U14s Win Thriller at Redcar

With the team looking sharp in warm up, Coach Brown roused the lads, asking for one last big effort to see the season off with a ‘W’. Missing a couple of the Galactico’s to injury, this was a day in which the whole team would need to step up to the plate

Mowden were ahead straight from the kick off as the Redcar defenders left Drought’s drop kick to each other, allowing Delaidriti to scoop up the bouncing ball and scamper under the posts. Brown converted (0-7). However, Redcar answered immediately with a try of their own in similar fashion after Park spilled the ball from the restart and the home side used their big pack to good effect to plough through. (5-7).

Park then decided to use one of their less successful tactics that they have deployed equally as unsuccessfully a few times this season – the ‘tickle call’, where the team decide, en masse, to tickle rather than tackle the opposition, and before they could draw breath, Redcar were well ahead (17-5)
However, as the opposition looked to go through for another score , Alex ‘Barnacle’ Shepherd somehow clung on to the big Redcar prop like one of the local crustaceans clinging to the hull of a big trawler, and felled his man.

This stirred the whole team into action and they began to play like the fans knew they could. The pack suddenly sprang into action, securing quick ball for the backs. Brown intelligently looped round and fed a lofted path over the defence to Rogers who finished brilliantly for a great team try. (17-10). A similar move resulted in Patterson thundering over in the other corner (17-15). The team were now playing some great stuff, with the forwards putting their bodies on the line and the backs moving on to the ball at pace

These tries were quickly followed up by another great score. From a restart, Ward took the ball cleanly, burst through defence and drew his man before feeding Drought to score (17-20) . This was a brilliant try and something that the coaches had worked on for weeks. All credit to Wardy, the lad had clearly been listening in!

Park were now in command. Parkinson and Nelson were hitting ruck after ruck, forcing Redcar to cough up ball whilst in the scrum the tight five were solid. With Rigby and Brown working in unison like a well oiled machine, the backs were enjoying some great ball, and it was Delaidriti who benefitted the most. The Hot stepper went try crazy, scoring just before half time (17-27), and adding two more including a bamboozling 80 yard show stopper just after the break(17-34 & 17-41).

With the game looking safe, someone called the tickle call again, and in a 5 minute spell Redcar ran in 3 tries past some non existent tackling to bring the difference in the scores to below 10 (32-41). However, a massive shot from Mad Dog Macdonald on the big Redcar centre reset the focus, and Mowden resumed pressure on the Redcar try line.

Eventually the pressure told and an infringement allowed a tap penalty to be fed to Law. The Lumberjack was in no mood for messing about and rejuvenated from felling a forest of defenders he displayed a previously unseen turn of pace to go over for Brown to convert (32-48)

Redcar rallied again to bring the scores close with 5 minutes to go (39 -48) but there was no need for any concern.

A great tackle by Watkinson set up a ruck on the Redcar 22. Great Counter rucking by Stokell and Hayward allowed Patterson to feed the ball to the oncoming Wind who arrived on the scene. But this wasn’t akin to some mild gust of air taking the ball, this was a super charged coastal weather system grabbing the ball in both hands as ‘El Nino’ danced through the defence to secure the game for the team with the last play (39-53), much to the relief of this reporter.

IN all seriousness, a great result and a great way to finish the regular season. All of the lads stepped up to the plate and at times we played some brilliant rugby in both attack and defence. When we switch on, there is no doubt we are a top team.

Man of the Match – Oliver Ward, - Wardy had a fantastic game today. As well, as his first class handling skills, he was a monster at the breakdown and absolutely nailed his tackles, earning him he new moniker of, ‘The Redcar Rock’! Well done Wardy!