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Juniors U13 Archive |
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Saturday
14 March 2009
Chester le Street 17 Durham City 24
Gateshead Fell 0 Durham City 44
Durham
City 47 Hartlepool Rovers 5 Wednesday
November 19th Hollow Drift Blaydon
5 Durham City 36 Westoe
0 Durham City 43 28th of September 2008 Durham
City 36 Blaydon 5 21st of September 2008 Sunderland
RFC 0 Durham City 29 14th of September 2008 Durham City 22 Mowden 0
Hollow Drift - Saturday 14 March 2009
Old rivalries were renewed on Saturday when City played host to the Driffield RFC U13 tourists. As in previous encounters between the two sides, an evenly matched contest ensued with Durham once more taking the honours, 15 - 7. The match took place on the first team pitch as a curtain raiser to the day’s main event, the North Two East match between Durham and Driffield’s senior sides (another victory to City!). From the moment the first tackle was made it was evident that this was going to be a physical game to test forwards and backs alike. Stalemate was a feature of the first quarter of the game with Driffield stifling any City attempts to move the ball quickly between the backs. It was difficult to see where the breakthrough would come from as City were forced to rethink their tactics. As so often this season, it was the quick-thinking of fly half Jacob Bushnell that proved the turning point. His perfectly placed chip ahead was chased down by Matthew Whaley who used his soccer prowess (or was it those boots?) to kick the ball on. His speed took him past the last defender to touch the ball down. 5 – 0 City. Driffield’s excellent defence thwarted attack after attack but the pressure finally told when they were penalised in front of their own posts. Possibly expecting the Durham tap penalty to go straight, Driffield’s defence was caught napping as the ball was spread wide at pace for Luke Elliot to score in the right corner. Half-time, 10 – 0 City. The second half continued in much the same fashion as the first with Driffield repelling attack after attack. Although mostly on the back foot, they made the odd foray forward that tested the City defensive line. However, City extended their lead when James Milne went over after picking up the ball from the base of the scrum. This made up for the team’s disappointment moments earlier when Luke Elliot thought he’d scored his second try of the game, only for play to be brought back for a forward pass. Determined to give all the squad a run-out, Durham rang the changes throughout the half so that by the end of the game every available player had game time, with Driffield also doing the same. Despite committed play from the whole team, for the last quarter, Driffield pressed the City line and after having a try disallowed (blown early by the referee), the pressure finally told with a great try from their forwards, with the last play of the match. The try was brilliantly converted by the Driffield scrum half (voted MOM by the City squad). Final score, 15 – 7. Man
of the match Overall,
an excellent, competitive match that proved to be one of the toughest
of the season to date, and although City were short of a few regular
players, due to school commitments, the rest of the squad rose
to the challenge magnificently, proving once more that there is
increasing strength in depth within the ever growing City U13’s.
The game kicked off in driving sleet, and ended in warm spring sunshine. Both teams were short of regular forwards due to school ski trips, and in the blustery, wintry conditions which prevailed in the first ten minutes both sides were guilty of handling errors. Alnwick proceeded to kick away possession from the scrum and City retrieved but failed to penetrate a strong tackling visitors defence. Despite the conditions, a really competitive opening twenty minutes unfolded until City broke the deadlock with their first kick of the game. From broken play the home half backs moved quick ball to Whalley and the centre kicked over the top of the advancing Alnwick backline into space well within the 22m line. Although the visiting full back gathered, he was immediately swallowed by both Whalley and Ballantyne. From the ensuing loose ball Ballantyne pounced to score the opening try and his fifth of the season. With time ebbing away to half time, this had been one of the more tightly fought contests of the season so far. From a scrum Heron moved the ball blind and fed Elliott (on as a replacement for the injured Howie). The winger ran with pace and guile against the Alnwick defence, before taking contact and presenting the ball. In limited space, Owens and Bain formed an effective ruck and the ball moved rapidly down the backline to Metson who applied blistering pace to out sprint the Northumbrian defence and score in the corner. In difficult playing conditions, this was a beautifully executed Durham move, set up by mobile forwards, and executed to perfection by the backs. Half time: City 10 Alnwick 0 With numerous changes to forwards and backs, City continued to challenge their opponents early in the second half, and despite the change in personnel the ball continually moved from one side of the field to another. In much improved playing conditions, Roberts showed great endeavour by charging down a clearance kick in the middle of the visitors 22m, kicking ahead, and scoring under the posts. From this classic wing forward score, Bushnell converted to make it 17-0. To their great credit, and despite the score line, the Alnwick side continued to battle for possession, tackle like their lives depended upon it and ran hard and straight. They took control of the scrums in particular for a ten minute spell and ensured that the game was played in the City half of the field. Then, as has happened on several occasions this season, Bushnell showed his class by selling a dummy switch and racing through the middle of the defence to score under the posts. 