Rishworthians at Sandal with Selby

Rishworthians struggle at Sandal due to half term break

Match report Sunday 23rd October
A tough 3 way fixture against Sandal one of Yorkshire top minis sections and Selby another very strong minis section who always have big squads numbers wise. Half term is not the best time for us to play these good sides but we play Selby at home again in December and Sandal after Christmas. Hopefully with full squads we can push them closer and give a better account.

Under 6's The Micros

The miros took a half term break from training this week.

Under 7's The Young Guns
Excellent performance by Young Guns at Sandal

The Under 7’s played their first ever away game this week, traveling to Sandal, one of the strongest junior setup’s in Yorkshire. The young Guns played 3 games, 2 against Sandal and 1 against Selby

Game 1 Sandal A 2 - 3 Rishworthians
Rishies got off to a great start with Charlie Lovering scoring on the first play of the game, with a great run through most of the Sandal side, the 2 teams then played some great defence with Jake Goldthorpe Smith , Jobe Wilby and Leo Iribaren taking some great tags .Strong running from Charlie Harrison set Oliver Hill for Rishies next try before Sandal scored 2 tries to tie the game, with only a couple of minutes left Freddie Shields made a powerful run at the Sandal defence before of loading to Charlie Lovering for his second and Rishies third try.

Game 2 Selby 3 - 5 Rishworthians
This was the match of the day for Rishies ,for the majority of the boys this was there first ever game away from Copley HQ , all 7 players did fantastic . Rishies started defending against a well organised Selby side, Lucas Fearnley , captain for the day setup the line of defence with himself, Dagan Murray and Ben Hall making some great try saving tags, Thomas Amer scored Rishies first try with a great jinking run past 3 Selby defenders, Oliver Hill was next on the score sheet using his speed take him past would be taggers. Selby came back in the game scoring a couple of quick tries , only for the young Rishies side to step up a gear with both Freddy Shields and Ray Dowland scoring their first ever tries for the club.The great team performance was finished off with Thomas Amer scoring his second of the game.

Game 3 Sandal B 2 - 3 Rishworthians
The final game of the day saw Rishies face a strong Sandal side , once again Rishies scoring was opened by Charlie Lovering using his footwork to find a gap in the Sandal defence, Rishies had to be very strong in defence with Leo Iribaren and Thomas Amer stepping up to the mark with a great defensive display , Dagan Murray and Charlie Harrison made some great runs away from Rishies try line before a great run down the wing saw Jake Goldthorpe Smith with his first try of the day, A fantastic morning was rounded off by Jobe Wilby scoring in the corner to give Rishies a 100% winning morning.

Scorers: Jake Goldthorpe Smith 1, Charlie Lovering 3, Thomas Amer 2, Oliver Hill 2, Jobe Wilby 1,Freddy Shields 1, Ray Dowland 1

Man of MatchJake Goldthorpe Smith
Top Tagger Ben Hall
Coaches Award Dagan Murray

Young Guns Squad: Jake Goldthorpe Smith, Leo Iribaren, Charlie Lovering, Thomas Amer, Oliver Hill, Ben Hall, Jobe Wilby, Freddy Shields, Dagan Murray, Ray Dowland, Charlie Harrison and Lucas Fearnley.

Rishworthians v Sandal and Selby Slideshow.
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View u7's photos

Thank you to the parents/grandparents etc for their support.

Dave Smith

Under 8's The Sharks and Tigers
Denuded Rishies struggle against full squads

Rishworthians under 8's arrived at Sandal on a beautiful autumn morning to test themselves against superior numbers from both Sandal and Selby. The strength in depth of the opponents allowed them to field two teams each plus reserves, but the under strength Rishworthians still felt up for the task ahead. The morning took the form of a mini festival, played over two pitches, with the assembled sides taking their turns to sit out a game.

