It was a challenging weekend of fixtures for Northallerton RUFC as the senior men’s squad fielded two teams on the Saturday. The first XV travelled away to meet the physical task of taking on Halifax Vandals RUFC, whilst the second XV hosted local side Mowden Park RFC third XV at the Lodge.
Having not had a fixture for a few weeks due to various reasons, the men of North’s second XV were keen to have a crack at the team from Mowden Park. Slightly hamstrung from the start, North relied on the generosity of their opponents to lend a few players to make up even numbers. Nevertheless, North attacked well from the off, relying heavily on their traditional strengths in the forward pack to gain forward momentum. The lineout functioned well in the opening quarter and proved to be a source of solidity with hooker Geoff Cowton throwing to his main jumpers Jim Duggleby and John Barker with alarming accuracy.
As has often been the case for the hosts, a strong mix of senior experience mixed with youthful exuberance was the recipe for the day and this for the most part, worked well for North. The back row of veterans Trev, Smiler and Duggleby were adept at frustrating the opposition at the breakdown whilst the front row of Will Barker, Si Warren and Cowton proved the oomph in the scrum. The ambition of the Mowden players to attack from anywhere on the pitch was noticeable from early in the game. Spinning the ball wide to their quick backs, the exploited the spaces out wide that North were unable to cover. As it transpired, this attacking weapon proved a successful formula and Mowden were able to run in four converted tries in the first half to take a healthy lead.
The half time team talk was clearly intended to rally the lads and see what could be salvaged from the game. Having no answer in defence for the pace of Mowden’s wingers, North elected to play to their strengths and looked to their lineout as an area of dominance to build from. Some excellent tactical kicking from fly half Doug Mulholland and game management from scrum half Jack Radcliffe, the forward pack were able to manoeuvre themselves close to the try line and launch attempts on the goal line on multiple occasions throughout the second half. Driving maul tries scored by number eight Trev and second row Duggleby contributed to an air of respectability on the scoreboard and just rewards for the hard work North put into the game.
The blend of youth and experience North often field in their second team was epitomized by the father and son centre pairing of Gaz and Hayden Norton who broke the line with their carrying and tackled ferociously all game to make sure no tries were scored through the middle of the defence. Gaz was the joint scorer of North’s third try along with Mulholland, both men getting up holding the ball after driving over from close range. The final score for the game read Northallerton 15 – Mowden Park 42. Both sides have plenty to be positive about and plenty to work on for next time. Man of the match was awarded to scrum half Jack Radcliffe for his constant sniping around the breakdown, line breaks and defensive efforts. Many thanks to the referee for officiating the game, to Mowden Park for the loan of several players to even the teams up, and to all the volunteers and helpers at the club who make the day happen.

The men’s first XV made the long journey to Halifax to play the Vandals RUFC. A team who have often made for a physical, tough opponent over the last handful of seasons. For any readers who have made the trip to Vandals over the years, the wind is often an important factor on that pitch, and this game proved no exception. A strong breeze blowing straight down the length of the field made tactical decisions all
the more important. Winning the toss and electing to play into the wind in the first half, North were deliberately making life difficult for themselves in the hope of an easier second half. The forward pack refused to shy away from the challenges of the game and instead rolled their proverbial sleeves up to march the ball towards the host’s goal line, as kicking for territory was out of the question. A sharp dummy pass
from captain Jack Tart put him through a gap in the defence and the offload to Ed Neville allowed him to canter in for the game’s opening try.
North had dominated possession from the start of the game and it was only when Vandals were able to wrest the ball away did they manage to make use of the wind, kicking long down field to pin North back in their own twenty-two metre area. The kick chase is often as important as the kick itself and the Vandals organised chasing meant that North found it difficult to exit their own half, often being forced onto the back foot in defence as the physicality of the Vandals runners came to the fore.
Three tries were scored by the home side to take the teams into the half time break.
North were relatively pleased with a deficit of only twelve points, the score board reading 17-5 in the host’s favour, having endured the trials of the wind. Starting the second half with the wind at their back, North managed to kick well and gained some useful field position to attack from. A repeat of the first try saw Ed Neville dot down for his and North’s second try of the game. A helpful gust of wind took the conversion through the uprights to add the extra two points. Vandals were quick with the reply and it was a momentary lapse of concentration resulting in a few slipped tackles to allow a strong ball carry through over the try line from the hosts.
Returning to the strategy of kicking to the corners, North carved out territory from the Vandal’s half. The familiar lineout catch and drive routine offered Ben Blythe the chance to steer the maul over the try line for North’s third try. Another helpful wind steered Tart’s conversion through.
At this point North looked to be back in the contest and taking the fight to the home side. An unfortunate collision in a tackle between flanker Billy Burgin and winger Matt Thompson resulted in both players having to leave the field, to be replaced by the dynamic duo of Paul Dixon and Ed Bulman, adding their experience to the fray. Alas, this proved to be a turning point in the game and a resurgence in energy from the home side starved North of the possession they needed, squeezing out the game to make a final score of Halifax Vandals 38 – Northallerton 19. A
commendable effort from the lads, and many facets of the game to be pleased witheven in defeat. Many thanks to Vandals for their hospitality, to the referee for officiaiting the match, and to all the supporters who made the long journey across to cheer the team on.
For any readers who would like to join the rugby club in Northallerton, all ages and abilities welcome please contact the club on social media or come down to training for more information. The men train on Tuesday and Thursday 7pm, the ladies train on Wednesday 7pm and the juniors play on Sunday 10am.