|
YORKSHIRE SILVER TROPHY: OLD OTLIENSIANS
41 – MOSBOROUGH 0
click the pic for more photos
Having just scraped home
against Mosborough in last week’s League encounter, there was a touch of
apprehension as ‘Ensians went into this game without their regular front
row and No.8. In the event, the hosts rose to the occasion with an
afternoon of flowing back play and comprehensive defence for a comfortable
victory.
In perfect conditions, the home side carried on from the previous week
with half backs Ieuan Cranswick and Johnny Ratahi moving the ball wide at
every opportunity. The visitors were pushed back by strong runs from
centres Tobias Gill and Nathan Rogers and good support play put Ratahi
over on 3 minutes.
The home front row of Rob Lyon, James Kear and Tom Twist gave no quarter
in the tight against heavier opposition and Calum Murray, making his debut
at No.8, provided a steady anchor in the scrums as well as making forceful
runs in loose play. Mosborough were struggling to cope with the pace of
‘Ensians lively backs and on 19 minutes full back Kristian Keinhorst
joined the line to cross half way out. The conversion failed, but the
hosts were now 10 – 0 in the lead.
Forwards and backs then linked well to send hooker James Kear over in the
corner on 23 minutes and 9 minutes later Ratahi jinked his way through a
confused defence for his second. The conversion by Kristian Keinhorst
stretched the lead to 22 – 0 as half time approached.
At this stage the previous week, the home side’s supply of ball dried up
and they spent the second half on the back foot. Although Mosborough were
still very much in the game with their big pack producing some robust
drives, the home eight responded with spirited counter-drives to halt
progress. Locks Steve Wade and Ali Campbell produced good ball from the
lineout and in the second half the home backs continued to trouble the
visitors.
After moving to fly half, Kristian Keinhorst dummied the defence and put
centre Rogers over under the posts on 45 minutes. Rogers was in the thick
of it again when he beat two defenders to send winger Declan Jackson away
to touch down in the corner. A conversion from Keinhorst lifted the score
to 34 – 0 on 57 minutes.
The visitors roused themselves and camped in the home 22 for lengthy
periods, but the text-book low tackling by the back row of Sam
Featherstone, Calum Murray and Tom Dyson snuffed out any threats to the
line. Mosborough lived in constant fear of losing the ball because they
knew that if it was snapped up by the home backs, they had no answer to
the pace out wide.
Ratahi, now playing in the centre, rounded off a fine afternoon with a
storming run down the middle for his hat-trick, Keinhorst’s conversion
taking the final score to 41 – 0. This ‘Ensians performance was a big
turn-around from the previous week when the hosts lived on scraps of ball
in the second half. The re-jigged pack got stuck in with man-of-the-match
Sam Featherstone leading the way and Mosborough simply had no answer to
the speedy home backs.
OLD OTLIENSIANS 2ndXV 34 – Baildon 17
click the pic for more photos
In their first Merit game
of the season, ‘Ensians 2nd XV beat Baildon 2nds 34 – 17 with tries from
John Paul Ward, Michael Philpott (2), a penalty try and one from Matt
Tenniswood who also converted 3 tries and kicked a penalty.
|
