Old Rishworthian RUFC Address: The Clubhouse, Copley, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 0UG
Telephone: 01422 353919, E-mail: rugby@orrufc.co.uk
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Minis Match Reports 2009 - 2010
Old Rishworthian RUFC Minis Match Reports 2009 - 2010
Rishworthians find the going tough at the Sandal Festival
Match reports Sunday 21st March
The Minis travelled to Sandal to attend their annual Festival regarded as one of the best in the county. The were some of Yorkshires top mini squads there so the standard of rugby was very high.
All the age groups enjoyed the day although we had no festival winners the under 8's were runners up and the under 10's were third in their group.
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Under 6's The Micros
The micros trained his Sunday with yet another increase in numbers. This week the micros had 20 players enjoying a training session. Warren Doyle now has three coaches to help plus a number of parents willing to help whenever required.
The Young Guns find it tough at Sandal
Rishworthians v Ilkley Pool Game 1 Rishworthians 5 - 1 West Park Leeds Team: Bobbie White, Ted Grogan, Ben Gianotti, Joe Walsh, Toby Laurie, Jack Lumb, Dillon Hilton. Scorers: Bobbie White, Ted Grogan (2) Ben Gianotti, Jack Lumb Pool Game 2 Rishworthians 4 - 7 Otley A Team: Emma Mchugh, Thomas Doyle, Ben Collins, Noah Mackrill, Jack Lumb, Ted Grogan, Joe Walsh Scorers: Ted Grogan (2), Joe Walsh, Jack Lumb Pool Game 3 Rishworthians 3 - 4 Sandal A Team: Bobbie White, Ted Grogan, Ben Gianotti, Joe Walsh, Toby Laurie, Jack Lumb, Dillon Hilton. Scorers: Jack Lumb, Toby Laurie, Ted Grogan Pool Game 4 Rishworthians 3 - 6 Wetherby A Team: Bobbie White, Ben Collins, Thomas Doyle, Ben Gianotti, Ted Grogan, Dillon Hilton, Toby Laurie. Man of the Festival - Ted Grogan Festival Squad - Bobbie White, Ben Collins, Thomas Doyle, Ben Gianotti, Ted Grogan, Dillon Hilton, Toby Laurie, Jack Lumb, Emma Mchugh, Joe Walsh and Noah Mackrill. Thank you to the parents/grandparents etc for their support
Rishworthians under 7s travelled to Sandal for their first taste of festival rugby. The Under 7s section was split into two groups with Rishworthians pooled against - Otley A, West Park Leeds A, Sandal A and Wetherby A.
Rishworthians controlled the first half with tries from Bobbie White, Ted Grogan and a dazzling long range effort from BenGianotti. Rishworthians continued with their good work in the second half running in tries from Jack Lumb and a further try from Ted Grogan. West Park never gave up and their efforts were awarded with a try in the final minute.
Rishworthians were behind 4 - 1 at half time with the only try of the half coming from Ted Grogan. Rishworthians looked a different team in the second half following an inspirational half time team talk from coach Neal Lumb. Joe Walsh scored from the re start after Noah Mackrill's initial break. Otley hit back with a try before Jack Lumb slipped through the middle of Otley's defence with some neat footwork. Otley replied with two further tries before Ted Grogan finished off the scoring after backing up Thomas Doyle's break.
Rishworthians and Sandal A took part in a very entertaining game. Jack Lumb's direct running resulted in Rishworthians first try following Sandal A's earlier try. A further try by Sandal was matched by Toby Laurie's long range try to make the half time score at 2-2. Sandal A scored two further tries before Ted Grogan made the score 3 - 4. Rishworthians finished the game attacking Sandal but couldn't make the pressure count.
Rishworthians led at half-time 3 - 2 with first half tries from Ted Grogan (2) and Bobbie White. Wetherby A hit back in the second half with 4 unanswered tries as Rishworthians began to tire.