22-0 to City. City fielded the rest of their playing squad for the final 15 minutes of the game, with only three players who started, being on the field at the end of the fifty minutes. Despite the score line this was very much still a contest, and after several minutes of intense pressure on the home try line, Alnwick went over from a 5 metre scrum. This was nothing short of what they deserved having given their all from start to finish. Full time: Durham City 22 Alnwick 5 Man of the match: Good solid displays from relative new boys such as Jerome and Jordan should not be overlooked, Robbie Metson and Liam Owens competed throughout, and it was encouraging to see Callum Bain back in good form. Captain for the day, Matthew Whalley was the star however, with attacking running, intelligent kicking and excellent leadership (for a Frenchman) particularly in the second half. Well done young man. Come on City lets keep this run going, that’s over 500 points scored this season, despite the nine fixtures lost. Special
thanks also to the Alnwick squad for travelling a long way south
for this game, they contested everything and played the game in
a terrific spirit. They are a credit to their club and coaches
and hopefully we’ll see them again next season. City fielded a team to start the match which represented both experienced and developing players, in great playing conditions weather-wise, despite the boggy conditions underfoot. Both packs dominated the opening quarter of the game, with the ball seldom reaching the three quarter lines. Durham pressure eventually resulted in Powell going over from a pick up from a 5m scrum, to score a classic No.8 try. Bushnell converted to make the score 7-0 after a good competitive first fifteen minutes. Powell repeated his move some five minutes later, this time under greater pressure from a stalwart home defence, only to have the try disallowed and a penalty awarded for not releasing the ball. City were then camped in the home 22, and from a Gateshead line out, the ball to the home scrum half was messy and an alert Thomas Ball pounced to score not only his first try of the season, but his first ever try for Durham City….raising the spirits of players and spectators alike, and crowning what was becoming a first class display by the first choice hooker. As the half progressed, the game remained a good contest with the home pack doing well to hold the running of Messrs Daglish, Powell, Owens and Bain. Half time: Gateshead 0 Durham City 12 City made sweeping changes at half time in order to give all players at least half a game. From a scrum on half way on the right touchline, City moved the ball to Trotman, standing in as No.10. Alex powerfully ran through a gap and made 20 metres, before offloading to Whalley, who continued to run straight at the Gateshead defenders. The centre was held up 15 metres out, but had the presence to feed his support runners, and Ballantyne finished off a fine passage of play to score City’s third try, and his fourth of the season. From the re-start, the City pack worked hard to secure the ball which was passed to Sedgewick. George proceeded to run straight and hard for approximately 40 metres, deep into the home half, with at least half the opposing pack either hanging on or falling by the wayside in the process. (It should be noted that Sedgewick Senior shadowed George’s run from start to finish, and in his excitement, managed to completely knock over several spectators, two City substitutes and a kebab wagon). Similar to the Ball try in the first half the surging run galvanised the City lads, and from the resulting set piece, Yetman broke from the back of the scrum and ran in a good scrum-half’s try. The final ten minutes of the game was dominated by a resurgent Gateshead pack that refused to concede the match and gamefully took the ball into contact with City at every opportunity. Despite the scoreline, well done to both teams for making this a competitive match to watch. Full time: Gateshead RFC 0 Durham City 22 Man of the Match: When trying to both win the game and give every squad player game time, sometimes the flow of play is disrupted, and it is hard for players to adjust to new team mates and playing conditions. Its also hard to make your mark when only on the field for 25 minutes, and in that regard the likes of Bushnell, Howie, Ball and Daglish did very well. Man of the match was awarded to Liam Owens, for a great display at flanker, and in the second half in particular, taking over pack leader responsibilities and leading by example throughout. Well done Liam, his second award of the season. Well done Thomas for that try, and George for the run…to both boys…lets have a few more! Stop Press: Apparently the kebab wagon is a write off!
