OORUFC Match Report
2nd November 2024
OORUFC 40 vs 12 Castleford
Castleford Out Classed at Otliensians
Last Saturday Old Otliensians welcomed Castleford RUFC to Chaffers field. Having not met since the calamitous 2021/22 season, Ensians were keen to show the south Yorkshire lads times had changed, and this wasn’t going to be a ‘walk in the park’.
In the opening seconds of the game, the referee set out his stall, making everyone aware he wasn’t going to tolerate any nonsense. A minor offside, gave the tourists a shot at goal with only two minutes on the clock. Luckily for the blues, the kick fell just short, giving Ensians time to regather.
Young hooker, Alex Gillson made himself known early on, with some super tackling, forcing mistakes from Cas’. Ensians drove play back into Castleford’s half and were looking promising until a swinging arm to the neck brought down flanker and older brother Noel. With Castleford’s second row set to be dealt a yellow card, he foolishly ‘back-chatted’ the referee, and the yellow was duly changed to a red. With a man advantage Ensians kept up the pressure, and forced Castleford to dig deep.
Eventually captain Luke Exley, drove his way over, writhing and twisting to shake off the two men on his back, he powered through to score next to the posts. Sadly the conversion glanced the wrong side of the uprights, giving the home side a 5 nil lead with 25 minutes played.
From the restart Cas’ chased their kick well, forcing a knock on, but with some excellent defending Otliensians soon found themselves back in possession with an attacking line out. Ali Campbell at second row supported by his two props, jumped superbly and secured good ball for young scrum half Syd Wood, making his first team debut.
With clean ball down the line, speed merchant Will Howarth had an opportunity to shine, and he did. Zipping down the left wing leaving the opposition dumbfounded. This time Jake Bentley secured the extras, and extended the lead to 12, nil.
Otliensians kept up the pressure, hampering Castleford’s attacks, and right wing Josh Howarth this time had the opportunity to make some good yards. With three men on him there was no way through. After a series of penalty advantages power house Luke Cowdell found himself at the back of a maul in possession only a metre out. Without the chance to gather up speed, it was a leg driving exercise to push his way over to score. Again Bentleys boot was true, extending the lead to 19 nil with 35 minutes played. With only 14 men, Castleford tried valiantly to close the half with a score, and almost did, if it wasn't for a try saving tackle from Spencer Wood, who excelled at full back.
With a line out following a long restart, it was clear Ensians weren’t going to release the ‘choke hold’. With a four phase drive forward, the white wash was tantalisingly close, but again Cas defended well. Out of no where Will Haworth gathered a loose ball. Stepping left then right, much to everybody’s amazement, he shot through the melee of forwards like a cork from a bottle, popping out the other side to score. Bentley methodically added the extras extending the lead to 26 points.
Fifty minutes into the game, Castleford were rewarded with a try. Following a knock on from Ensians, the home team paused expecting the ref to blow, but Castleford’s canny winger, picked up the ball and dashed over to score unopposed under the posts. With a simple conversion the score line read 26:7. Castleford should have realised the referee was taking no nonsense, but continued to be penalised for high tackles, giving the home team many advantages.
A quickly taken penalty driven in by young debut second row Cieron Diamond, was recycled and fed to Luke Cowdell, who this time pirouetted over the line eluding the defenders. Again Bentley kicked well, increasing the lead to 33:7.
For the next twenty minutes the game ebbed and flowed with both teams defending well giving away little ground, until a quickly taken penalty gifted Castleford another score. Before Ensians could retreat ten metres, a quickly taken penalty from their scrum half, meant he could cut through knowing any would-be tackler would face a yellow card. With no conversion, Castleford’s tally topped out at 12 points.
In the last minutes of the game, Alex Gillson hammered the final nail in the coffin, with a try in the corner.
Following a poor clearance from Cas’, Spencer Wood drove play back towards their twenty two. Substitute flanker Conner Paley, almost made it through, but was swamped in pink shirts. With no number 9 on the scene, Gillson gathered the ball and saw his chance, and dived through a gap in the line to score and close the game at 40:12, following another successful conversion from Jake Bentley.
Ben Ritson