North Ribblesdale 6 - 12 Pocklington
Pocklington
got their league campaign back on track with a gutsy display at North Ribblesdale
where they battled to marvellous victory against the odds.
North Ribblesdale's
ground at Settle is notoriously one of the hardest places to get a result in Yorkshire
- except, that is, for Pocklington, who have now come away with a win from eight
of their last nine visits. But Yara Phosyn sponsored Pocklington still had to
do it the hard way. They received a Friday phone call to say the game was in doubt
due to heavy recent rain, and when the pitch was subsequently passed just fit
they set off for the Dales early on Saturday morning with a much changed side,
again packed with teenagers,
And though they had first use of the strong wind
blowing straight down the ground, it was of little advantage as a big 12 to 2
penalty count against them in the first quarter meant they spent almost the whole
time defending their own line. Pocklington shot themselves in the foot early on
by kicking to the corner only for the ball to blow dead, then five penalties on
the trot enabled Ribblesdale to set up camp on the Pock line. But strong tackling
throughout the team repulsed the home side at four successive five meter scrums
to hold out.
Pocklington finally broke out of defence with young back row Matt
Davies leading the way with a couple of powerful charges upfield. And they got
their chance to show their attacking prowess on the half hour from a turnover
scrum when centre Nick Bennett made a slashing run on the diagonal that almost
broke through. Scrum half Ben Rees kept the momentum going with a couple of meaty
charges, then hooker Dave Birch was held up over the line, before play was switched
right where flanker Scott Littlefair battered to within a yard and prop and skipper
John-Paul Kelly energetically arrived first to swoop over in the corner for the
try.
However, the omens were not good for Pocklington as North Ribblesdale
took their turn with the wind to cut the gap to two points after just three minutes
of the second half. But Pocklington dug deep and took the game to Ribblesdale
thanks to some excellent pack work against the bigger home forwards, with lock
Ed Bean making several crucial steals at the front of the lineout.
Pocklington
continued to tackle strongly in midfield and the back row but also made the most
of their occasional attacking opportunities, with good interpassing down the left
turning defence into offence on the hour. The Pock pack pressed in the left corner,
then the ball came out to the backs for Henry Mitchell and Jack Holbrough to run
hard and straight and quick possession set up Bennett as the third wave of attack
to dive over at the side of the posts and add the conversion.
Ribbledale threw
everything at Pocklington to get back on terms, but they were restricted to just
one more penalty as Pocklington's commitment never wavered and forced the home
side into errors and wrong options. The heavy conditions took their toll of both
sides in the closing stages, and Pocklington also lost a couple of key players
to injury, but emergency replacement wing Dan Wilson almost sealed it with a cunning
interception in his own half only to run out of steam as he tried to steer a way
to the posts through the mud.
Pocklington's young front row stuck to their
task as Ribblesdale threw on their big scrummagers to try and save the day, and
the game was summed up in the last play. Ribblesdale knew a converted try could
still steal victory, but Pocklington resolutely defended a scrum in the right
corner, and when the ball was moved left along the home line Pock's rush defence
forced a home handling error for the final whistle to bring them two hard-earned
and well deserved league points.