With Horden stunned by two quick scores, the home team then piled on the pressure, by scoring almost straight from the re-start, with Howie racing in again down the right wing after good link up play from Bushnell. The fly half converted to make the score 21-0. The City pack, driven on by Heron then proceeded to drive over the Horden line. A darting run from the back of the ruck saw the scrum half held up on the line. The pack recycled again and Andy Clough went over for his first try for the club. This time Whalley converted well to make it 28-0. The
home team had now knocked the stuffing out of a good Horden side
and the forwards began to enjoy some space with Matthew Roberts
wriggling clear and making several metres before feeding a rampaging
Daglish who touched down under the posts. Bushnell converted.
Almost directly from the re-start City kicked ahead from Bushnell.
Heron chased up and gathered the ball amidst hesitation from the
covering Horden winger. The scrum half fed Bushnell, and the no.10
had a clear run in under the posts to score the sixth city try
of a pulsating first half. Bushnell converted. Half time: Durham
City 42 Horden 0 Horden then
rallied well to score three tries and two conversions in quick
succession as gaps appeared in the City defence for the first
time, and the visitors had plenty of possession to run at the
home side. With the score City 47 Horden 19, and around 10 minutes
still to play, the Horden support thought they saw light at the
end of the tunnel. However, City re-grouped and retained sufficient
possession to halt the Horden resurgence, with tighter defence
forcing handling errors from the visitors. From a scrum in the
midfield, on the edge of the visitors 22m line, Bushnell dummied
a switch pass to Whalley, and then set off down the middle of
the Horden defence. Two side steps later, the fly half scored
his hat trick try under the posts. Bushnell converted his own
score. Final score: Durham City 54 Horden 19
The Riverside, Chester le Street Chester-le-Street 17 – 24 Durham City Having come off a good solid performance last week in treacherous conditions at Gateshead, and having had precious little competitive rugby since the middle of November, this was an opportunity to give the less experienced and new members of the squad some proper game time, against an relatively new and inexperienced Chester-le-Street side. Unfortunately, Chester-le-Street could not field a full side and therefore at the request of the Chester-le-Street coach, who also refereed the match, the game was played with only 13 players on each side and just 5 players in the scrum and lineout, with this arrangement favouring the home side much more than City. Add cold, damp, blustery conditions and the chance for the newer and less experienced players to shine and introduce all they had learnt from the numerous training sessions since November, was sadly stifled. The
game began brightly enough, with City dominating the breakdown
and moving the ball wide, and the home side defended their line
valiantly for a period of several minutes on the right, before
the ball was eventually spun out to Bushnell and the fly half
made a perfectly angled inside cut which wrong footed two defenders.
