OORUFC Match Report
24th January 2026
Ripon 33 vs 29 OORUFC
Ensians earn 2 points but Ripon clinch the result in the last move of the game
With a squad riddled with injuries Otliensians match at Ripon was always going to be a challenge. Despite having beaten them at home earlier in the season, Ripon’s excellent record at Mallorie Park, plus their large fan base, would certainly add to their squads confidence.
Looking at the league table, Ripon were 6 places below Ensians but many of their losses had been from a single score and all have been very respectable performances. For the first twenty minutes Ensians dominated possession, but sadly came away with nothing as Ripon held firm, stopping every attack.
Twenty five minutes in, with a scrum on the halfway line, the ball was spun wide down Ensians back line. Centre Jake Bentley almost went for the gap, before passing outside to winger Will Howarth. With a deft change of speed Howarth wrong-footed his opponent, before exploding out of the blocks to score in the corner. Connor Batemen’s conversion was perfect and gave the tourists a 7 point lead. The game ebbed and flowed for the next 10 minutes in a well matched midfield battle. Eventually Ripon levelled the score just before the break. With a line-out on Ensians 5 metre line, Ripon’s resulting maul twisted and trundled its way over the line.
After the break Ensians momentarily regained the lead when Bateman kicked a fabulous penalty from 40m out.
From the restart Ripon pinned Ensians to their line and eventually their strong forwards pushed over the whitewash to score. The conversion was a little wide but the lead now was theirs, as was the momentum. What Ripon's first two tries lacked in style, their third made up for in spades. From a line out 35m out Ripon quickly spun the ball down the line for their big winger to attack. He made it to the 5m line before stepping inside. Luckily Luke Cowdell was covering well and felled him just yards short of the line. Ripon’s supporting centre was quickly on hand to pick up the ball and dive over the line to score. The conversion gave the home team a nine point cushion. Ten minutes later this was extended by another 7 points, when Ripon took advantage of a fumbled ball deep inside their own half. Initially picked up by their flanker who made it 15m before passing back inside to his supporting winger. The ball then passed through 5 pairs of hands culminating in Ripon’s second row diving over the line to score.
Now with their tails up, Ripon were pulling away. With a sixteen point deficit, Otliensians knew they needed to dig deep and from the restart their determination was clear to see.
On Ripon’s 22, Jake Bentley made the break. Stepping inside, beating 4 players, he was almost at the line when he was surrounded. Reserve scrum half Sydney Dojahn-Wood quickly recycled the ball out to Cowdell. 10m out and with the bit between his teeth, he wasn’t passing to anybody. He bounced 3 players out of the way and scored under the posts. After the easy conversion the scoreboard read 26:17 in the home-side’s favour. Ensians continued the momentum from the restart with a break from outside centre Harry Wales. Wales drew his man before passing wide to Howarth. Howarth streaked down the left wing beating three men. Just yards from the line Ripon’s covering full back knew even with a decent tackle momentum would likely carry Howarth over the line. Instead he opted for a dangerous tackle. His outstretched arm pulled Howarth’s head back and flipped his feet into the air. Immediately the crowds disgust filled the air. The referee correctly awarded a penalty try and flashed a red card at Ripon’s shamed player.
Thankfully Howarth’s injury wasn’t enough to see him leave the field for long. Now just 2 points behind and with 15 minutes left to play the blues were fired up. From the restart Ensians started to work their way back up field. Ripon tackled well but the progress continued. Eventually with a scrum 10 m out in the middle of the pitch, Dojahn-Wood passed left to Ollie Eaves and out to Bentley. Before running out of space Bentley stepped back inside, squeezing himself between two would be tacklers before diving over the line. The conversion wasn’t to be but the lead was now back with Ensians at 26:29. Another opportunity soon arose when Eaves intercepted a pass. With the cloying mud underfoot sadly Eaves couldn’t reach full steam and was quickly surrounded. He passed left to his men in support but the ball was lost forward. If the pass had been caught a try would surely have resulted.
With a three point lead and only a few minutes left to play, if ever there was a time for game management it was now. Sadly this wasn’t to be and Ensians gave the home-side’s second row enough space to build up a head of steam. Eventually with a penalty on Ensians 5m line Ripon forwards attacked the line repeatedly and eventually Ensians defences yielded to the pressure. Ripon’s score was converted in the last second of play, giving them another home win.
Despite the loss Otliensians remain in second place below Bridlington in Yorkshire 2.
Ben Ritson
League Table
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