1st XV Match Report Saturday 29th October 2016

This was Ripon’s first opportunity to take on one of Yorkshire Two’s “big four” and judging by the punters’ predictions before-hand, the Blues went into this game as clear favourites. Obviously one has to go through eighty or so minutes of torture to get a result and that’s exactly what Ripon did on Saturday. With a first half in which each side had pretty much only one scoring opportunity each and took it, this seemed from the outset to be a game of attrition. Both sides battled manfully up front, with some penetrating, driving play, with perhaps the visitors gaining the upper hand, but it was Ripon’s attacking flair through their strike force back division that made the difference to the result.

With a scrum that didn’t yield as much quality possession as usual, launching attacks from first phase was going to be difficult; but enterprise from Scull, provided Centres Seal and Butler with good opportunities to show their pace and strength. And it was their contribution that was the clear difference between the two back divisions. Despite a dream start to the game for Ripon, most of the first half was a pretty brutal slog. Scrum after scrum, took their toll on both sides and perhaps gave Ripon the edge in the second half as the Visitors’ pack tired. Both sides defended well and snuffed out attacking chances. Ripon were particularly effective in killing the Roundhegians’ driving forward play and never allowed the opposition to get up a head of steam.

From the kick off, Ripon hassled the visitors into making an error with a poor clearance kick. Recently returned from Harrogate, James Audsley-Beck returned the play with interest and scythed through the opposition with a rapid counter attack. A cross kick for Duffield to chase was executed perfectly and Duffield won the race for the touch-down, only to be pulled back for a penalty for pushing his opponent off the ball. From the penalty kick, another poor clearance set Ripon on the attack again, with Audsley-Beck prominent. The effervescent Euan Findlay was there to finish the move with his usual strength and pace, bursting through three tackles to score Ripon’s first try on the two minute mark. Scull narrowly missed the conversion, but the buoyant start energised Ripon and pleased the crowd no end.

The visitors ground their way back into the game from the restart and set up several attacking phases into the home 22 metre area. One such incursion resulted in a penalty opportunity at 20 minutes, which was narrowly missed. Roundhegians got into their groove again from the drop out and continued to press for the Ripon line. Their efforts were finally rewarded after 25 minutes with a penalty goal.

Ripon took the play back to the visitors and through the likes of Plant and the two Taylors, ran strong at the heart of the opposition. Another break by Findlay, took Ripon perilously close to scoring again, but a penalty for an indiscretion cruelly robbed Ripon of the points. The visitors cleared their lines again and pressed back at Ripon in the closing minutes of the half. Such was the ferocity of the Roundhegians attack and the robustness of Ripon’s defence, the half time whistle came as a welcome relief.

Turning around 5 – 3, Ripon knew they were in a game and sought to focus on improving the quality of the scrum ball and better utilise their line out dominance. Forcing the visitors onto the defensive from the kick off, Ripon were rewarded with a penalty goal from Scull to edge further into the lead. Play then started to become more open as chinks in the visitors’ defence started to show. At 17 minutes into the half, a fine break saw Scull, Pete Taylor and Audsley-Beck rip through the opposition to take play further upfield. Two minutes later, from a Ripon scrum, quick ball to Seal, saw him break the first tackle to put Butler away to romp in for Ripon’s second try. Scull added the conversion.

The visitors then stepped up their game and battled their way back into the Ripon 22 metre area. A penalty touch kick gave them a line out opportunity which they converted into an effective catch and drive. From the ensuing melee a Roundhegian forward plunged over the line to score, only to be disallowed as the referee was unsighted. A lucky escape for Ripon and a reminder that this wasn’t going to be a walkover.

From the five metre scrum, the visitors attack was halted and Ripon sought to clear their lines. An offside by the defenders however, gave the visitors another opportunity to take a penalty touch kick. Another effective catch and drive saw the visitors run through three phases before their Prop crashed over from inches for their first try of the game on the 66th minute mark. The conversion took the score to 15 – 10 and further motivation for Ripon play with more patience and structure.

The patience and aggressive defensive tactics saw Ripon gaining the ascendancy and challenge the opposition fiercely. From a line out just inside their half, Plant stormed off downfield and made some good yards to Scull, who evaded a couple of tackles to offload to Stiddard coming on at pace. Jack Stiddard crashed through the remainder of the defence to touch down and take the score up to 20 – 10, with Scull’s conversion opening up a comfortable gap with 10 minutes to go.

Five minutes later, quick ball from a Ripon line out on the visitor’s 10 metre line, saw Audsley-Beck loop into the line from his wing and sweep past the defence. A perfectly weighted pass put Joe Duffield away, to burst through three tackles to score Ripon’s fourth and bonus point winning try. Scull added the conversion to put Ripon out of sight at 29 – 10.

With five minutes left of the game, Roundhegians threw everything at their hosts. The pace was intense, the action frenetic, but they simply couldn’t break through Ripon’s “iron curtain defence”. This in a repeat of the ending of the first half, Ripon were solidly defending their lines against all comers and welcomed the final whistle.

Overall a sterling performance by Ripon, who played with conviction, attacked with confidence and defended with organisation and structure. A solid team performance and one from which Ripon moved up into third place in the Division. Next week Ripon travel to Pontefract, and hope to pose them some interesting challenges. Kick offs revert to 2.15 from this game onwards, meet times to be advised.