There was only the one fixture played for Northallerton RUFC this weekend and it proved to be a case of quality over quantity as the men’s second XV put on a showstopper of an encounter with plenty of points on the board for both teams.

Middlesbrough RUFC third XV travelled to the Lodge to face off against North’s second XV, fully complimented by the absence of any first XV fixture and with a vocal crowd in support. The game had a lively start to it with North doing much of the early attacking work, probing the defence around each edge and with the occasional kick in behind to turn the visitors. A nicely worked wrap around move from a solid scrum in the middle of the pitch offered North’s full back Jack Tart. A chance to run at the fringes of the defence. Using his pace and power he burst through to score the game’s opening try in the far corner of the pitch. The pressure kept coming from North after the restart as they continued to spread the ball across the width of the pitch, deciding that an expansive approach was in order this day. Boro’s scrambling defence worked well to deny the hosts on a couple of opportunities, and they were often quick to turn defence into attack when the chance of a turnover arose. Using their powerful forward carries they looked to punch holes directly into the Northallerton defence. The set piece for the home side was an early source of stability and the team often made the most of it, pushing the visitors back at every opportunity. North’s second try of the game came mid-way through the first half off the back of a rolling maul set up from a kick to the corner. Bread and butter for the club.
As is often the way in rugby, one score leads straight to another. So it was that following the restart, the attempted clearance from the home side was charged down and the loose ball pounced upon in the in-goal area to get Boro on the board. The conversion attempt was successful and once again we had a game on our hands. It was as the first half drew to a close that the spectators witnessed the pick of the tries so far. A quick tap penalty inside the North half from Doug Mulholland was put through the hands to find the host’s centre partnership working in tandem as they snaked through the defence and ran in a try finished by Joe Grieff, stepping past a dozen defenders between them en route to the line. The half came to an end with North holding a slender lead of 15-7.

The second half of the game kicked off with much the same enthusiasm as had pervaded the first. Both teams looked to attack from all over the pitch, often throwing long passes in the drier conditions. The scrum from North continued to be a source of strength as the pack progressively turned the screw on their opposite numbers. Boro were far from intimidated by this though and provided a significant threat to the host’s defence. Their strong carriers managed to find tired shoulders and burst through on several occasions, taking them close to the try line. After a sustained period of pressure the critical carry was made and Boro barged over the goal line for their second try of the day.
A turnover in the middle of the pitch sparked the attacking platform for North’s next try, Connah Richmond providing the snaffle before bursting away through the defence. The ball was recycled through the next ruck until it found the hands of Grieff who charged through almost untouched to score. Jack Tart added the conversion to extend North’s lead. Boro were quick to respond however, and cut a decisive line through the middle of North’s defence to take them up to the 22-metre area. From here it was a combination of hard carries and quick hands that put their winger into space to run in the try. The game opened up greatly over the next few minutes as this free scoring approach came to the fore. Regathering the restart allowed North to push deep into the Boro territory and from a tap penalty, Iain Swall charged to the line only to off load at the last minute to scrum half Will Robinson to beat the last man and score the try. Tart added the conversion. North extended their lead again with some wide passing putting their dangerous wingers into space. Jake Fisher finished off such a fine, flowing passage of play to score in the corner. North’s grip on the tie began to tighten as, through their set piece and tactical kicking, they controlled the tempo of the last quarter of the match. Boro were not to be silenced though and, despite the scoreboard deficit, they continued to test the boundaries of North’s defence scoring another converted try under the posts off the back of a scrum mid-pitch to add to their tally. Indeed, it seemed as though North felt the game done and dusted as the tries kept coming for the visitors who showed no signs of letting up their onslaught late in the match. Another try scored in an entertaining style of forward carries and quick handling enabled their winger to pounce in the corner and make the last few minutes of the match a very tense encounter.
This late charge proved in vain as the hosts managed to see out the concluding minutes of the match unscathed to see a final score of Northallerton 32 – Middlesbrough 31. A thoroughly entertaining game of rugby played in good spirits. Many thanks to the referee for officiating the match and to Middlesbrough players and supporters for travelling in good numbers. A final thanks to the many supporters
and volunteers at the club who help make such days happen.