With the line seemingly at his mercy, he made for the line but
was tap tackled by the third and final defender to fall short
of the line. Excellent support from Metson meant he was on hand
to receive the pass to make the first score of the contest. Unfortunately,
the quality of the game then deteriorated with a series of high
tackles and off the ball incidents, and along with City being
penalised with free kicks for knock-ons, control of the game was
looking to slip away from City. This was further compounded, with
ten minutes remaining, when a Chester-le-Street player pounced
on a loose ball from an off-side position in the City half, and
following a strong run along with lacklustre tackling from City,
Chester-le-Street scored a converted try beneath the posts, to
bring the score to 19-17 to City. However, the prospect of losing
our unbeaten record spurred the City players into action, with
once again Powell and Metson leading the way. Battling for every
piece of possession, this eventually led Yetman weaving his way
over from close range to crown a consistently gutsy performance
with a deserved score. Final score: Chester le Street 17 Durham
City 24 Sunday 25 January 2009, Gateshead Gateshead Fell 0 Durham City 44
Despite terrible playing conditions, eight tries by five different players saw City progress to the next round of the County Cup and ensured that the team’s unbeaten run continued. With surface water everywhere, and the mud seemingly fathomless in places, the match pitch was deemed unplayable by the referee, who moved it to the equally saturated adjacent pitch. Thankfully, that was to be the only dubious refereeing decision of the day. Concerns about how the team would adapt were soon dispelled as City attacked from the off and, despite a few fumbled passes, quickly adapted to playing in the treacherous conditions. They were soon off the mark when Matthew Roberts reacted first to a loose ball at the back of a maul and surged over the try line. 5 – 0 City. If the first try was down to the hard work of the forwards, the second was text book play by the backs. The ball was spun wide by Will Heron and then Jacob Bushnell, who looped round to be on hand to finish off a smart move. 10 – 0 City. The backs were in full flow again soon afterwards with Alex Trotman and Luke Elliot combining well on the left. However, it was left to prop Andy Dalglish to finish of the backs’ hard work. 15 – 0 City. Despite playing the entire half camped inside Gateshead’s half, some sterling defence by the home side ensured that that the half time score remained 15-0. With three coaches off-piste somewhere in the Alps, the half time team talk may have been less colourful than usual but it had a similar effect as City came out all guns blazing and scored with their first real attack. Surging forward play down the right set up the backs who passed it along the line to Trotman. His ambitious miss pass appeared to have halted the move until a superb pick up off the ground by Luke Elliot saw him race in the left corner. 20 – 0 City. Minutes later, a similar flowing move saw Elliot hug the touch line and dive in next to the corner flag. 25 – 0 City. Gateshead were increasingly under pressure in the middle of the park with their players forced backwards in an attempt to find space. Eventually the ball was nicked by Robert Ballantyne and spread quickly to Bushnell who raced through to score his second try. Mistaking the waterlogged pitch for a swimming pool, he made a spectacular dive to ground the ball. After drying himself off, he stepped up to convert his own try, 32 – 0 City. With the forwards now completely dominant, the backs were enjoying plenty of possession. Another swift move saw Robbie Metson side-step twice to race through and score under the posts. Amazing feet in the conditions! Bushnell converted. 39 – 0 City. The scoring was completed when Bushnell rounded off a man of the match performance by breaking from inside his own 22 and racing the length of the field to score his hat-trick under the posts. Committed
tackling, great passing and handling in the conditions, tireless
running and some fabulous tries were highlights of an excellent
team performance. Well done lads! Durham
City 47 Hartlepool Rovers 5 City lined up with several first team regulars missing after their five week lay off, and kicked off in blustery conditions with the wind behind them. The home side maintained possession from the start and after a penalty on the left on the Rovers 22 metre line they worked the ball right, with fly half Bushnell making a break for the line. He was held up short of the line, but found Owens backing up on his hip and the forward went over for his first try for the club. Shortly afterwards the City full back, Trotman retrieved a long kick down the middle on the edge of his 22 metre area and proceeded to carry the ball well into the opponents half before releasing Whaley who ran straight down the tram line to score in the corner leaving three defenders in his wake. 10-0. The visitors continued to compete in loose play and made several impressive kicks downfield to clear their lines when under pressure. However, whenever the City pack produced clean ball, Heron fed his backline and City advanced. After 15 minutes, Whaley scored again, this time from close range, with good work by Bushnell who backed up a run by Howie for the corner. The home side were now firmly in control with Powell and Roberts dominating in the mauls in particular. This time it was Howie’s turn to be rewarded for good support play as Ballantyne and Bushnell were both held up short of the line, and the winger acrobatically held the pass to dive over for the fourth try. 20-0. Finally, towards the end of the half pressure on the line finally led to Trotman taking the ball at pace and coasting over. Half time: City 25 Rovers 0
Durham made changes at half time, and spent the first ten minutes of the second half defending their own try line, as the visitors took full advantage of the high wind and poor concentration of the home team. From a 5 metre scrum Hartlepool scored a well deserved try in the corner. 25-5. The remainder of the match however proved to be one-way traffic with City finally getting into gear again as the visitors tired. After forward surges by Whaley, and then Bain, full back Brown gathered and dived over for a short range score, his first for the club. Almost immediately afterwards, followed the try of the game, with Bushnell passing the ball out and looping around his entire back line to take the ball and outrun the defence to score a spectacular try under the posts. He then stepped to kick the only conversion of the game. 37-5. From the restart the play immediately moved towards the Rovers try line and strong running by Davies and Bain, allowed Dalglish to pick up and power over from close range. In the final move of the game, after more pressure exerted by the forwards, Heron moved the ball wide and Bushnell accepted the easy task of running in to score the team’s ninth try and his second of the game. Final score Durham City 47 Hartlepool Rovers 5.
