Rishworthians Minis v Huddersfield & Sandal Minis
Rishworthians, Huddersfield & Sandal enjoy a great morning's rugby
Match reports Sunday 13th January
A mild January morning at Copley produced another bumper attendance with nearly 200 players enjoying a great mornings rugby despite the muddy conditions from the heavy rain during the week. This week Rishworthians hosted a three way tournament with Huddersfield and Sandal who always bring strong sides. The Copley ground was full to capacity with the under 14's playing Hessle every inch of available playing surface was in use. Thanks to all the players, parents, coaches, volunteers and match reporters for supporting the event.
Under 6’s The Micros
The under 6's had 13 micros training plus several who have reached their 6th birthday playing for the under 7's Jack Mallinson, George Wannan, Oliver Brian and Kieran Lewis. Coaches Neil Lumb, Darren Grogan, Warren Doyle and Guy Laurie put them through their paces.
Under 7's The Young Guns
All three teams had a fantastic turnout of players allowing two triangular tournaments to be played. Rishworthians giving competitive debuts to 3 under 6 players who have reached their 6th birthday meant we could field 2 teams. The more seasoned players made up an A team with the newcomers and one or two more experienced younger players making up a B team.
Rishworthians A 7 - 5 Sandal
Both teams played some excellent free running rugby in a very entertaining game. Sandal took an early lead before Jack Mallinson ran in two great tries followed by a third try from Corey White to leave Rishworthians leading 3-1. Both teams then matched each others scoring efforts with both sides adding four tries to their scores. Three further Rishworthian tries came from Corey White with George Sutcliffe scoring the final try,
Huddersfield 8 - 7 Sandal
Again both teams played some great rugby to entertain a good number of watching parents.
Rishworthians A 6 - 6 Huddersfield
In the final game of the morning both teams again played some excellent rugby and in the end a draw was a fair result for both sides. All the players put in a sustained effort and worked hard for each other and as well as some good attacking play there was also some really hard work put in defensively. Man of the match Corey White ran in all six Rishworthians tries.
Rishworthian A Jack Mallinson, Toby Muscat-Baron, George Sutcliffe, Alex Oldroyd, Kian Sutcliffe, Carrick Keighley-Payne, Corey White
Rishworthians B 11 - 9 Huddersfield
What a fantastic start for a team containing three players who have just had their sixth birthdays George Wannan, Oliver Brian and Kieran Lewis. Both teams played some great rugby with Oliver Brian showing the potential to be a very good player.
Rishworthians B 5 - 7 Sandal
Another great match played in a fantastic spirit with both teams playing some very good rugby with some excellent running and tagging. Man of the match Oliver Brian again starred for the Rishworthian team with some fine individual tries. Thanks to Sandal for allowing one of their players to replace a departing Rishworth player and even the sides up at 6 a piece.
Rishworthians B George Wannan, Oliver Brian, William Harker, Henry Hilton, Finn Sutcliffe, Kieran Lewis
Again in these games rugby was the winner with the games being played in a competitive manner, being fairly contested and played sportingly. A huge thank you again to all those involved from all three clubs for making the morning so enjoyable.
Thanks to all the coaches, parents and players from the visiting clubs and to the parents and players at Rishworthians for helping to make the morning so enjoyable. This was junior rugby at its best, played in a good spirit with everyone involved contributing positively.
Grahame White
Under 8’s The Raiders
Old Rishworthian's Under 8's got their New Year campaign off to a winning start against Sandal last Sunday. Playing at Copley, the home side had a reduced squad of only 8 players due to illness and absence.
Game 1 Rishworthian Raiders 6 - 3 Sandal
In the first of two matches the Raiders showed fine individual running skills with 2 tries each from Sam Puddephatt, Callum Bell and Will Symms. This was coupled with an enthusiastic defensive effort, especially by Man of the Match William Hilton, which enabled the home side to record a 6 - 3 victory.
