Rishworthians Minis at Sandal
Rishworthians compete well at Sandal
Match reports Sunday 6th April
A hastily re arranged fixture saw Rishworthians travel to Sandal for a return fixture. Games between these two clubs are always eagerly awaited especially at the under 9 level where two of Yorkshire's best sides clash. Playing conditions were ideal under foot on a sunny but cool April morning.
The Sandal Sharks under 9's who have gone through the season to date unbeaten will be at the National finals in Twickenham having won through the Gullivers Festival in Nottingham. From all at Rishworthians we wish you well and good luck at Twickenham. Hope you bring the trophy back to Yorkshire.
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
With a complement of 11 players Rishworthians were able to put out a full team and then make up another team with three Sandal youngsters playing for Rishworthians B side. 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.
Game 1 Sandal A 12 - 10 Rishworthians A
The young guns A team contained two relative newcomers to the U7’s with the absence of several more experienced players. Both Oliver Brian and Tom Stott moved up to the A team and equipped themselves well and all seven players (plus one from Sandal) put on two great performances to run a very strong Sandal side very close in the first game and to beat them in the second.
The first game was lost 12-10 with man of the match Carrick Keighley-Payne scoring a hat-trick. Other scores came from William (Sandal) 1, Finn Sutcliffe 1, Oliver Brian 1, Kian Sutcliffe 2 and Jack Mallinson 2.
Game 2 Sandal A 11 - 12 Rishworthians A
The second game was even closer with Rishworthians just pipping the Sandal side 12-11. Kian Sutcliffe produced a match winning, man of the match second half performance running in five tries. Other scores came from Jack Mallinson 1, Carrick Keighley-Payne 1, Tom Stott 2 and Oliver Brian 3.
An excellent performance all round.
Thanks again to the parents for their support, to Neal Mallinson for running the B team and to Phil Haigh for volunteering to write the B team report. Again both teams played some great rugby to entertain a good number of watching parents.
Grahame White
Rishworthian A Jack Mallinson, Carrick Keighley-Payne, Finn Sutcliffe, Kian Sutcliffe, Tom Stott, Oliver Brian, William Harker
Game 3 Sandal B 11 - 3 Rishworthians B
A largely inexperienced side turned out with 3 players from Sandal to make up the numbers. The hosts roared into a 7-0 lead before Daniel Haigh pulled one back for Rishworthians only for Sandal to score again. Rishworthians came back to make it 8-2 thanks to one of the deputising Sandal players. Sandal then scored a brace before the deputising Sandal player scored again only to see Sandal score once more to finish the game at 11-3.
Man of The Match Daniel Haigh.
Game 4 Sandal B 6 - 6 Rishworthians B
Again supported by 3 Sandal players the inexperienced side showed a more resolute side to their game. Tries were exchanged by the 2 sides until 2-2 with the Rishworthian try scorers being the deputising Sandal boys. Rishworthians then took a lead courtesy of the same scorer only for Sandal to level it again. Daniel Haigh then put Rishworthians back in front, but Sandal came back once more to make it 4-4. Tries were exchanged again only for Sandal to take a late lead 6-5 and at the death Rishworthians levelled it with tries 5 and 6 being scored by the Sandal players.
Man Of the Match Reggie Herd.
Lee Haigh
Under 8’s The Raiders
The Rishworthian Raiders travelled to Sandal on Sunday to face their toughest opposition of the season.
Game 1 Rishworthian Raiders 10 - 13 Sandal A
It started very well for the Raiders against Sandal ‘A’ with Kallan Jamieson and Callum Ball scoring two early tries each. Sandal eventually got into their stride though to find gaps in the Rishworthian defence and hold a 6 – 4 advantage at half time. Two tries for Sam Puddephatt and a further four tries for man of the match Jamieson gave the Raiders a respectable 10 try tally at the final whistle. However, Sandal were just too good, showing good support play and the ability to slice through the defence at will to record a 13 – 10 win.
Game 2 Rishworthian Raiders 8 - 11 Sandal B
In the second game v Sandal ‘B’ it was much the same story. Good running by the Rishworthians produced 5 tries for Callum Ball and one each for Alex Scoley, Sam Puddephatt and Kallan Jamieson. As time wore on though, tired legs and a lack of available substitutes took its toll on the Raiders. Sandal took full advantage of gaps in the defence once more to eventually win 11 – 8.
