A return to the Lodge for the men’s first XV had them hosting familiar faces Bramley Phoenix RUFC in a league match between two, often evenly match, sides. Hurting from their losses so far this season, North were eager to make amends in a contestable game. The men’s second XV had a hastily rearranged fixture away to Wensleydale RUFC 2nd XV after their original fixture against Richmondshire RUFC had to be moved to a later date.

Sporting their new playing shirts, kindly provided by the generosity of P+HS Architects North took to the field with an enthusiasm that was evident from the kick off. The excitement of new kit is one that infects players of all ages and this energy manifest itself from the off as North first, soaked up some testing attacking play from Bramley, who looked to their traditional hard running and off loading game to break the line, before turning the tables and charging their up the slope towards the visitor’s goal line. Hard carrying by the forwards and a few moments of ill discipline from the away side cost them yards. An attacking scrum five metres out gave returning number 8 Iain Swall the chance to pick the ball from the base and drive over into the corner for the game’s opening score.
Fierce jackling at the breakdown from back rowers Billy Burgin and Freddie Bulman freed up some of the heavy carriers to do what they do best. An attacking lineout close the try line saw hooker Seamus Talbot find his man, only for the ball to come loose and be cleared by Bramley. The respite for the visitors was temporary as from broken play, the threat of North’s back three of Ross Easdon, Jake Fisher and Ben Pilling was evident. They combined to gather the ball and take it back towards the goal line. From the resulting ruck, Burgin was able to drive over the line and claim the try. Flyhalf Jack Tart kicked the conversion to take a twelve-point lead.
North withstood the attacking forays from Phoenix as the game restarted, showing discipline in their defensive duties in spite of some testing attacking play that saw the ball swiftly moved from short off loads to wide passing that looked to exploit any gap. A spell of back and forth play saw both teams having a good go at breaking the line as the pace of the game settled down slightly however, the tackling and determination of each defence held firm. An unfortunate injury for North saw the early introduction of substitute prop Connah Richmond, straight into the heat of a scrum on the halfway line to warm him up from the bench. A couple of moments of ill discipline from Bramley meant they conceded yards, taking the hosts deep into their half of the pitch. This gave up first an attacking scrum which only yielded a penalty then, by choosing the lineout option, North set up their familiar catch and drive routine. Hooker Talbot threw perfectly to find Swall before joining the back of the
maul himself and steering it over the line to claim the try out wide. Tart kicked the conversion from the touchline to extend North’s lead once again.
As the game looked to open up, a series of loose passes causing plenty of opportunity for broken play. A knock on by North in front of their goal posts enabled Bramley to launch their first serious attacking platform of the match. The solid scrum meant that the ball was quickly shipped wide through some crisp handling and direct running lines to score a well taken try out wide. With the conversion added, the visitors were back in the game. In order to maintain their lead in the game, North repeatedly looked to their strength in the forwards to get them territory and possession. With the lineout and the scrum functioning well, North were able to exert pressure on the visitors, making it difficult for them to gain any ground. At the end of the half North held a commanding lead and looked to regroup to finish the job.
Within minutes of the game recommencing, North won a penalty within five metres of the visitors try line and, not unsurprisingly, opted to kick to the corner to set up a driving maul from the lineout. The familiar routine of Talbot to Swall then back to Talbot ensued to see North drive the ball over the try line in the corner of the pitch. A brief period of broken play made for a respite from what had become a very set piece dominated encounter. Bramley were clearly in favour of the more open style of play then the hosts. However, knock-ons at unfortunate moments stifled any real attacking opportunities. As the game progressed through the second half, North’s stability in the set piece was contrasted by Bramley’s desire to move the ball as wide as possible, as frequently as possible. One of these endeavors eventually paid off
as the ball found its way through crisp handling into the path of their winger who skillfully swerved around the would be tacklers to dot down another try for the visitors.
Through some good ball retention and excellent kicks to touch, North were able to force several penalties in succession from the visitors to navigate their way towards the Bramley try line. With another catch and drive routine taking the hosts to within a few metres out, a little more patience was required before second row Phil Swall barged his way over the line to reassert North’s lead on the scoreboard. The pace of the game, which had been highly energetic in the opening half, started to slow as both teams looked to their benches for reinforcements. Winger Tom Vauvert alongside veteran prop forward Paul Dixon were a juxtaposition of replacements that helped North to rally. As both teams tussled in the middle of the pitch, a rare penalty against the home side gave Bramley the chance to kick for a lineout which, having secured the ball and further territory, they shipped it wide to their elusive winger who once again ghosted past the on rushing defence before popping back inside to the supporting runner to take the ball under the posts. With the conversion added, Bramley seemed back in the hunt once more as the game entered its final quarter.
Having sensed where their best opportunities lay, Bramley looked to increase the tempo of the match with a series of tap penalties and quick rucks allowing them to move the ball to the wider channels and exploit North’s tiring defence. Another try for the visitors soon followed that brought a bead of sweat to many a North spectator’s brow. All of Bramley’s players seemed energised by their recent successes and, when offered an attacking scrum on the halfway line, they did not hesitate to throw the ball wide, once again finding space to run into and another try was the result, this conversion was also pushed wide to give North a bit of breathing room. The pace of the game was clearly starting to take its toll on both sets of players as frequent visits from physios on to the field took the sting out of the last quarter of the match. North looked to keep the ball tight in an effort to control the flow of the game and, with another penalty against the visitors gifting an attacking lineout close to the goal line, North set to work with the clock ticking down.
Relentless phases on the try line saw Iain Swall pick the ball from the base of the ruck and dive under the bodies in front of him to score North’s last try of the match. Tart once again kicked the conversion to make the most of the score. As the minutes dwindled down, North’s forwards kept a close grip on the ball to finish the match with a final score of Northallerton 36 – Bramley Phoenix 31. A tremendous result for North against a strong opposition and one that will lift the spirits of an embattled team. Many thanks to the referee for officiating the match, to Bramley and their supporters for travelling in good numbers and to the many volunteers and supporters of the club who help make the day happen.