Game 2 Rishworthian Raiders 3 - 6 Sandal
In the second game Sandal introduced a completely new team of players who were hungry for action having watched their team mates suffer an emphatic defeat. Despite starting well with 2 more fine tries from Sam Puddephatt and one from Callum Bell, the heavy pitch and lack of substitutes eventually took its toll on the Rishworth outfit. Tired legs and some inconsistent refereeing decisions combined to allow Sandal to get across the try line a total of six times for a 6 - 3 victory.
Dave Puddephatt
Under 9's The Reds & All Blacks
Reds given a lesson in contact rugby
There certainly can’t have been a harder fixture to mark the start of the New Year than this Sandal team, as yet unbeaten in 2007/8 with 15 wins and 2 draws. Rishworthians with 13 wins 3 defeats and a draw normally give Sandal a competitive game. Add in the heavy pitch and the Reds were faced with a tough physical encounter which will certainly have worked off the mince pies. With Huddersfield pulling out of he fixture the under 9's played 2 games against Sandal.
Game 1 Rishworthian Reds 0 - 35 Sandal
The game started at breakneck speed – and never faltered. Sandal began taking the ball into Reds’ territory. Though strong tackling held them back briefly, this Sandal side demonstrated the power of strong support. Thomas Sweeten nearly took an early interception, but tidy handling allowed Sandal to move the ball wide. Excellent cover from Nathan Cooper and Thomas Creasy narrowly held Sandal out, bringing a lineout in the corner. Throughout the game, Sandal piled on the pressure and this early position so close to the Rishies’ line was a red rag to a bull. The ball spilled loose and Sandal pounced to take the first score.
Jack Davis took the ball from the restart and drove headlong up the pitch, only being held up 5 yards short. Rishies’ tackling improves every week and many teams would have been stunned by the shoulders going in. On this occasion though, Sandal showed that they too can bring the player down. A crunching tackle on Thomas Creasy brought Billy Whythe on as an early replacement. Eager from the first chance, Billy worked well with Jacob Bower to deny Sandal a second try. Lewis Hilton showed that he would not be intimidated by the occasion, both tackling well in defence and linking well to distribute the ball. Nathan Cooper too made good ground. Sadly his fine break came to an end with a painful tackle which put him out of action for the rest of the game. The whole team will be hoping Nathan is back and ready for action again very soon. Sandal were now forcing their tackles through and, recovering the ball, brought the score to 10-0 at the end of the first half.
The physical pressure began to tell on Rishies and the Sandal scrum half managed a simple score, dummying three times in succession after their lineout. Sandal continued to drive home their tackles and these gave them the turnovers they needed to build pressure on Rishies. Heavy forward moves brought them three more tries. Many sides would have let in more, but Charlotte Siddall typified the mood of the Rishies, getting stuck right in to rip the ball clear in the mauls and covering across to defend. Thomas Cockroft too continually drove in to secure good ball from the rucks and feed his supporting team. Great covering from Thomas Sweeten saved a try in the corner, but Sandal managed to bring the first game to an end 0 - 35 winners.
Game 2 Rishworthian Reds 10 - 35 Sandal
A changeover for the second game brought Sandal’s heavy guns on. This was hard work for the Reds and several tackles bounced off the opening drive, but persistence bore fruit and the final tackle forced a dropped ball, denying Sandal an early score. Another characteristic Sandal drive to the line, with a deft run round the undefended side of the ruck gave the Sandal scrum half another score, but Rishies would not lie down. Neat passing from Gregory Day and Lewis Hilton gave Thomas Sweeten a brief chance but Sandal broke free from the turnover that followed for a runaway score.
One of the areas Rishies worked well at throughout the game was their rucking and this gave them a platform to launch at the Sandal defence. What they really needed was the ball feeding away from the ruck and into open space with players passing before they were submerged under Sandal tackling. The Reds showed how effective this can be as three times in succession the ball worked down the line, a ruck formed and the ball made its way back out again. As the Reds closed on the Sandal line, Charlotte Siddall had the presence of mind to draw in the final Sandal defender but yet release the ball to Jack Davis who powered over on the wing to give Rishies a much deserved try.