Game 1: Rishworthians 4 - 6 Selby Dragons
Felix Jackson opened the day with a trademark surge to put the first points on the board, but Selby were stung into action and responded with a couple of touchdowns of their own. New boy Oscar Pollard then wowed teammates and parents alike with a length of the field effort. After this game play reverted to the regular tit for tat pattern, Will B and Theo bagged a try each, and Freddy Connell gave hope to the coaches with a couple of decent passes to players in space. Unfortunately time ran out as the Dragons dotted down their last point despite some spirited goal line defence.

Game 2: Rishworthians 1 - 8 Sandal Bears
The lingering spectre of Sandal as the strongmen of last season proved hard to shake for a number of the guys, and there were times when it seemed that they were simply prepared to admire the footwork of their opponents as they sailed past. It fell to Felix to grasp the mettle and restore some pride with a length of the field effort that left would be taggers grasping for air. The score line does little to reflect game play during the rest of the session as a couple of unfortunate turnovers and steps into touch left Sandal flattered.

Game 3: Rishworthians 4 - 4 Selby Giants
The boys finally awoke and fronted up to the second team of the day from Selby. It was refreshing to see Ben Freeman put away with a pass from Theo Davis, released before taking contact. Further tries from James Kershaw, William Boom and Ben again left honours even but Rishwothians finally looked like the team they can be. Will, Ben and James deserve special mention for finally stepping up to the plate and tagging the opposition out of contention.

Man of MatchWilliam Boom
Top Tagger Benedict Freeman
Effort Award Felix Jackson

Sharks/Tigers squad – Freddie Connell, Felix Jackson, Will Boom, Benedict Freeman, James Wadsworth, Thomas Westgarth, Theo Davis, James Kershaw, Oscar Pollard and Francis Mackenzie

Scorers: Felix Jackson (2) Will Boom (2) Benedict Freeman (2) Theo Davis (1) Oscar Pollard (1) James Kershaw (1)

Rishworthians v Sandal and Selby Slideshow.
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View u8's photos

Thanks to the other coaches and parents for help and support, the kids are having fun and we're moving in the right direction.
Rod Freeman

Under 9's The Rams and Rhinos
Rams and Rhinos on the charge

The Rams and Rhinos put in a great effort against 2 of Yorkshires very strong sides. The Rams were unlucky not to hold Sandal at 20 all and the Rhinos put in a storming second half performance to turn a half time 5 - 15 deficit into a 35 - 20 win.

Game 1 Sandal 25 - 20 Rishworthians Rams
This match was to be a good benchmark for the Rams as Sandal have in the past proven to be tough opponents. As ever, the team were full of confidence from the previous weeks results against Bradford. The game did not start well for the Rams as Sandal opened the scoring but that was short lived. The Rams started a driving extremely well into the Sandal half of the field before Joseph Smallman broke loose to open the account for Rishies. The Sandal team were not happy with that, so they attacked strongly from the kick off and scored instantly. It was clear that this was going to be a very tight game. The play moved up and down the pitch with great tackling from Dillon Hilton and Joseph Smallman. Sandal pushed ever harder against the Rams defense when eventually Joe Walsh, with his usual style drove the Sandal defense back into their half. The ball was offloaded to Joseph Smallman who ran in the try to tie the game before the half time whistle.

Half-time: Sandal 10 -10 Rishworthians Rams

The match restarted with the Rams very much capable of beating Sandal, however, a lack of concentration and missed tackles allowed Sandal to run in two tries without any response. This was the catalyst that the team needed and once again started to slowly take control of the game. Thomas Doyle and Toby Laurie were putting in those important tackles, ably supported by Dillon Hilton. Joe Walsh started to impose himself on the game and took the ball into several tackles before it ended up in the hands of Joseph Smallman, whose great solo run provided the Rams with their first try of the second half. Rishies continued to pressure Sandal and the game move close to the Sandal try line. Rishies were awarded a penalty try for a high tackle as Joe Walsh made for the try line. The game was now tied 20 - 20, so it was going to be a really tight finish. Sandal were determined to not to lose the game and Rishies defended their line well but sadly Sandal were able to finally breach the line and score the final try of the game.