Effort Award - Noah Mackrill
Top Tagger - Jack Lumb
Runners up trophy for "Cats" and still unbeaten
On Sunday Old Rishworthians travelled to Wakefield to take part in the Sandal mini's Rugby festival. The entire team were very much looking forward to the event and were excited to be playing some unknown teams. The hosts, Sandal, have been our toughest opposition all season, so everyone knew it was going to be a tough day, but the boys were up for the challenge. There were 2 pools of 5 teams - which meant 4 pool matches each - and then play-off matches between the winners and runners-up in each pool. A lot of rugby to be played - and a long day in prospect for all.
Pool game 1 Rishworthians 6 - 3 Moseley (Touring side from Birmingham)
Captain Finn Sutcliffe was the first scorer of the match and scored 5 of Rishworthians 6 tries. Both teams were fairly evenly matched in the first half - and it was hard to see where the break would come. Rishworthians came into the second half determined to win and started to edge ahead. There was some good tagging from Oliver Brian, Thomas Georgiou and Billy Smith but they were never able to turn over possession of the ball to take advantage of the pressure they were placing on Moseley. In the last play of the match Oliver Brian seized the ball from Moseley and ran the length of the pitch to get the final try.
Pool game 2 Rishworthians 7 - 3 Bradford and Bingley Bees 3
Rishworthians dominated the first half of the seond match. Thomas Georgiou broke the score with the first of his 3 tries of the game. Henry Craven was then able to capitalise on disorientation in the Bees camp to break through the defensive line and score Rishworthians 2nd try. There was some excellent defensive play from Haydon Faulkner and Oliver Muscat-Baron that meant Bees went into the 2nd half without having scored. Reece Barraclough was the man of the second half and made it across the try line 3 times - supported by good feeds from Oliver Muscat-Baron and Oscar Thomas-Rowe.
Pool game 3 Rishworthians 3 - 3 Wetherby
Wetherby were an unknown quantity for Rishworthians and turned out to be worthy adversaries. Oscar Thomas-Rowe was the first to score with a fabulous dodging run through the opposition. Wetherby kept the pressure on and quickly matched the score. Both teams entered the second half tied. Finn Sutcliffe was quick to score for Rishworthians and scored 2 tries in the second half. However, Wetherby never let the team stay ahead for long and managed to match the Rishworthian try count. There was excellent tagging support from William Adams, Ethan Vaughan and Henry Hilton. A sprinted tackle on a Wetherby player by Brandon Savage a few feet from the line kept Wetherby from pulling ahead but Rishworthians were just not able to maintain any lead made. The final score ended up as a draw.
Pool game 4 Rishworthians 2 - 2 Sandal A
It all came down to the final pool match against Sandal. The winner of this match would go through to the final for the overall Under 8's trophy. The players thought it would be a tough match before they started - and they were right. Both teams were desperate for the win and they all played with great passion. The teams were so evenly matched it was difficult for anyone to break through the defensive line on either side. Sandal were the first to score but Oliver Brian made it across the try line before the half-time whistle - so the score remained even. The second half continued much the same as the first. Sandal were able to make it across the tryline first but this time Ethan Vaughan got the reply in for Rishworthians. Despite desperate attempts from both sides neither team was able to break ahead - so the match ended a draw. This meant that Sandal made it through to the final on points (having won all their 3 previous matches).
Final Rishworthians 5 - 4 West Park Leeds
The Rishworthian team lined up at the start of this final match determined to take home some silverware following their previous 2 draws. Henry Craven was the first across the try line for Rishworthians but West Park were quick to get 2 back in succession. Rishworthians went into the second half trailling by 1. The parents on the sidelines waited not so patiently to see whether Rishworthians would be able to pull together for a final push. Thomas Georgiou got the first try in the second half (his first of 2 in the half). Finn Sutcliffe also pushed across the line, coming back from a rather nasty ankle injury sustained in the Sandal match, to bring the teams even. The spectators waited with nervous anticipation as the seconds ticked by. However the young Rishworthians never lost their focus and were able to take advantage of a West Park error to help Oliver Brian over the line to score the winning try. Rishworthians were therfore awarded runners-up medals.