The Reds would not let up, Thomas Cockroft and George Radcliffe time and again bringing down the Sandal players. Sam Brant and Dan Byrnes took advantage of any chances they had, but Sandal were up extremely quickly and life was hard tying to build up momentum for the Rishies’ attacking moves. The conditions together with the unyielding tackling from Sandal made life difficult for Rishies’ open running and one break from Sandal brought a score, outpacing two of Rishies’ quickest players to the line. However, it will take more than a bit of mud and the best team Rishies have met so far to stop Will McDonnell showing his agility. A dynamic solo effort from the middle of the pitch saw Will snake and dart his way through five attempted tackles before crossing the line.
A final try from Sandal brought the game to a close at 10-35. It would be easy to be disheartened at the scoreline. However, the Rishies can take great confidence from the way they played. When a team can keep playing together, supporting one another and being able to rely on their teammates keeping their heads up – no matter what the score – you know you have a real team. Rishies never let Sandal run away with the game and have earned the respect of the Sandal players and coaches. We can join Sandal in recording that Sunday was “a pleasure and a credit to both clubs”.
Squad: Charlotte Siddall, Jack Davis, Nathan Cooper, Thomas Sweeten, Thomas Cockroft, Thomas Creasy, Dan Byrnes, Lewis Hilton, Gregory Day, Jacob Bower, William McDonnell, George Radcliffe, Billy Whythe, Sam Brant
Man of the match: Thomas Cockroft Effort award: Charlotte Siddall
Hugh Creasy
Under 9's match report from Sandal
If you haven’t played a competitive game for 6 weeks, not to mention a two week spell in the midst of that when you’ve done nothing but scoff nuts, mince pies and Christmas pud, and single-handedly worked your way through a family size tin of Quality Street, then Old Rishworthians is the last place you‘d choose to go to in order to get your season and fitness back on track. The Halifax team have always proved spirited and talented opponents and indeed they were one of only two teams who did anything other than lose to the Sharks last season (drawing 2 – 2 in the final of the Harrogate festival).
So there was a great deal of anticipation in the coaching team as they approached this fixture, and the players were warned that they needed to be at their best from the start if they wanted to avoid defeat. And it was clear that there had indeed been a surfeit of choccies and nuts and far too much time spent in a semi-comatose position on the sofa watching The Great Escape or A Christmas Carol or any old rubbish which the TV channels churned out (excluding It’s a Wonderful Life which everyone needs to watch at least once a year). Fortunately this inactivity and over-indulgence was only noticeable in the parents - some of whom clearly need to stick to their New Year’s resolutions this time.
The players on the other hand looked fine.
So, in conditions which were a tad heavy but otherwise ideal for a New Year’s game of rugby the two teams cooked up a superb game with every single one of the players giving total commitment to their respective causes. It was a pleasure to behold and a credit to both clubs, and all the players were warmly applauded at the end by the impressed parents. The score line seems to suggest that it was a one-sided stroll for Sandal but that was far from the case:
As in previous encounters the Old Rishworthian team played good rugby and worked hard, indeed they excelled in the rucks and turned over numerous balls which should by rights have been Sandal’s. But there’s something extra with this Sharks team. They can match their opponents for effort and fitness, and then they add a dose of commitment and energy in both the tackle and the run which makes the difference between a close encounter and a score line like todays.
For the first couple of minutes Rishworthians put some pressure on the Sharks defence but it held firm and then gradually the tide was turned. Most of the remainder of the game was then spent in the Rishworthian half. It was fairly well-balanced in midfield with both teams giving the other little room, but that’s where the extra edge which the Sharks possess made the difference. They were able to hold up and match the hosts in the forward play and then found something extra to break out and convert possession into tries.
The first try was an example of this when Sandal put pressure on a Rishworthians scrum forced a loose ball and Oli Fox pounced to surge for the line. Rishworthians responded but the Sharks defence was strong and missed little. As play switched to the other end the Sharks recycled twice from the tackle and Harry Davey nipped in to seize the ball and cross for the second. It was important to keep the home side from getting any rhythm and Will Henshall, Tom Bott, Ryan Bolger and Harry Davey started to hit a series of strong tackles to disrupt the opponents and grant the Sharks an excess of possession. They used this effectively, and capitalised on good play from set pieces to score twice more. Davey was the finisher on each occasion and he looked sharp and lively in the process, but the team had worked well to create the space for him, first from a line out and then from a scrum. Ben Whyte and Sam Tovey put in some good tackles to regain possession for Sandal, and following a penalty for offside Davey set up Henshall who powered over for the Shark’s fifth.
