WORSE THAN X FACTOR

Northallerton travelled to high flyers Old Rishworthians in what was expected top be a tough and difficult fixture, and suffered their worst defeat of the season 29-3.

North were never in the game as Rishworthians pairing at number 9 and 10 totally dominated the proceedings, allowing the home team backs to run amok. North’s only points came from the trustworthy boot of Dan Luck, but it was too little too late. The home side scored two first half tries before North started to put any good rugby together. Bulman was beginning to link up well with returning scrum half Read, and back rower Lee Peake was also coming to the fore in open play. Then injury to Peake forced a substitution with Foster coming on as replacement, which disrupted North’s flow. The home team then regained control with good ball retention and excellent place kicking from the fly half which took them comfortably to half time.

The second half started the same as the first had ended with Rishworthians in complete control, and scoring two more tries in the first twenty minutes with a converted penalty from Luck in between. North then took off ageing and tiring prop Tank Bainbridge to be replaced by Thomas and even the introduction of flying live wire winger Studley failed to spark any life into a faltering Northallerton team. Soon after, Read got a slight injury to his already fragile back which restricted his mobility but by now no substitutes were left. So Read had to struggle on heroically to the end. Rishworthians scored one more try near the end to cap a good performance from the home team who are looking good for promotion, and send North to another defeat, and leave them languishing second from bottom.