All in all a fantastic day was had by everyone. The boys played fantastically and in the true spirit of the game and Rishworthian Under 8's retain their unbeaten record (now nearing 18 months!). There are no individual awards this week as there is no way to single out the players and they all made an excellent contribution to the game and the fantastic result. Well done all!!
Scorers: Finn Sutcliffe (8), Thomas Georgiou (5), Reece Barraclough (3), Oliver Brian (3), Henry Craven (2), Ethan Vaughan (1), Oscar Thomas-Rowe (1)
Squad: Finn Sutcliffe, Oliver Muscat-Baron, Oliver Brian, Henry Hilton, Henry Craven, Billy Smith, Brandon Savage, Ethan Vaughan, Reece Barraclough, Thomas Georgiou, Oscar Thomas-Rowe, William Adams, Haydon Faulkner
Man of the Match: William Adams
Effort Award: Oliver Brian
Top Tagger: Thomas Georgiou
Great performance by Depleted Destroyers squad
With players missing through injury, illness and other commitments Rishworthians were up against it from the start with just enough players to raise a team. With coaches not allowed on the pitch it was left up to the players to organise themselves which they did very well ably led by captain for the morning Kian Sutcliffe. Every single player gave their best throughout the morning and into the afternoon and were a credit to themselves and the club.
Pool Game 1 Rishworthians 20 - 0 Wetherby B
Man of the match Nathan Donaldson opened the scoring for Rishworthians showing great pace to beat the Wetherby defence. Further scores from Matty Tooby and Carrick Keighley-Payne gave Rishworthians a deserved 15-0 half-time lead. The defensive line again held tight in the second-half to prevent Wetherby scoring and Nathan Donaldson added a fourth try for Rishworthians. This was a great all-round team effort particularly in defence with a memorable try saving tackle coming from Nathan Donaldson who chased an opposition player half the length of the field before taking him down a metre short of the line.
Man of match Nathan Donaldson
Tackler of match The team
Effort award The Team
Pool Game 2 Rishworthians 5 - 20 Bradford and Bingley Bees
Rishworthians defence again worked hard against a much stronger Bees side and were able to keep Bees out until just before half-time when the Bees took a slender 5-0 half-time lead. Carrick Keighley-Payne produced his best defensive performance of the season with some crunching tackles. Another fine try early in the second half from speedster Nathan Donaldson levelled the scores at 5-5. Man of the match Kian Sutcliffe continued to drive into the opposition but Rishworthians found it difficult to break down a determined Bees defence. As legs began to tire Bees finally managed to break down the Rishworthians defence and scored three quick tries late on to give them a 20-5 victory.
Man of match Kian Sutcliffe
Tackler of match Carrick Keighley-Payne
Effort award The Team
Pool Game 3 Rishworthians 0 - 35 Sandal
By now Rishworthians nine players were beginning to find the going tough against bigger squads with fresher legs. This was a fair result against a very strong Sandal side who scored the try of the morning against us. However it was the never-say-die attitude of the players which was most pleasing in this game. The players continued to drive into the opposition, tackled aggressively and heads were held high when they could so easily have gone down. A great battling performance.
Man of match Carrick Keighley-Payne
Tackler of match Nathan Donaldson, Matty Tooby, Kian Sutcliffe
Effort award Zak Rush
Pool Game 4 Rishworthians 10 - 20 Dinnington
It has to be said that Dinnington had the largest players we have come up against this season - by a country mile! However size isn't everything and it was the speed and guile of man of the match Nathan Donaldson which enabled him to touch down twice in the first half to give Rishworthians a deserved 10-0 half-time lead. Carrick Keighley-Payne continued to lead the defence with some aggressive tackling but half-time substitutions for Dinnington brought on fresh legs and eventually Rishworthians brave efforts in defence were overcome and Dinnington ran in four second-half tries. Nathan Donaldson again showed his improved defensive skills with two more superb try saving tackles.
