Pocklington 3 - 12 Old Pocklingtonians
The
Old Pocklingtonians retained the Bottomley Trophy when they scored
twice in
the last ten minutes to snatch victory in front of a big Boxing Day crowd at Percy
Road.
The lineups certainly had a cosmopolitan look, with both sides
sprinkled
with junior internationals and county players, and the OPs having four of the
five sets of brothers on view, including players from London, South Africa and
Australia.
But if the selections were festive, the action was much more pragmatic,
with defenses well on top for the first hour, during which neither side
looked
like scoring a try. Big tackles and turnovers at the breakdown
were the order
of the day, with most of the running rugby coming from
route one charges up
the middle as the two well matched sides tested
each other out without being
able to break down their opponents.
The OPs had the territorial advantage
for the first quarter of an hour,
then Pocklington took over thanks to their
longer kicking game. They produced a couple of pack drives down the right, while
Wilson and Mitchell made some cogent charges in midfield. In reply the OPs got
the ball wide on a couple of occasions but the final pass went to ground, and
they declined a couple of easy kicking chances to run penalties, though they were
wide with a penalty shot at goal with the last kick of the first half.
Defenses
remained in control in the second half, though Pocklington
started to get
the upper hand and were unlucky on a couple of
occasions. Home skipper Mitchell
produced a hanging crosskick to
the right where wing Nixon looked likely to
score only for the ball to
bounce away from his grasp. Then centre Wilson
made a storming
break up the middle, and when Pocklington held the position
lock Rowley was driven over in the right corner but the referee was unsighted
and ruled out the touchdown.
Pocklington finally accepted a straightforward
penalty which fullback
Bennett kicked to break the deadlock. But the OPs then
launched a
late rally and after their backs had stretched the home cover by
moving
the ball crossfield to the right and then back left, the old boy pack
arrived in support and front rower Webber plunged over, scrum half Rook converting
from wide out. And the OPs sealed victory with another touchdown within two minutes
as Rook box kicked into space from halfway and Webber burst clear down the blind
side to collect and score.
There was also a 2nd XV social game at Kilnwick
Road including some regular players and others turning out for the first time
in years, which the OP amalgamation won 12-0.
Before the game there was a minutes
silence for Les Hill, who played for Pocklington and Rowntrees in the 1970s. And
afterwards there was another convivial Christmas reunion, facilitated by the sponsorship
of the Old Pocklingtonians Association.