The men’s first XV for Northallerton RUFC faced off against local rivals Ripon RUFC at Brompton Lodge in the rearranged fixture of the Yorkshire two league. An unplayable pitch in previous weeks had pushed this hotly anticipated encounter back, however on a glorious afternoon of weather for playing rugby, the crowds gathered for what proved to be a gripping contest. Coming into the game on the back of impressive form in the league, Ripon have taken themselves to a commendable sixth place position so far, demonstrating an expansive and fast paced style of rugby. Overcoming their local rivals was sure to be a significant test for this resurgent Northallerton team who have continued to grow
from strength to strength as the season has progressed.
The opening exchanges of the match offered little in the way of clear opportunities. Sensing the need to get the scoreboard moving, Ripon elected to kick an early penalty to take a three point lead after a few minutes. North were able to exert some early pressure both in attacking phases and also through the scrum, often marching the opposition back. The windy conditions made long range goal kicking a difficult proposition, so where possible, North looked to kick penalties to the corners and trust in the their lineout maul. Indeed, the first try of the match went to North from such a position. A driving maul touched down by hooker Seamus Talbot took the hosts into the lead. Captain Jack Tart kicked the conversion from out on the touchline to gather the extras.
The home side had their tails up after this early success and looked to capitalise on their momentum. A mirror image only a few minutes later on the other side of the pitch saw North drive their way over the try line, this time back row Matty Clark was the driver of the maul. The tussling for possession was fierce as the strengths of North up front were negated by the speed and agility of the visitors out wide. Ripon’s breakthrough into the game came courtesy of an electric break from their winger after numerous phases of forward carrying seemed to have been nullified in the middle of the pitch. Scoring under the posts meant the conversion was a simple affair to take the score to 12-10.
At the start of the season, this pressure from Ripon may have been enough to begin unravelling North’s composure. However, the maturity the team has gained this season shone through as the team battled back to force another attacking position deep in the Ripon 22-metre area. Another penalty infringement was kicked to the corner and a third try scorer in Iain Swall crossed the line from the back of the maul. Hard running and aggressive tackling from both sides made up the majority of the play. Ripon looked a threat from anywhere on the pitch, their blistering pace in the backs causing the home supporters tension whenever the ball was passed wide. A break down the wing set up the platform for Ripon’s next try and a few phases later, a long floaty pass out wide bounced into the hands of their winger who stepped his defender and dived over the try line to narrow the gap. The first half played out in much the same style until, at the break of play, North held
a useful lead of 19-15.
Ripon’s threat down the wings continued into the second half as they scored a well worked try in the corner after a handful of minutes, exploiting a small gap around the North defence. The visitor’s momentum was in full flow now and, despite playing up the slope, they were able to keep the ball for multiple phases and force North back onto their own try line before finally crashing over under the posts. The conversion was kicked to take Ripon further into the lead. As if a question needed to be asked about North’s resolve, the team rallied and looked to their strengths to force a path back into the match. Another driving maul from the lineout, scored again by Clark out wide brought the hosts back within touching distance of the away side. As the back and forth continued, and the clock ticked down, the tension grew and
grew. Some impressive counterattacking work from fullback Ross Easdon ignited a flowing phase of play from North, involving quick hands, feet and hard graft to get the ball over the line. Matty Clark claiming his hat-trick try from close range in the corner as North levelled the scores. From here, North looked to seize the game however, all throughout the match, Ripon had not needed much of an invitation to break free. A series of fumbles and errors from the hosts granted Ripon an attacking platform inside the North half. Showing patience and composure, the visitors built the phases to work into the North 22-metre area before crashing through the tackles and scoring under the posts. Kicking the conversion helped extend their lead and they saw out the remaining few minutes with the final score reading Northallerton 27 – Ripon 34.
A tremendously entertaining game to watch Many thanks to all the supporters and volunteers at Northallerton Rugby Club who helped make it such an enjoyable day. Thanks also to the referee for officiating the match, and to Ripon Rugby Club who travelled in good numbers to play a good spirited, hard fought game of rugby.