Dave Puddephatt
Under 9's The Reds & All Blacks
On current form, visiting Sandal must be up there amongst the toughest fixtures for any U9 team in the country. Certainly, having had an education at Copley in January, Old Rishworthians knew they faced a stern challenge from this year’s finalists in the Gulliver’s festival. Never ones to shirk a challenge, Rishies were delighted to see a clear and bright, if unseasonally chilly, Sunday morning for this eagerly anticipated chance to test themselves.
Game 1 Sandal Stingrays 0 - 65 Rishworthian Reds
With 12 players in the squad, Rishies had the opportunity to pit themselves at both Sandal teams, first up being the Stingrays. Do not be deceived. This team is a “Sandal development” squad with the emphasis on the former, not the latter. If the Reds had managed to put away only half the tries they actually scored, there would have been some very happy faces. As it was, the team really turned on the style in a comprehensive victory which owed everything to a total team performance. Tackling was solid, mauling was much improved and support play influential.
From the first free pass George Radcliffe was straight into the action, stalling the Sandal momentum and giving a platform to counter-ruck. Will McDonnell collected the ball from the ensuing scrum, going backwards and with no real options on. Or so it seemed. Dazzling footwork sent him scorching through the defence and gave the Reds a 5-0 lead with less than a minute on the clock.
Tight pressure on Sandal with good ripping from Thomas Cockroft and both George Radcliffe and Thomas Creasy tackling robustly gave the Reds more good territory. Jack Davis was clearly fired up as he smash-tackled the Sandal backs and with Sam Brant following up smartly Sandal scrambled the ball back over their own line, the ball just beating Thomas Creasy to the dead ball line to deny a poached try. Still, the five yard scrum was enough, Creasy feeding Jacob Bower at stand off who displayed the subtlety of an over affectionate labrador as he bounced straight over the line. The coaches were clearly delighted with the work the team have been putting in on their mauling skills and it was a George Radcliffe rip – one of many – which allowed him to break free and canter over from 15 yards. 15-0 a cracking start for a team which has been working hard week in week out.
A first substitution brought Charlotte Siddall, Nathan Cooper and Thomas Sweeten on. Siddall was in no mood to ease herself in, immediately flooring a Sandal back, with Sam Brant again following up from close range to steal the ball. Thomas Creasy made good ground before being brought down and, with Thomas Cockroft following through to secure the ruck, the Reds could move the ball quickly to Dan Byrnes. Dan has been denied cruelly by last ditch defence, but his speed down the wing and steady head saw him through to put Rishies 20-0 up.
Sandal reacted wisely to the free running Reds by keeping it tight and using their driving maul, spearheaded by Connor, to bear down the hill. Breaking free, only Nathan Cooper stood between Connor and the try line. Only Nathan? Only Nathan?? Did Carwyn James ever utter the words: “Only JPR to beat”, did Bill McLaren ever sigh: “Only Gavin Hastings to get past now”. As if! Bang, over went Sandal, scrum Rishies. Still, only 5 yards from the Rishies line, so when the ball was slipped back to Nathan, behind his own goal line, I’d say he had a challenge on his hands. Next stop 5 yards from the Sandal line, a trail of sidestepped players behind him. Lewis Hilton meanwhile had made sure to keep up with Nathan and kept the move flowing, but sadly the support wasn’t with him and Sandal managed to close the move down. Nevertheless, deft hand work from Thomas Creasy and then Dan Byrnes – this time selling the dummy before passing out to Nathan Cooper - gave Nathan the chance to wriggle home for a deserved try.
Sadly for Thomas Creasy, he took a knock in that move and had to be substituted for The Labrador, who came bounding onto the pitch just in time to receive the ball and frolic his way across to the corner. Try number two for Jacob Bower. More good work from Nathan Cooper, working forward and then going to ground, gave Will McDonnell space round the outside and, like a flash, he put the Reds 35-0 up. The tries were now flowing freely and Jacob Bower lifted his stride to scamper through for his hat trick before the half time whistle.
Half time Sandal 0 Old Rishworthians 40
Whatever had been put in Jack Davis drinks bottle, I want some. In a rehearsed move from the restart, Will McDonnell put Jack on a crash course with the Sandal defence. Opting not to waste energy with a side step, Jack took the direct route. Job done, 40-0.
