This week North hosted Old Grovians to Brompton Lodge for a game played in glorious sunshine throughout.
With the favourable conditions for free flowing, excitable rugby North, surprisingly took advantage and managed to keep their backs on the front foot for most of the game.
North made three changes from last week with Jack Radcliffe returning to scrum half and Doug Mulholland being unlucky to be dropped (to the 3rds). North also welcomed back Zander Metcalfe after a six month injury, as a replacement for injured Graham Currigan - who had dislocated a finger in training trying to catch a ball. To also boost Norths back line, on the bench was newcomer Harry Downing who has just moved to the area from Ilkley Moor bah tat.
North were straight at the opposition from the start with Iain Swall collecting the ball from the kick off. Swall then proceeded to gallop upfield like a crazed giraffe before eventually being stopped on the Groves 22. Somehow, his older brother Phil was in quick support to clear out two opposition players allowing Rob Green to pick up the loose ball and score. Ashley Rio added the conversion with only two minutes on the clock.
Phil Swall then decided he needed to go off for a rest, replaced by a sprightly Paul Dixon!
North still kept up the pressure and were awarded with a try for Matt Argo after fifteen minutes, when he took advantage of a 2 on 1 overlap out wide. Rio again produced an accurate and graceful conversion from a difficult angle.
Grovians slowly started to get more ball and came back into the game with a penalty on the half hour mark when Radcliffe was adjudged to have high tackled the Grovians 6 foot 5 second row.
Just before half time Matthew Marsay made an amazing break from inside his own half and ran nearly the full length of the pitch before he tripped himself up just short of the try line, this time player coach James Hopkin was first in support, but in all the excitement of seeing the try line he knocked on again - for the second week running!
Half time 14-3.
The second half saw the introduction of Downing in the centres for an injured/embarrassed Hopkin.
Young Downing immediately showed his class exchanging passes with fellow centre Metcalfe to make impressive ground up field. The centres looked to have immediately formed a remarkable understanding and pairing as they kept the visitors guessing all of the second half. However the freedom of the backs was due mostly to the forwards domination of the visitors with Dom Dalby leading from the front, supported admirably by Jonny Baker and Phil Swall - when Swall wasn’t going off for a rest!
Just after the hour mark, North closed the game out with a try apiece for Metcalfe and five minutes later a rare two yard stretch for Paul Dixon, Rio converting both to give North an impressive 28-3 victory.
Man of the match was awarded to Zander Metcalfe.
Next week North firsts have no game but the seconds are away to Wetherby seconds in the semi final of the cup followed by a Wetherby Whaler for everyone!

Thank you
H Johnson

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