Man of the match: Despite the score line this was a patchy performance, played in windy conditions, with many players looking a little rusty after several weeks of inactivity. Jacob Bushnell was an exception. His execution and judgement were consistently good, he scored two tries, one of which was a beauty, and he was focussed from start to finish. Well done young man, what better way to round off the first half of the season. Wednesday
November 19th Hollow Drift The City team returned the First XV pitch three days after their successful outing against Tynedale. Durham fielded a much changed pack for this floodlit fixture, with several of the regulars turning out for the school. In damp, at times blustery, conditions, the two sets of forwards effectively cancelled each other out, with the Johnston boys looking strong in the maul in particular. After ten minutes, with the City backline starting to assert themselves, Whaley went over for the game’s first score, and his 12th try of the season. The pattern for the first half was now set and although the schoolboys remained competitive in the close quarter play, once the ball left either scrum half, it was a different story. City moved the ball wide right and Metson cut in from the wing. Despite several attempted tackles, the winger powered over to make the score 10-0. Shortly afterwards, a smart piece of thinking by Heron at scrum half delivered the ball to Howie on the halfway line, and the left wing sprinted down the touchline to score under the posts without a single defender being able to get a hand on him. Shortly afterwards, after a greater sequence of passes, Howie scored again, with a run which was almost a carbon copy of his earlier success. Bushnell converted. Half time: City 22 Johnston 0
City made several changes at half time with many of the Durham School and Choristers, expecting to play several games in the week, making way for fresher legs. This made for a very competitive second period with the home side camped out within their own 22 metres for much of the first ten minutes. The visitors looked to have been rewarded for their pressure when Dalglish went over from close range in the corner, but the referee brought play back having already blown for an earlier infringement…ironically for a penalty to Johnston. Ironic is one of several ways to describe this decision! Eventually City played their way out of their own half, and a trademark run from Trotman saw him score in the corner. With the game won, and Johnston legs tiring, City then finished in attacking style with Elliott going over in the clubhouse corner just before the final whistle. Full time: Durham City 32 Durham Johnston 0
Man of the match: Charlie Howie for two outstanding long range tries which were brilliantly executed, stylish, and turned what was at the time a tight game. Sebastian Coe eat my shorts! Durham
City 10 Tynedale 5 In beautiful autumnal conditions, the under 13s saved their best performance of the season for their debut on the first team pitch. City played with the wind behind them in a very evenly contested first half. The Tynedale forwards looked threatening throughout with a mix of pace, strength and aggression, but the home pack dug deep and matched their opponents both in set play and in the loose. Matthew Roberts covered every blade of grass on the field, ably supported by Simpson, Owens, Bain and Powell. After a period of sustained Tynedale pressure, the City backs closed down their opposing numbers on the half way line and after a dropped pass in the centres, Howie kicked ahead and gathered his own kick. With the line at his mercy, the winger was caught with 5 metres to go, but had the composure to pop the ball back to Whalley in support who duly scored the game’s first try. Tynedale then took the game to City and used the lion’s share of possession to mount a series of attacks as the game was played almost exclusively within the home 22metres. From a maul the ball was recycled to the Tynedale fly half who, not for the first time in the match, elected to chip and chase ahead. His kick was well executed and from the resultant play the No. 10 went over for a well deserved score in the corner. Half time: Durham City 5 Tynedale 5 The second half began as the first had ended with City on the receiving end of some very determined forward play from the visitors. However, despite significant possession the Tynedale team were not threatening the City try line, and powerful drives from Daglish, Simpson and Davies, added to prolific tackling from Owens meant that City were very much in the game. Injuries to Heron and Howie, saw Milne and Elliott playing at scum half and wing respectively, in a