The whole team put in an outstanding effort against a team that has been traditionally much stronger. It showed how much this side has progressed over the summer. Although, the result was not in the teams favour, they should take great pride in the effort and style of play shown by forwards and back alike.

Squad: Ben Gianotti, Jack Lumb, Joe Walsh, Lewis Paxton-White, Edward Windle, Dillon Hilton, Toby Laurie, Joseph Smallman, Thomas Doyle

Tries: Joseph Smallman 2, Lewis Paxton-White 1, Joe Walsh 1

Game 2 Rishworthians Rhinos 35 - 20 Selby
Rhinos beat Selby 35-20, coming back from 5-15 down at half-time.Now it was time for the Rhinos to put on an equally impressive display against Selby. The defeat against Sandal had affected everyone and it was clear that they wanted to take something from this game. Sandal and Selby had played their game prior to this match, so the coaches had been able to observe the Selby team. It was clear that they had one very quick winger and he would need to the watched. The game did not start well for the Rhinos, a weak defensive line meant that Selby crossed the try line twice in quick succession. The team needed to focus and settle into the game, and that opportunity came from a Rhinos scrum. Scrum-Half Lewis Paxton-White spotted an opening and took the ball from the base of the scrum and ran straight through the Selby defense to open the try count for the Rhinos. Selby were not to be deterred and pushed to extend their try count but some great try saving tackles from Rafe Dolan, Alfie Connors and Lewis Paxton-White kept Selby at bay. The Rhinos forwards started to drive the ball forward in much the same style as their team-mates in the Sandal game. Unfortunately Selby were to get one more try before the Half-Time whistle after stealing the ball after a Rishie Lineout.

Half-time: Selby 15 - 5 Rishworthians Rhinos

A single change was made by the coaches at half-time with Joseph Smallman coming on for Alfie Connors. The Rhinos had a two try deficient to make up and they started the second half with that very much in their minds. Lewis Paxton-White used all of his pace to cut through the Selby defense to bring the Rhinos within a try of Selby, and quickly followed this with another run down the line to level the game. Selby were able to get another try on the board, but that was to be their only try of the second half. Although Selby threatened the Rhinos try line, Ben Collins and Lewis Paxton-White combined to prevent Selby from extending their lead. Joseph Smallman, keen to not let Lewis have all the plaudits, also used his speed and strength to great effect scoring two tries take Rishies into the lead for the first time in the game. Lewis Paxton-White stole another try after collecting the ball from a lineout and ran down the blindside to score. The Rhinos were able to put one final try on the board when Joseph Smallman ripped the ball from a Selby player and ran to the touchline.

Overall it was a great morning of rugby. Both Sandal and Selby were very good competitors but the highlight of the day had to be the effort and spirit shown by all members of the squad. The defeat to Sandal was hard but there are far more positives than negatives to be taken from that game.

Squad: Jude Whitelaw, Emma McHugh, Bobbie White, Killian Smith, Patrick Rhodes, Ben Collins, Rafe Dolan, Alfie Connors , Lewis Paxton-White, Sub: Joseph Smallman (Alfie Connors)

Tries: Lewis Paxton-White 4, Joseph Smallman 3

Man of MatchJude Whitelaw
Effort Award The Rams

Paul Collins

Under 10's The Meercats
No report received

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Game 1: Rishworthians

Game 2:Rishworthians

Man of the Match
Effort Award:
Top Tackler:

Mark Witchell

Under 11's The Destroyers
Destroyers find it tough without key players on half term break

On a bright and sunny morning the Under 11's travelled to Wakefield missing a number of key players.

