It was a weekend of wet weather and muddy pitches as Northallerton RUFC’s men’s first XV played their rearranged league fixture against Huddersfield Laund Hill RUFC. The elite grounds team at Brompton Lodge meant that despite the deluge of rain experienced during the week, the pitch remained playable. Meanwhile, the men’s second XV travelled away to play Barnard Castle RUFC in conditions that could be conservatively described as soft underfoot. The ladies’ first XV league fixture against Darlington Ladies on the Sunday had to be postponed due to the inclement weather causing flooding to the Darlington pitches.

The disparity between league standings of the men’s first XV and Laund Hill gave a strong indication of the challenge that lay ahead of the team. Sitting fifth in the table with more than double the number of points, the visitors must have felt confident approaching the game that a win would be a simple task. The opening exchanges of the match suggested that the away side would run amok as they charged through and round North’s defence on their way to collecting a penalty kick and an unconverted try to take them up to an eight-point advantage.
It had taken a good ten minutes before North had found their feet enough to launch a meaningful counterattack of their own. A surge from North’s forwards into the heart of the visitor’s defence brought play to within a few yards of the goal line before the ball was spun out to centre Tom Peacock who bashed his way through the tackles and over to score. The conversion was kicked from the touchline by Jack Tart to bring the game back to a one point contest. Several minutes of stoic defensive efforts from North were undone by one loose kick followed by an open chase that afforded the Laund Hill flanker the chance to run through the spaces and cross over the try line. With the conversion kicked, the away side pushed their lead out once again.
The battle for the half was not yet over as North looked to their favoured lineout to give them the platform needed to set the wheels of attack in motion. Securing the ball off the top of the throw, they passed it quickly through the hands of the backs, incorporating a silky wrap around play to open up the defence and put winger Matt Thompson clear into space to finish off the try.

After the half time interval, the close nature of the game was apparent for all to see as the arm wrestle between the two sides continued. Set piece play dominated the third quarter of the match until a period of pressure from North culminated in a penalty given away by the visitors in front of their goal posts. Tart stepped up to take the shot at goal and successfully secured another three points for the cause. The endeavour from the hosts showed no signs of abatement and the sensed an opportunity to take control of the game. A mighty carry from number eight Iain Swall overpowered the defenders in front of him and he crashed over the try line for another try for North. Jack Tart kicking the extras once again. With their tails now up, North looked to make the most of the momentum and kicked to the corner again when the chance arose. A smart reverse of direction gave Swall an easier run into the corner for his second try of the day, leaving a difficult conversion attempt from the touchline for Tart that dropped a hair’s breadth under the cross bar.
Laund Hill possessed some very athletic runners and they looked to use these attributes by keeping the tempo high and off-loading wherever possible so that North’s defence couldn’t set itself. This approach led to their retaliatory try only a few minutes later, again under the posts which made the conversion a formality. In contrast to this style of play, North looked to their strength in the pack as a way to keep their scoreboard ticking over. A catch and drive from the lineout saw a push over try scored by hooker Matty Clarke.
The tension of the last ten minutes of the game ratcheted up as Laund Hill scored yet another try out in the corner to level the match. A sublime conversion from the touchline managed to sneak between the posts, taking the visitors into the for the first time since early in the match causing concern for North’s supporters. Despite the heroic efforts of the team, North were unable to find a way through and the match finished with a final score of Northallerton 32 – Huddersfield Laund Hill 34. A terrific game to watch and one that entertained right until the end. Many thanks to the referee for officiating the game, to Laund Hill and their supporters for travelling in good numbers, and to all of Northallerton’s supporters and volunteers who help make the day happen.

The men’s second XV took the scenic journey up into Teesdale to play Barnard Castle RUFC second XV. Featuring a squad of experience and youth as has become the regular habit of North, they looked to build on some of the successes of the season so far. An eventful opening to the match saw North’s Harry Hinchley bag a well taken try however this effort was neutralised by some free flowing play from the hosts. Their approach of moving the ball quickly meant that North’s dominance at the set piece was often unable to make an impact. This led to the home side scoring three tries in the first half to take a significant but not unassailable lead into the half time break.
As the game recommenced for its second act, North were enthusiastic with ball in hand, often relying on the strength of their forward pack and never shy about looking to go direct with the ball. This, as is often the case, creates space out wide for players in the back line and it was North’s new winger Al who benefited from this, showing his pace to race away from the opposition and score his first try for the club that brought the visitors back into the contest. This score sent shockwaves through Castle and they immediately regrouped under the posts and set out with renewed intent, managing to convert their possession and territory into points with regular ruthlessness. Scoring another three tries, and a penalty, the hosts put the result beyond the reach of an ambitious North side. The game concluded with a final score of Barnard Castle 41 – Northallerton 10. An enjoyable game to play and watch and one that will be a valuable learning experience to many of North’s younger squad members. Many thanks to Barnard Castle for their generous hospitality, to the referee for officiating the match and to all the travelling supporters who made the journey to cheer on the lads.

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