Man of match Nathan Donaldson
Tackler of match Carrick Keighley-Payne
Effort award Toby Helm, Reggie Herd
As I pointed out at the end of the game although man of the matches and other awards are given for the games the event was more about the players coming together and playing as a team. So to those players who don't often get a mention, namely William Harker, Toby Helm, Zak Rush, Liam Holgate, Matty Tooby, Reggie Herd, remember that without you there wouldn't be a team. Without a team there would be no man of the match or other awards proving that everyone has an important role to play in the continuing success of the team and in helping others achieve those awards.
Thanks again to all the parents for their continued support and to Simon Donaldson for leading the coaching staff on the day.
Grahame White
Raiders come close as "Runners up" at the Sandal Festival
Rishworthian's Under 10's put in a fine performance at the Sandal festival at the weekend, qualifying for the 'B' Final after finishing runners up in their pool matches.
Game 1 Raiders 5 - 0 Sandal B
The Raiders kicked off the day with probably their best performance against Sandal B. Rishworthian's dominated possession in the first half and almost took the lead through Sam Puddephatt who was just bundled into touch by some desperate Sandal defence. The Raiders missed another chance soon afterwards when they failed to exploit a huge overlap down the left wing. A couple of simple passes would have resulted in a try but instead they were held up and at half time the game remained scoreless.
In the second half the Raiders applied more pressure on the Sandal defence and managed to recycle the ball in the ruck far better than the home team. Callum Bell and James McHugh were first to every breakdown and this commitment paid off as Sam Puddephatt got across the try line to score the only try of the game and give the Raiders a well deserved 5-0 victory.
Game 2 Rishworthians 10 - 5 West Park Leeds
The second match against West Park Leeds was another close encounter. Rishworthians found it more difficult to find any continuity in attack and the game was a more scrappy affair. Raiders fly half Kian Stewart scored a breakaway try and Connor Friend ran in a second with a low drive through the WPL defence. The Raiders conceded a late try but were deserving 10 - 5 winners.
Game 2 Rishworthians 15 - 5 Bradford and Bingley Bees
The third match against Bradford & Bingley Bees saw the Raiders gain more control in the forwards again, with some good team rucking to tie in the opposition. Gaps appeared out wide and scrum half Vinny Maude managed to move the ball quickly away from the ruck to exploit the space. Kian Stewart and Sam Puddephatt both crossed the whitewash and Stewart bagged a second score when he shaped up to pass to the right before straightening his run and bursting through the defensive line. The game finished 15 - 5 to the Raiders to set up a final pool clash with an unbeaten Weatherby side.
Game 3 Rishworthians 0 - 10 Wetherby
This match was a bruising encounter against a physical side. Toby Muscat Baron and Callum Bell and Vinny Maude worked hard in defence and fly half Tom Craven made some good breaks with the ball in hand. Weatherby had the edge though with one outstanding player who scored a try in each half to secure the win and set up a clash for Rishworthians against Sandal A in the runners up play off final.
Runners up play off Final Rishworthians 0 - 25 Sandal A
With tiring legs, Rishworthins dug deep but struggled from the outset against a very well organised Sandal team. Coach Dave Puddephatt rotated the squad to ensure everybody got to play in the final but despite some committed tackling by George Wright and winger Kallan Jamieson, Sandal were too strong and managed to run in 5 unanswered tries.
Despite the defeat in the final, the Raiders played with real determination throughout the festival and showed real signs of improvement, both as individual players and as a squad.
Man of the Festival: Kian Stewart
Effort: Callum Bell and James McHugh
Man of Steel: Vinny Maude
Tries: Kian Stewart (3), Sam Puddephatt (2), Connor Friend.
