The first of the three pre-season games for Darlington Mowden Park RFC started yesterday, with a competitive outing against a very good Tynedale RFC outfit, containing a lot of youth and experience.

Although the game was full blooded, both sets of coaches will have been happy that both groups of players escaped with no serious injures to report, apart from a few pulled calves and hamstrings and some badly gasping lungs.

The format was x4 twenty minute sessions, mainly to re-shuffle the starters with a host of replacements, but also to rehydrate, on what was a hot and windy day.

Mowden played with the wind at their backs at first, with the wind affecting kicks out of defence from Tynedale RFC, which often made little ground.

For most of the first quarter, defences were to the fore, with both sides testing each other in midfield, interspersed with the odd scrum and lineout.

Tynedale fly half and kicker Jake ROGERS went close to slotting a penalty, as Mowden were penalised quite excessively in the opening minutes.

Just prior to the first break, a catch and drive effort and subsequent maul , saw the ball whisked out and some clever inter-passing between Warren SEALS, finding Callum MACKENZIE on the inside, who shipped on to a great line by Ollie WALKER, to score near the posts. (5 – 0) SEALS converting. (7 – 0)

Both teams took the opportunity to make changes for the start of the second quarter and the game upped in intensity, with more breaks out of defence by both sides.

New recruit and scrum half Euan McKIRDY found a gap in the Tynedale defence to snipe over the line, (12 – 0) with SEALS again converting. (14 – 0)

As the game edged towards the second break, Tynedale kicked through, catching Mowden out and when they failed to clear their lines, Tynedale gained possession, accurately passing out to take advantage of an overlap, with Will ROBERTS exploiting that advantage to score wide out, (14 – 5) with Jake ROBERTS adding the extras. (14 – 7)

A further two quick tries from the home side followed prior to the third quarter break, via prop Alfie Barron and winger Shaun McCartney, both converted by Seals taking DMPRFC well ahead at the break. (28 – 7)

Tynedale responded well and shortly after resumption of play, scored a good try after good pressure on the home line, with scrum half Matty OUTSON jinking over for the score, (28 – 12) ROBERTS converting. (28 – 14)

New recruit and lock Max DAVIES found space to sprint in for 55-metre try, (33 – 14), before fellow lock and captain Joe CRAGGS added another from a catch and drive lineout, (38 – 14), with SEALS converting the latter. (40 – 14)

Tynedale had the last laugh though, when hooker Dave BATEY scored from a lineout, (40 – 19), converted by ROGERS (40 – 21), shortly followed by the full time whistle.

An excellent start for both sides and an opportunity to run the rule over Mowden’s new recruits and more familiar names, who all showed their credentials.

DMPRFC SQUAD
Forwards
Aflie BARRON
Ralph APPLEBY
Scott WESTWOOD
Talite VAIOLETI
Joe DUFFY
Joe CRAGGS (Captain)
Max DAVIES
Ollie HODGSON
George STOKES
Dan GRANGE
Dave FISHER

Backs
Euan McKIRDY
Max PEPPER
Marty LITHGO
Warren SEALS
Callum IRVINE
Ben DIXON
Elia BIASUZZI
Callum MACKENZIE
Ollie WALKER
Shaun McCARTNEY
Brandon ASHER-WOOD
Aedan MOLONEY
Joe LANE
Paul JARVIS

TYNEDALE RFC SQUAD
Michael HUGHES
David BATEY
Liam CARMICHAEL
Harry SNOWDON
Graeme DUNN
Jonny COUSIN
Joe RICHARDS
Ben BELL
Matty OUTSON
Jake ROGERS
Will ROBERTS
Will MILLER
Liam CHECKSFIELD
Tom McCALLUM
Jonny MOCK
Dan LOWDON
Ben HAIGH
Ben BLACKBURN
Ethan CLARKE
John CLARKSON
Rory CRAMB
Cam GRANT
Alex DRYDEN

DMPRFC Next week – Hull RFC (A)