Game 1 Rishworthians 0 - 14 Selby
The game started brightly with two evenly matched sides testing each other in the middle of the park. Rish won all the early scrums but struggled to win ruck ball. Both sides were tackling well with particularly strong tackling from Cory White, supported by Kian Wallace and William Harker. On 10 minutes a long kick by Selby put pressure on Rish's line, but fine defending bundled the Selby attacker into touch. Although Rish won the resulting lineout good Selby tackling kept Rish in their own half and a penalty conceded for hands in the ruck resulted in Selby crashing through for the opening try. This was converted.

Half time 7 - 0 to Selby.

From the restart Selby made good distance and looked like they might score before Jake Haynes made a try saving tackle. However Selby weren't to be denied and after winning a line out, the ball was thrown along the line and touched down in the corner. Conversion 14 - 0 to Selby. Rish then had a concerted period of pressure in the Selby half, started by a mazy run from Jake Haynes, but Selby's defence held firm. The rest of the half was evenly matched with ground making runs from Tom Stott, Jake Haynes and Joe Stott and good tackling from Cory White and Tom Stott.

Man of the Match Cory White
Effort Award: Jack Brooks & Matthew Tooby
Top Tackler: William Harker & Kian Wallace

Game 2 Sandal 54 - 0 Rishworthians
Rish were immediately back on to face a strong Sandal side. Sandal won the first ruck and a strong pacy run resulted in their first try. Sandal dominated both the scrum and ruck and despite good tackles from Cory White, Tom Stott, William Harker, Jake Haynes, William Robbins, Toby Helm and Joe Stott, Sandal scored twice more in the first half.

Half time 21-0 Sandal.

Sandal continued to dominate the ruck and scrum in the second half, and a combination of heads dropping, poor tackling and tiredness led to four more quick tries. The players then rallied themselves with some brave and determined tackling from Cory White, Joe Stott, Tom Stott and Jack Brooks putting the brakes on Sandal until a final score in the last minute.

Man of the Match
Effort Award: Joe Stott
Top Tackler: Cory White & Toby Helm
Plank of the MatchGraham White

Squad: ??
Phil Robbins

Under 12's The Raiders
Raiders find it much tougher this week

Rishworthians Raiders had a tough morning's rugby away at Sandal on Sunday. In a 3-way fixture, their first opponents were Selby. The two teams had never met before so the Raiders went into the game confident that their recent good run of form would pay dividends.

Game 1 Rishworthians 0 - 10 Selby
In the first half of the game, that confidence seemed to be well founded, with the Raiders securing plenty of possession and going through several phases of recycled ball. However, the Selby defence held firm and despite the advantage of territory and possession, the Rishworthian Raiders were not able to put points on the board. Second row Phillip Tattersall crossed the whitewash twice, only to be denied by a knock on and being held up by the desperate defence. Then, just before the half time whistle, Selby broke out of their own half and scored a try in the corner against the run of play.

The second half developed in much the same way as the first half had done. The Raiders were unable to break through the Selby defence and the opposition seized another chance from a tap penalty to score a second try, ending the tie 10 - 0 victors.

Game 2 Sandal 15 - 15 Rishworthians
In the second game of the morning the Rishworthian Raiders were pitched against a very strong Sandal team. Sandal dominated the early exchanges by getting to the ruck in numbers and took a well deserved 2 try lead. The Raiders hit back though when new recruit Ben Wright picked up out wide and showed a great turn of pace to outstrip the Sandal defence and score in the corner.

With renewed belief, the Raiders started the second half as they had finished the first, getting to the breakdown in numbers and securing more ball for the backs to work with. Back row forward Morgan Smithies was again outstanding; ripping the ball out of several mauls and making some hard yards with the ball in hand. This put the Raiders on the front foot, allowing the ball to be recycled and inside centre Patrick Smallman grabbed the opportunity with two strong runs to cross the try line twice and give the Raiders a 15-10 lead.

Just as it seemed the Raiders would pull off an unexpected victory, Sandal kept calm heads and scored a well worked team try in the corner, having recycled the ball through several phases, to level the match and give a final score of 15-15.

Tries: Ben Wright, Patrick Smallman (2)

MOTM: Ben Wright