Sandal were starting to create space for the centres and wingers and only a couple of excellent late tackles on Bolger and Tom Alderton stopped the Sharks from increasing their lead. However, it was not long before they did and a couple of quick tries by Fox secured the game from a try-scoring point of view. The first was a solo effort as Fox picked up the ball wide and ran straight dome the line for a try, but the second was a reflection of the growing team effort as a line out by the forwards fed Davey who shipped it to fly half Sam Edge, he in turn made a timely offload for Fox to cut through and score.
After the interval Sharks started well with Connor Thompson crashing through two big tackles (from big forwards) only to suffer a knock forward right on the line. Still it set the trend for Sandal and Thompson, Henshall and Whyte kept driving through Rishworthian resistance to keep the pressure on the hosts line. Ashley Drake made the most of a variety of changes to position and used the ball well when given the opportunity and Josh Reynolds was his usual self in the midst of Sandal’s forward play. Sandal soon added to their score with a try by Davey after Fox’s run had been supported by Thompson before the Shark’s scrum half took a short pass and nipped over the line. Bolger who had made numerous powerful runs but been stopped by strong tackles before he could offload finally got some scoring reward after a wide break from a maul.
Rishworthian forays into the Sharks half were becoming quite rare now but they did cross the line with an example of excellent rucking which recycled the ball three times before their strong prop powered over in the corner. A lesson here for the Sharks in how to ruck and keep the ball in your possession to set up scoring opportunities! Tom Alderton made a series of crunching tackles on the wing and throughout the game kept his wing as secure as Shawshank (excepting Andy Dufreyne). And indeed, on the other side, Sam Tovey gave a fine display of tackling to cut off that route as a scoring possibility for Rishworthians. Jack Thompson was inspired by this and twice stood firm to halt Rishworthian moves before they got far. Will Henshall’s excellent game in the thick of things paid off first with a drive and set up for Davey to score and then with a try of his own, picking up a loose ball stepping inside a tackle and running in for the corner.
Sharks were now constantly pressuring the hosts line and a coupe of heavy tackles forced a loose ball for Fox to touch down, and then a 5 metre scrum saw Davey and Edge set up Bolger for a clever run through the heart of the defence. Rishworthians scored a second close to the end and it was no more than their efforts deserved, a fine jinking run by their centre proving unstoppable even to the Sharks’ formidable defence. But to rub salt in the wounds Ben Whyte went straight from the restart and simply ran directly to the line to score.
In a way which should shame the parents and all their festive excesses, the Sharks had kept up the effort throughout the entire game despite the heavy going under foot and the challenging strength and speed of the Rishworthians team. The Sharks continued to tackle and drive, surge and run right up to the final whistle. They certainly deserved their fine victory, though they could still learn some lessons from their worthy opponents
The whole team deservedly won the MFH Engineering Player of the Week trophy for a fine team effort – strong in all areas (except the rucks!)
Under 10's & 11's
Rishworthians 0 - 4 Sandal
Rishworthians were unable penetrate the defences of a well organised Sandal side while Sandal ran in 2 tries either side of half time
Rishworthians 3 - 3 Huddersfield
A much better performance from Rishworthians. Huddersfield stormed into a 2 - 0 lead before Rishworthians woke up. Dylan Wannan grabbed the first try with a run from half way. Tom Hammond charged over from a maul after good forward pressure forced Huddersfield onto the back foot. Huddersfield made it 3 -2 then man of the match Sam Moore scored from a tap penalty to tie the game. Alex Ratcliffe took the effort award for his tackling.
Rishworthians v Huddersfield & Sandal Slideshow.
Click on arrows to view more photos, click on photo to enlarge.
     
  
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Under 9's v Sandal 13/01/08
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