Top of the league!

As we enter the last weekend of the league season, Northallerton’s men’s first XV made the short journey down the road to Thirsk RUFC looking to secure the win that would make them finish top of the Yorkshire 3 league. The ladies’ first XV hosted Yarm RUFC at the Lodge for the last league match of their season looking to end on a high.

Promotion was secured several weeks ago for the men’s first XV however, the cherry on top of the cake was finishing top of the league. A win at Thirsk was the mission when the players took to the field on a very windy and warm April afternoon. The first half kicked off with North electing to play into the wind. Some understandable nerves saw North penalised in a kickable position that Thirsk took full advantage of to establish the first score of the game. The wind was proving to be a major factor in how each team played, North were forced to make hard yards up the pitch, unable to kick for territory. This dogged determination paid off as, after a lot of phases of play number eight Iain Swall was able to crash over for the visitor’s first try. Fly-half Jedd Bainbridge kicked the conversion in difficult conditions to add the extras. It wasn’t long before North repeated the tactic of close quarters play, this time second row and big brother Phil Swall dotted down for the second of North’s tries. As the half drew to a close, Thirsk were able to gain field position using the wind to kick long. The outstanding pace of their backs was a danger throughout the whole game, on this occasion they were able to exploit space out wide and run the ball around the defence and score under the posts. With the conversion kicked and a penalty on the stroke of the half, Thirsk went into the break ahead by a point.
Some rallying words at half time from coaches Robbo and Bulman kicked the boys into life and, with the wind at their backs, North set about wrestling control of what had so far been a very tense encounter. Bainbridge and scrum half Jack Tart made their intentions clear from the restart, kicking the ball down into the home 22 metre area frequently. It took a bit of time for this advantage to bear fruit as Thirsk repeatedly turned North over whenever they were close to the line. Iain Swall once again found his way over the line, burrowing under the defence to score. Bainbridge added the extras. This seemed to give North the impetus needed to capitalise on their advantages as the scrum began to dominate the home side and the backs found space out wide. Winger Ben Pilling scored the highlight try of the game, fielding a wide pass on the half way line he set off and beat four defenders on his way to the try line. The pressure on the hosts kept building as the long kicks kept them held in their territory. Some quick hands from North’s back line created a small gap down the blind side of a ruck, from which their full back Tom Peacock was able to charge over the try line and extend North’s lead further still.
At this point in the game, North began turning the screw as the thought of victory came closer to reality and their confidence grew. Numerous reset scrums and turnovers from Thirsk possession gave multiple attacking platforms to put the ball through the hands and find gaps around the fringes of rucks. If not for some last ditch defending from the hosts there could have been many more scores. In the final play of the game, Thirsk had managed to turn the ball over on their own try line. In a desperate attempt to clear their lines, a sliced box kick bounced kindly into the hands of North’s winger Andy Pue who dived over the line in the corner to round out the game. The final score was Thirsk 13 – Northallerton 34. A huge congratulations to North for securing promotion and winning the league in such emphatic style, a great achievement and the club looks forward to watching them play in Yorkshire 2 league next season. Many thanks to Thirsk for their hospitality and to the referee
for officiating the game.

The ladies’ first XV welcomed local team Yarm Swifts to Brompton Lodge for the final game of their season. Having already secured second place in the table in what has been an outstanding campaign for the girls, enjoyment was at the forefront of this match and they began the game with only one goal in sight, Yarm’s try line. Winger Lucy Robinson wasted no time when she chased an early clearance kick and, using some handy footballing skills, she gathered the ball and dived over the line for the first try of the day. This play set the tone for the first half as North’s forwards put in huge tackles to turn the ball over or force errors from the visitor’s who likewise were playing with a commendable intention. It wasn’t long before the ball was shipped out to fly-half Ali O’Brien who found space in the wider channels only to then cut back inside a defender and dot down for a try that she then converted. Compounding the difficulties for Yarm, off the restart the ball fell into the hands of Robinson again who ran past several defenders with great speed and footwork to score her second of the day which O’Brien then converted. Yarm were not deterred from playing though and looked to press their attack from any position, using powerful forward carries to create space for their backs and on many occasions created great opportunities for scoring that were thwarted just at the last. However, this willingness to play left chances for North as the occasional handling error gifted the ball in a turnover position, O’Brien once again showing her pace and footwork to capitalise on such an instance to race away and score a converted try. Winger Robinson rounded off a stellar first half for herself by repeating the feat of
her first try and chasing a kick through to score her hat-trick try. The score at half time had North with a sizeable advantage of 31-0.
The second half saw Yarm rally and take the fight to North. The weather turned gradually more inclement and this most certainly had an effect on the ambitions of both teams to throw the ball about. Fatigue from the heavy carrying work crept into both sides and the number of handling
errors increased as the game went on. Around fifty minutes into the game North made a raft of substitutions which helped to re-invigorate the side. Emma Kirby’s first touch of the ball was in running a great line that drew in several defenders and allowed her to pop pass to Robinson who
scored her fourth try of the day. Yarm continued to fight on and were justly rewarded for their efforts. Forcing North back down the pitch with well structured attacking play they scored two impressive, converted tries that put a fairer reflection on the scoreboard. The last plays of the game were looming, and North were determined to have the final say in the match. Basing themselves in the Yarm 22-metre area with an attacking scrum all expectation was that number 8 Gina Fothergill would pick and go, instead it was scrum half Issy Andrews who passed the ball out to captain Natalie Gardiner. Pinning her ears back and heading for the corner she ran like lightning to score the final try of the game and of her career as she announced her retirement from playing after the game. A fitting and perfect way to end North’s season for the ladies. The final score in the match, Northallerton 41 – Yarm Swifts 14.
Many thanks to Yarm for playing such a well spirited and enjoyable game. Thanks also to the referee for officiating and all the supporters who cheered everyone on. The ladies’ team has had a huge amount of help and effort put in from a great number of volunteers throughout the season and thanks go out to each and everyone one for all they have done. A special mention must be given though to coach Robbo who has helped drive the team forward, to Natalie Gardiner for captaining the side for many years, developing the welcoming and encouraging culture that the team now embodies, to Vicki Phillips for her unwavering support and Mark and Jo Linthwaite for a lot of years spent helping the squad grow to what it has become today.