Northallerton RUFC men’s first XV hosted Yarnbury RUFC at Brompton Lodge, in a game that treated the neutral observer to a try scoring bonanza. For North’s many supporters though it was maybe one to put to the back of the memory banks. On the Sunday, the U16s boys looked to bounce back from their season’s opening excursion with a game on home turf against Billingham RUFC.
The first XV took to the field facing another high-flying side in the league, Yarnbury RUFC. Renowned for their fast, attacking style of play, the visitors did not disappoint on the front despite the challenging weather conditions. As both teams emerged onto the pitch for the start of the match, the clear blue skies and crisp conditions suddenly turned to driving rain, biting cold temperature and the ever-present cross field wind. Any supporter would have been forgiven for thinking this weather would have spoiled the entertainment of the game however Yarnbury had come to play expansive rugby and were not deterred by a bit of rain. North kicked off playing up hill in the first half but within the first few minutes, the attacking threats posed by the visiting fullback and wingers became apparent as they slipped through some attempted tackles from North, taking advantage of the slippery conditions to score the opening try. The hosts were not disheartened and looked to strike back quickly. Moving the ball through the hands they were able to put winger Reece Brammah into space on one occasion to run half the pitch and but for a last-ditch tackle would have been able to level the scoreboards.
Unfortunately for North this spell of promising play proved to be all they saw of the ball for the next third of the match as Yarnbury proved very effective at passing the ball between themselves and isolating defenders to allow their pacy wingers to gain both territory and points. A slew of tries followed as they rapidly swung the momentum of the match in their favour. It must be commended that a visiting side can come to the Lodge and, on a different playing surface to the artificial pitch they enjoy on their home ground, in very challenging weather conditions and against a determined North defence, they were able to execute a clear game plan that played to their strengths so effectively. At the odd occasion in the game that there was a scrum, North were able to exert pressure and gain a foothold but for the most part, the try fest that made up the majority of the first half deprived North of the chance to put any phases of attacking play together. At the half time break there were very different team talks to be had as Yarnbury went into the huddle with the score reading 0-51 in their favour.
The game was clearly gone from North following the whirlwind of try scoring and given the deteriorating weather conditions it would have been understandable if the host’s enthusiasm for playing disappeared as well. As is evident in every game though, the grit and determination embedded in the team shone through as they continued to battle on against a team who were clearly better on the day. Five more Yarnbury tries followed after play resumed, all scored in a similar but highly entertaining manner as they moved the ball across the pitch with consummate ease and created space wherever they chose. In amongst all of this try scoring, there were promising signs of recovery from North who managed on occasion to retain the ball long enough to put their game plan into action. Utilising their superior size in the forwards and kick started by an excellent 50:22 box kick from scrumhalf Jack Tart, they set to work keeping the ball tight, mauling and driving the play inch by inch up to the Yarnbury try line. Showing patience on the goal line they continued to go through the phases and were rewarded at long last as captain Ed Meek powered his way through the defence to score North’s opening try. Ollie Walters kicked the conversion to make the most of the score.
This was the morale boost that North needed and from here they continued to show promise that would have been useful earlier in the game. By keeping the ball tight and depriving the visitors of possession they were able to repeat the feat and gain territory in the Yarnbury half that they converted into points with a try from flanker Callum Poppitt who followed his captain’s example and drove over the line from close range. It was clearly too little too late to change the course of the match but it did bring to the fore once again, the fortitude and togetherness of the squad who continued to battle even after the match was lost. Yarnbury were able to have the last say in the game as they showcased for the final time their running ability, moving the ball through the hands to blitz down the wing and score a try in the corner. The match ended with a score of Northallerton 12 – Yarnbury 93. An entertaining game that belied the limitations of the weather on the day. Many thanks to the referee for officiating the match, to Yarnbury for travelling in good numbers and to all the supporters who stood in the cold and wet to cheer the lads on.
A season opening humbling had left many of the U16’s boys with a fire in the belly as they took to the field against Billingham, determined to prove their quality that was shown in spades last year. Despite an aggressive beginning to the match it was the visitors who caught North on the hop, scoring two quick tries to take the lead. The resilience of the team came to the fore though and it wasn’t long before hard ball carrying from Hayden Norton propelled him over the try line to establish the hosts on the scoreboard. The momentum of the game was quickly shifting back to North who put their training into practice, working together as a team they moved the away side around the pitch and created space for Oli Pattison to score and convert his own try that put North in front for the first time in the game. At this point the boys could sense the game moving in their favour and capitalised on this by running in another try from Norton, converted by Josh Tuer before Pattison scored his second and Tuer registered a try to go with his kicking tally. The game ended with a final score of Northallerton 29 – Billingham 10. A very entertaining game showcasing the talents of both sides and setting the boys up for hopefully a fruitful season to come. Many thanks to Billingham for travelling, to the referee for officiating the match and to all the supporters and volunteers who help make the day happen.
For any supporters wanting to be involved with rugby at Northallerton, the men train on Tuesday and Thursday 7pm, the ladies train on Wednesday 7pm and the juniors play on Sunday 10am. All ages and abilities welcome. Please contact the club on social media for more information.