Squad: Will Symms, Sam Puddephatt, Kallan Jamieson, Callum Bell, Morgan Smithies, George Wright, James Mc Hugh, Toby Muscat Baron, Vinny Maude, Tom Craven, Nathan Hales, Kian Stewart, George Ackroyd, Connor Friend
Depleted Reds struggle at Sandal Festival
With four regular experienced players missing from the squad and another only available to play 2 matches the Reds arrived at the Sandal Festival with some inexperienced players and the odds stacked against them. The task became even more difficult when we found out our group opponents for the day. It was agreed by all that we had been placed in the hardest group?THE GROUP OF DEATH?.with Otley, West Park Leeds, York and touring team Moseley. But the guys that were there on Sunday all played to the best of their abilities and put in great performances in all the matches.
Game 1 Rishworthians 5 - 5 Otley
From the off the Reds forced an error from Otley and Jack "Rhino" Davis made his first charge of the day at the defence but was held short. Jamie Highley put in a timely tackle on the left wing but Otley opened the scoring when the ball was flung across field for the winger to crash over in the corner. The Reds came back strongly and Will McDonnell was released down the wing but was tackled inches from the line. Tyler Snow also had a forage down the wing but he lost the ball in the tackle. Rishies line out was good and with some excellent mauling they had the most of the possession and territory, but failed to break through the Otley defence. In the second half the Reds maintained pressure in the Otley half with strong runs from McDonnell and Sam Bake, and they were eventually rewarded when a rolling maul found them over the Otley line where Jack Davis planted the ball down. Both defences then cancelled each other out and the game finished 5-5.
Game 2 Rishworthians 0 - 10 West Park Leeds
WPL had beaten the Reds in the Yorkshire Cup and they brought that form in to this match. Were it not for some try saving tackles from McDonnell and Jacob Bower WPL would have scorched in to the lead. The did manage to score from a ruck close to the Reds line and then increased their lead from a nice passing move to go in at the corner. The Reds fought back with some great rucking and mauling and almost scored on a couple of occasions when Will McDonnell was held short of the line and Thomas Creasy was forced in to touch twice yards from the line. We also managed to get a rolling maul over the line only to be repelled by a strong WPL defence. The Reds continued to attack the WPL defence with Ollie Swales returning the ball from defence and darting runs from McDonnell, Bake and George Radcliffe. Some loose passes and defiant defence stopped the Reds from crossing the whitewash. A plus for the guys was that they also kept West Park Leeds from scoring as well.
Game 3 Rishworthians 15 - 20 Moseley (Touring side from Birmingham)
Touring team Moseley gave the Reds a fright when they scored within the first minute of this encounter, but the Reds hit straight back with a jinking run from Will "Dodger" McDonnell brought the play to the Moseley 5 metre line. From the ensuing ruck the ball was fed to ?Rhino? Davis who barged over to score. Rishies took the lead after strong rucking and backs interplay released McDonnell who cut through the defence. Moseley levelled the score after sustained pressure near the Reds try line and went over after poor defence from a 5 metre lineout. Moseley looked like taking the lead when they broke down the right wing but another try saving tackle by McDonnell banged the winger in to touch. At 10-10 at half time it looked like any ones game but Moseley took the initiative in the second half scoring two further tries, due in part to quick hands and some tired Reds tackling. The Rishies guys were still strong in the ruck and from a turnover ball McDonnell somehow managed to struggle through tackle after tackle before stretching over the line to make the final score 15-20.
Game 4 Rishworthians 15 - 30 York
Another game of end to end drama with each team swapping tries. First score went to the Reds after McDonnell picked up from the base of ruck from 5 metres. York replied with a try down the wing, only for the Reds to win a scrum against the head which released McDonnell on a silky run and from the tackle George "Ripper" Radcliffe barged over. From the restart, a moment of hesitancy allowed the chasing York player to collect the bouncing ball and go over unchallenged. York managed to score twice more before half time to lead 10-20. With tiredness now showing the Reds allowed York to increase their lead to 30-10. The final word did however go to the Reds. With seconds to go York fumbled the ball on half way. McDonnell scooped it up and sprinted for the line leaving the chasing pack behind him, and making the final score 15-30.
