TOP OF THE LEAGUE

Northallerton kicked off the season at home in fine form by destroying visiting Halifax Vandals 46-0.

Although the visitors started off the stronger in the scrums, North soon began to take control with new Captain Don 'Gringo' McStone galvanising the pack and Joe Terry pulling the strings at fly half. After ten minutes North scored the first and best of the seven tries of the day. Excellent handling and speedy, accurate passing through five different sets of hands released new winger Jason Simmons who confidently brushed aside his opposite number before scoring. Fifteen minutes later North's opposite winger Ian Duffus showed his brute strength (and ignorance?), charging through three tacklers to touch down near the posts. Rhys Kilbride with the conversion to make the score 12-0. With North now getting the upper hand in the scrums, Vandals deliberately dropped a scrum from 15 yards out resulting in a penalty to North, that Kilbride again converted. Halifax had the chance to get back into the game just before half time, when awarded a penalty 10 yards out and in front of the posts. The subsequent effort hit the upright before being cleared by Mathew Bell. Half time 15-0.

North went straight at the opposition from the kick off, and good pressure from North's flankers resulted in Simmons stealing the ball and racing away before feeding Terry. Terry slipped like Bambi on ice, just short of the try line, but luckily his momentum just took him over the line to score, Kilbride with the conversion to make it 22-0. Suprisingly Terry then had to come off just in case he got his customary injury! Five minutes later North scored an impressive forward orientated try, going through half a dozen pick up and drives before substitute hooker Tom Young emerged from under a pile of players (luckily not Tank tho!) to claim his first try for the club. There then followed a well deserved try for centre Bell, who showed his pre-season training was paying dividends as ran nearly three quarters the length of the pitch before flopping over the line knackered! - sorry I meant very tired!
Another try a piece for Young and Bell followed, and two more conversions for Kilbride to make the final score 46-0.

Next week Northallerton 1st team travel to York RI, while Northallerton 2nd team start the season at home to York RI.