match that was proving to be the most competitive of the season. In this high octane environment, then came arguably the best try of the season so far. Trotman gathered a kick and ran into midfield. From the ruck City moved the ball along the line to Metson. The winger ran onto a Ballantyne pass and produced an electrifying turn of pace to not only outrun his opponent but also the entire Tynedale cover. Hugging the touchline he dived to score a classic winger’s try and put City back in front. As Tynedale increased the tempo in a great effort to maintain their unbeaten record, the game intensified further, with both teams fighting for every inch of territory. A late tackle on Bain saw City awarded a penalty and Whalley launched a touch kick deep into the visitors half. From the resultant line out the Tynedale boys drove back, but again lacked true penetration, mainly due to the dogged resistance displayed by all fifteen Durham lads. At the final whistle, both teams had given their all, and coaches and parents applauded both teams off the field. A great contest between two very evenly matched teams. Man of the match: After a bad run of injuries, Liam Davies not only played a full game, he also tirelessly carried the ball into contact and was a major factor in the containment of the Tynedale pack. Keep it going Liam. Special
thanks….to the Tynedale coaches and squad who were prepared to
play two shortened games to allow everybody a game and allow the
newer players to develop further. Tynedale won an equally tight
second game 10-0 with the City boys competing throughout and notable
performances from Tunstell and Strzoda. Durham City 17 Horden 5 Shincliffe Sunday November 9
City fielded a full strength team for the first time in weeks for this benchmark fixture. In blustery and wet conditions, the Horden boys had the better of the opening play, consistently gaining the upper hand in the ruck. Although the game was being played almost exclusively in the Horden half, it was clear that the two sets of forwards were very well matched, and a fiercely competitive game of nine man rugby ensued. After a couple of sorties by Bushnell, the ball eventually reached Metson on the left wing and burst well into the visitors 22. From the resultant breakdown the home side moved the ball wide with pace and a well executed long pass from Bushnell fed Whaley. Still with work to be done, the centre ran around the cover to score in the corner. Shortly afterwards, following another penetrating run from Metson, the ball, a short pass fed, Whaley and he scored under the posts. Bushnell converted, and City had a hard fought 12-0 lead at half time. Horden started the second half by pinning City in their own half and enjoying a good deal of possession without really threatening the home defence. The work rate of both packs was impressive, with Owens, Powell and Simpson in particular never out of the action. Although lacking real pace and line breaking runners, the Horden team continued to doggedly challenge City, in what was developing into the most competitive game of the season so far. Yetman and Bushnell kicked intelligently to relieve pressure, and Dalglish spoiled at lineout. At last City were back in the opposition’s half and from a ruck under the posts, Horden infringed to give Durham a penalty within 10 metres of the line. City moved the ball quickly wide, and with the defence stretched, Trotman went over for the third, and result-clinching try. City made a number of changes in both forwards and backs for the final five minutes, and Horden to their credit remained totally committed. They were aggrieved not to have been awarded a late try in the left corner, as a result of a knock on, however their reward for 50 minutes of hard endeavour was a consolation score in the final play of the game. Full time: Durham City 17 Horden 5 Man of the match: A really tough decision this week given a great team effort from start to finish. Hard to bear also for the handful of lads who did not get on, do not fret your time will come! Matthew Whaley was outstanding in the tackle, his support play was first class in difficult conditions, and he fully deserved his two scores. Keep up the good work young man. The real season started today with the hard fixtures about to start…. Shincliffe
Sunday November 2nd