Players of the festival:
Thomas Cockroft for his play in the forwards.
Sam Bake for organising the inexperienced back line.
Will McDonnell for his all round play and efforts throughout.
Effort award: Oliver Marshall, who had come in at the last minute and impressed with his attitude.
Tackle award: Will McDonnell for his constant tackling and at least half a dozen try saving tackles.
Well done to all the players for turning up on the day and putting on an excellent performance against some quality sides. Three of the four games could have gone either way so lets not be so downhearted. Lets get it out of our system next week at YMCA and then regroup for the Selby Festival.
A difficult but spirited display by the "Redbacks" at Sandal Festival.
The U12's travelled to Sandal and put on some spirited displays against 7 , very well drilled and experienced teams , the opposition in every match also had the luxury once again of a bench full of subs and some extraordinarily large U12's !
Game 1 Rishworthians 0 - 15 Otley
Playing against a team that they had not previously met, the Redbacks started well with some spirited tackling from Edward Denham, Sam and George Heron especially. Despite an early try the Redbacks held their own in defence and only allowed an extremely talented Otley back line to cross a further two times.
Game 2 Rishworthians 0 - 10 Pocklington
Defending against several very large backs the Redbacks had one of their best performances with crunching tackles from Max, James and Edward. Sam Burford-Eyre also enjoyed several mazy runs, but the Redbacks were undone by two tries from a very large U12 in the back line who managed to break some rare under par tackling.
Game 3 Rishworthians 0 - 20 West Park Leeds
This game against opposition that always play very well proved to be a game too soon for the Redbacks who were now tiring . Two early tries deflated the team and apart from some last ditch tackles by Cameron and Myles the score would have been higher. That being said the squad tried their best and welcomed the final whistle and a rallying team talk from Mick Bruce and assembled parents, for one last push prior to the lunch break and an opportunity to regroup and rest.
Game 4 Rishworthians 0 - 0 Skipton
Well what a turn around 10 mins can make, Rishies had the best of this encounter and George Heron was unlucky not to score from 3 pile driving runs from successive penalties. Myles was pushed into touch right by the try line also. All in all an excellent all round team performance.
Game 5 Rishworthians 0 - 15 Moseley
In the final game before lunch, the Redbacks put up a spirited display against a touring Midlands side , With Max Dawes struggling with a back injury received in a warm up exercise the team stepped up to the plate and had several attacking opportunities , but each time Moseley managed to clear with excellent kicking. As the team tired they managed to run in 3 tries.
The lunch break was welcomed as an opportunity to refuel and rest.
Game 6 Rishworthians 0 - 10 Bradford and Bingley Bees
Another well drilled side proved too strong for the spirited Redbacks, once again Edward, George and Jack Raby showed brave tackling skills and with Harry Wade continuing a festival long display of excellent hooking, the score was kept to only 2 tries.
Game 7 Rishworthians 0 - 20 Sandal
With the final game of the day, Mick took the opportunity to move a few players round to rest some very tired forwards. With Cameron moving into the scrum, the Sandal team took two early tries, we then lost Sam to a very bad nose bleed and the 12 remaining players were again exposed to excellent passing moves letting in two further scores.
Squad Jack Bruce, James Stott, Max Dawes, George Heron, Isaac Heron, Edward Denham, Jack Raby, Harry Wade, Myles Smithies, Harry Robinson, Sam Burford-Eyre, Cameron Lister ,Jack Hirst
Man of the Tournament - Edward Denham
Your Reporter Steve Dawes
Sandal Festival Slideshow.
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