Rugby seconds beat Newcastle for first league win
UNIVERSITY OF YORK SECONDS 38 vs. UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE FOURTHS 0
BUCS Northern Conference 3B, Wednesday 21st January 2009
Tries from Seb Hurst, James Bennett, Matt Pollen, Rich Welsh, Jack Miles and a late double from Lionel Owusu resulted in York seconds’ first league victory of the season, as they beat Newcastle fourths 38-0, a slightly flattering score considering the visitor’s performance in the second half. York piled on the pressure in the first half to lead the game at 19-0 at half-time, courtesy of three tries and some impressive kicking from winger Hurst, who converted two.
However, early in the second half Newcastle were allowed to dominate play for a while, but they could not turn this possession into points. York rode their luck at times, and needed Welsh’s try to bury the game. Following this, Newcastle appeared to give up completely, which led to a somewhat flattering scoreline for York, as Miles and Owusu were allowed to register some quite easy tries.
York began dominating the game right from the kick-off, ran the ball forward quickly and twice won scrums just five yards out. However, a solid defensive kick from Newcastle’s number 15 meant York had to win the ground back again with some neat passing along the backs. York won the resultant offensive scrum down and passed it out for Hurst to score an elementary winger’s try, which he impressively converted.
York, camped out in Newcastle territory for most of the half, regularly nicked the ball from the visitor’s scrums. Yet York’s hands let them down at times, and Pollen had to wait to get on the scoreboard as what would have been York’s second was disallowed. However, York won the following scrum and Bennett was able to leap over the line to double their advantage with Hurst impressively converted again.
Pollen was able to get his try before half-time, as he neatly exploited a gap in Newcastle’s shaky defence. Hurst wasn’t able to convert this one, so York went in at half time in the ascendancy, leading 19-0. Newcastle returned after the break a different team, and really made York nervous with the pressure they were able to exert.
However, the visitors were, once again, not able to convert this period of dominance into tries. York’s defence was tight, particularly the forwards’ presence in the rucks however, they often fell short going forward due to shaky passes and poor decision making. The second half deadlock was broken by York, not Newcastle, when Welsh secured the game with a well-worked try after fighting their way back into the game.
This seemed to break the visitors’ spirit, as nearly immediately afterwards Miles exploited a gap in the centre to notch up another try for York. Shortly after this, substitute Owusu was able to jog two soft tries and it was apparent that Newcastle had effectively given up. York second’s recorded their first league victory with style, but this 38-0 win over Newcastle was harder fought than might appear.
York Starting Line-up: Reid-Milligan, Hornby, Welsh, Smallwood, Forsythe, Holder-Williams, Carr, Bennett, Dudley, Mortimer, Hurst, Pollen, Miles, Andrade, Van Der Bullows
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