre Aaron Myers broke from the half-way line and, bucking and writhing, thwarted all attempts to prevent him touching down under the posts and so give scrum half Matthew Mellish a simple conversion.
Myers, switched from his normal back row role, played a blinder and deserved his success, but it was his side’s only purposeful attack of the half which was totally dominated by the home team.
Their zeal and thrust bore fruit when fly half Jeremy Good kicked a couple of penalties and then in the 32nd minute winger Simon Crozier’s sheer speed and strength in a 40-metre burst down the left flank brought him a try in the corner.
At least Westoe’s defence deserved credit for absorbing so much punishment and so limiting the half-time deficit to 11-7.
After the turnaround there was the reassuring presence of prop and captain Gareth Nesbit and number 10 fixture Charlie Rayner who had arrived from the bench and, along with other team adjustments, the tide turned.
It was Nesbit, taking a smart reverse pass from scrum half Chris Judson, who ended a foraging attack by battling his way over between the posts and soon after a penalty try was awarded when a strong maul was clinically pulled down on the line, Rayner converting both.
But Stockton were not done for just yet, long-legged replacement winger Phil Douglas jinking and dodging his way over to bring his side within a touch down of leveling scores.
Though generally a forgettable game from Westoe’s viewpoint, it will always be remembered by Colts Daniel Rundell and Richard Burrows who made First XV debuts, both on the wing, but especially the latter who capped it with a try when he burst over two minutes into extra time.
Craig Olugbode sealed victory for the trophy holders and a semi-final againt Billingham at Wood Terrace with a weaving 30-metre spurt that ended beside the left corner flag.

Match details

Match date

Wed 14 Apr 2010

Kickoff

18:30
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