But for the valiant efforts of a few individuals and the personal contribution of “Points Machine”, Richard Scull, who owned this week’s scoreboard, this Ripon performance could have looked a lot worse. Wetherby celebrated their first win of the season against a Ripon team that could and should have produced far more of a performance and a very different result. The visitors to their credit, stuck to a simple game plan, based on their powerful scrum and well-disciplined loose play, to chip away at the score-line and run out worthy winners.

Ripon fielded a couple of changes in the reintroduction of Tom Graham, returning from injury to make his very impressive debut at Outside Centre and club stalwart Dan Watson, offering a creditable shift in the second row. Late call-ups came to Mark Greenwood and Ben Pilling for their first top notch games of the season and a welcome back from holiday to Dom Dalby, hoping to provide some beef in the scrum and go-forward in attack.

In still decent weather conditions and in front of a sizeable crowd, swelled by the ranks of the Ripon “Grumpy Old Ruckers” and the travelling “Wetherby Massive”, the scene was set for some lively banter, if not an entertaining game. To the casual observer, the banter probably created the most excitement and to the Wetherby supporters, the performance of their team. For the Ripon faithful, however a disappointing loss following on from last week’s and an example of how lack of commitment to training as a team can negatively impact on the game overall.
Not all bad for the Blues by any means and with some flashes of brilliance from a number of players. Not great overall however and with a coaching team as committed and skilled as Ripon has, it is the players that make the team and more commitment from more players to better prepare for every game, has to be the only way forward to meet the club’s ambitions to progress.

Wetherby kicked off and as seems customary, the reception was not as clean as could have been. An off side decision allowed the visitors to recapture possession from a penalty to touch. The line out went Ripon’s way, but an adjudged knock on gave the home team their first scrum, which didn’t go their way as the front row popped up like Meerkats. The penalty offered to the visitors was converted to a further scrum, which saw some composure from Mark Sadler at Tight Head to reverse the visitors’ aspiring scrum dominance and give Ripon a penalty opportunity to clear their lines.

From the quickly taken penalty, Scull and Guy Watkinson opened up the defence with ease, only for Scull to be taken down late after a chip ahead. Scull regained his senses sufficiently to open the scoring for Ripon with a penalty goal. From the restart, the Blues looked comfortable with ball in hand and saw Jonty Lister lope off up-field. A minor indiscretion saw possession switch to the visitors by way of a free kick, but Lister snuffed out the counter attack with his trademark tackling and Dalby fought for the turnover to gain Ripon a further penalty.

From the touch kick and line out, play progressed well for Ripon, until a handling error allowed the visitors to counter back into the home half. From a further handling error, the Wetherby scrum showed real character and drove Ripon back a full 20 metres before the referee blew for a penalty for breaking early. The goal kick was easy enough to take the score to 3 – 3 after 20 minutes of play.

Ripon’s play in the remainder of the half grew more frustrating, with set moves breaking down, the scrum static at best and open play beset by handling errors. Scull added credit and credibility with several line breaks and an immense tackle count, as well as a second penalty goal at the half hour mark. Creditable also were Findlay and Rob Nicholson, with their aggression and omni-presence and Tom Graham, making the hard yards out wide. The visitors however, stuck to a controlled but effective style of play and with the addition of three more penalty goals for the defence repeatedly being off side, went into the break leading 6 – 12.

Not wanting to appear too negative, but Ripon just didn’t play like a team. The early cohesion learned from pre-season efforts, was lacking and whilst there are bound to be changes to any side, there was a general lack of joined up thinking. Individual efforts were very worthy of note and helped keep the score down, but teamwork has to be the winning formula. And that was the focus of the half time team talk.
Ripon kicked off the second half with a great contest from Findlay for possession, which unfortunately went back the visitor’s way. In an effort to stifle the counter, Seal made an error adjudged to be a deliberate knock on and left the pitch and the team short, for ten minutes.

Undeterred, Ripon looked to press on and through Lister, drove up-field to camp on the visitors’ line. After several attempts to pick and go from breakdowns, Ripon were finally awarded a penalty. The kick to touch saw a well-executed catch and drive and once the ball was released, Richard Scull jinked through for Ripon’s first try of the game and with his conversion added, took the hosts and his personal tally into the lead at 13 – 12 after only five minutes played of the second half. The crowd rallied in support, but it wasn’t enough to increase the score in Ripon’s favour.

Wetherby attacked from the restart and forced Ripon into a defensive touch down. The following drop out was calmly gathered by the visitors, who though simple hands to the right, put their winger into the corner for their second, but unconverted try to regain the lead at 13 – 17.
Ripon continued to battle, but for no further score. This was despite many sterling efforts without result. The hosts held on for much of the last quarter, against repeated attacks, with little in the way of countering. Cruelly, the visitors pounced on squandered line out possession in the dying seconds, to score a third and final try. Whilst unconverted, it still took the score to the final whistle and a demoralising for Ripon, score of 13 – 24.

Next Saturday, Ripon travel to Wath upon Dearne for another test of their resilience and composure. A good turn out on the training pitch on Thursday might help the chances of restoring pride and returning to winning ways. Kick off 3.00pm, all support welcome.