Throughout the game George Radcliffe had been ripping and ripping and ripping. With Sandal 5 yards from the Rishies’ line, the rumbling maul looked as if it might break the Reds’ clean sheet, but George was at it again, first blocking the drive with his body position and then wrenching the ball clear to pass out to Thomas Sweeten. Looking ever the part, Thomas picked up steam and hurtled down the hill for his first try of the game.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Siddall was working at the coalface, tackling the biggest Sandal players she could find. Sam Brant too was clinging on in the tackle to check any Sandal progress. Thomas Creasy tried to make his way through and looked as if he would be wrapped up but, as he turned, there was Charlotte bang on his shoulder and screaming for the ball. It’s hard to tell whether Thomas had time to work out what was going on – the firecracker had the ball and sizzled through to score and bring up the half-century. Immense tackling from George Radcliffe and a half pitch break from Thomas Sweeten set up good field position and, with good interplay with Dan Byrnes in the centre, Thomas received the ball again to stroll over to net his second try. As the game drew to its close, Sandal were ever more eager to cross the Rishies’ line. Denied by Lewis Hilton’s resolute defence, Rishies worked up to a scrum on halfway. Thomas Creasy is always most dangerous with a little space to work in and so he finished the game, swerving left, right, left then right again to put the Reds 60-0 clear.
Tries: William McDonnell (2), Jacob Bower (3), George Radcliffe, Dan Byrnes, Nathan Cooper, Jack Davis, Thomas Sweeten (2), Charlotte Siddall, Thomas Creasy
Game 2 Sandal Sharks 20 - 5 Rishworthian Reds
And so to the showdown, Sandal’s finest fresh from their success at Nottingham. Rishies are not a side to be daunted and an excellent drive from Jack Davis from the start, with Thomas Creasy breaking away and Charlotte Siddall coming into the line, put the pressure clearly on the home side. Early attempts to break out from their line were thwarted, Nathan Cooper making his tackles and Jacob Bower forcing the knock on.
However, this Sandal side are a strong bunch and, breaking from a scrum, were too much for the Rishies’ defence, the home side going 5-0 up. Another fine run from Sandal looked to be a certain score, but Thomas Sweeten made it back to the corner to put in a fine tackle and keep Sandal out. It was not long though, before Sandal worked their second excellent try to give a little breathing space at 10-0.
George Radcliffe had worked hard for one full game already, but he wasn’t finished yet, pressurising the Sandal fly half into conceding a fumble. Thomas Creasy, too, was making sure his tackles went down and so stopping any driving mauls from Sandal. Tired legs though meant that the Reds were struggling up the hill and Sandal squeezed in at the corner to reach 15-0 at half time.
Half time: Sandal 15 Old Rishworthians 0
Come the second half, come the snow. Only flurries mind, but enough to chill the hands and cause both sides to drop the ball in rare displays of unforced errors. Sandal always look dangerous from the scrum and opted to break down the blind side. Will McDonnell wasn’t letting his guard slip and, together with Jacob Bower, they bundled Sandal out. Jack Davis was clearly determined to score and he bullocked his way through the Sandal defence. Perhaps Sandal’s finest honour is their tackling, but Jack barged his way on. A last ditch tackle feet short of the line twisted him down and, though Thomas Sweeten was first to the loose ball, it had gone forward. More terrific tackling from Nathan Cooper, Charlotte Siddall held Sandal out, with Thomas Sweeten holding Sandal up to deny a try.
The final moment went, appropriately, to a player who would not lie down and who was resolute in his desire to score. In an almost exact repeat of his earlier break, Jacob charged down the slope and, again, only the Sandal scrum half was left to tackle him. This time though, the pleasure was Jack’s as – once again twisted down – this time he held on and gave the Reds points they well deserved.
Try: Jack Davis
Squad: Charlotte Siddall, Jack Davis, Dan Byrnes, Nathan Cooper, Thomas Cockroft, Thomas Creasy, Jacob Bower, William McDonnell, George Radcliffe, Lewis Hilton, Sam Brant, Thomas Sweeten
Man of the Match: Jack Davis
Effort Award: George Radcliffe
Hugh Creasy
Rishworthians v Sandal Slideshow.
Click on arrows to view more photos, click on photo to enlarge.
     
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Rishworthian Under 9's v Sandal 6/04/2008
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