The men’s second XV had been anticipating a game against Richmondshire RUFC, however as can often happen, the fixture needed to be rearranged and so thankfully Wensleydale RUFC second XV stepped in to host a match and offered some players to bolster North’s ranks. Both sides were quick out of the blocks to score early tries as Dale managed to exploit gaps in the Northallerton defence. John Barker was quick to reply for the visitors as he broke through a loose tackle and sprinted clear to bring North back into the contest, however the conversion slipped wide of the posts to leave North trailing by two points. Much of the remainder of the first half was spent with the hosts attacking from all over the pitch as they looked to play a more expansive game. Trouble at the breakdown for both sides meant that turnovers were frequent and kept the game lively. The home side managed to secure a second try heading into the half time break to nudge themselves further ahead on the score board.
The game seemed finely in the balance as both teams resumed their contest. Despite some impressive physicality in defence, North were unable to prevent Dale from scoring for too long and, with an air of inevitability around it, the breakthrough try was scored that set the game flowing again. This was swiftly followed by a third and fourth try to the home side as their expansive approach to the game found gaps in the North defence. With all four tries converted, the hosts held an unassailable lead and, as the game headed towards its last few passages of play, it took some resilient efforts from the visitors to cling on to the ball and score a late consolation try. Scrum half Jack Radcliffe the try scorer as he darted from the fringes of a ruck close to the goal line before the conversion was kicked to bring the final score to Wensleydale 28 – Northallerton 12. An entertaining game of rugby played in good spirits. A big thank you to Wensleydale for stepping in a late notice and the loan of their players to make the contest happen. Thanks also to the referee for officiating the match, and thanks to the supporters who travelled to cheer the team on.

For any readers who would like to join the rugby club, the men train on Tuesday and Thursday 7pm, the ladies train on Wednesday 7pm and the juniors train on Sunday 10am. All ages and abilities welcome. Please contact the club on social media for more information.