City fielded an experimental pack against a developing Gateshead team and laboured during a first half dominated by handling errors and the referee’s whistle. In a game lacking quality and continuity, the home side struggled during early line outs and at the scrum. Gateshead, although playing the majority of the game in their own half, enjoyed the greater percentage of possession and played with a good deal of courage and tenacity. With the opening half looking as though it would remain scoreless, Durham finally upped their game and from a 5 metre scrum, Bushnell put in Whaley with a switch pass, and the centre scored near the posts. Bushnell converted. Half time: City 7 Gateshead Fell 0 Durham made no fewer than six changes at half time and immediately took the game by the scruff of the neck, with Howie unlucky not to ground the ball in the try area after a strong run. City continued to pressure the visitors line and from a 5 metre scrum, number 8, Simpson, picked up and drove over the line on the blind side. With the home forwards now dominating both in set plays and in the loose, the backs enjoyed a plentiful supply of ball and combined with the back to craft the third try. Metson ran down the middle of park, evading several tackles before picking out Bain in support who in turn passed to Simpson who fed Whaley to score his second try. A great conversion from distance from Bushnell made the score 19-0. From the restart, Durham ran the ball, with intense pressure in the corner being rewarded with a try under the posts for Metson. Bushnell converted. The visitors were now visibly tiring and a tap penalty to Simpson saw the forwards set up a perfect platform to attack. The ball was moved to the right and then back into midfield where Trotman got on the end of a pass fro Elliott, and the fullback scored under the posts. Bushnell converted to make it 33-0. And finally….after releasing the ball from a midfield ruck, Bushnell threw a lengthy miss pass to Elliott who finished the move and the game with a try in the corner. Full time: Durham City 38 Gateshead Fell 0
Man of the Match: Liam Owen played the full game, tackled well and supported the City runners throughout. Without this level of commitment we would not enjoy the possession which allows the team to attack opposing sides with the success we have enjoyed so far this season. Well done Liam, a real team player. Blaydon Sunday October 26th Blaydon 5 Durham City 36
City went into the game short of six regulars, mainly in the forwards. This gave the team the opportunity to give Gough and Stokoe a start in the front row and move Dalglish to wing forward. In sunny but blustery conditions, City took a long kick off and forward pressure kept the home side pinned within their own 22m area for the opening period of the game. Eventually, Blaydon attempted to clear their lines with a long kick down the middle of the field. The ball hung in the air and bounced perfectly for the Durham full-back, Trotman to gather at pace. With the home back line struggling to get across the field, Alex out sprinted the defence to score in the corner. From the restart, City’s forwards led by Powell and Dalglish, and marshalled by Yetman, back at No.9, took the game straight back to Blaydon and after several minutes of frantic defence, the pressure again told on the home backs with a stray pass into the try area being pounced on by Whaley who grounded to score. Bushnell converted. 0-12 City were now well on top with the forwards establishing enough secure ball to allow the backs to run the ball at every opportunity. The third try came from the Blaydon outside centre being caught in possession by Robert Ballantyne who ripped free the ball and went over the line. Bushnell converted. 0-19. The home side then rallied and enjoyed their best period of open play in the half. A powerful break down the left was brought to a halt by a text book tackle by Bushnell, and from the resultant ruck, the City forwards proceeded to retrieve the ball through Stokoe. Jack drove forward and presented for the half backs to feed Metson who ran great lines before being held up 10 metres short of the try line. Tunstall and Ball were in immediate support and the ball was quickly recycled to Whaley, who put Trotman in for his second score of the half. Bushnell converted. Half time Blaydon 0 City 26 Blaydon struck back immediately from the kick off, with City failing to clear their lines with two poor clearance kicks. From a line out five metres out, the home side gathered and drove over the line for a deserved score. As the blustery conditions returned the game entered a scrappy phase with handling errors and ineffective rucking and mauling. This was largely played out in the Blaydon half. The home side were competing up front but lacked presence and decisiveness behind the scrum. In an effort to run the ball out of their 22, the Blaydon lads spun the ball wide, but the Durham backs were equal to this and Ballantyne robbed his opposite number and passed to Ball in support. The hooker was held up short of the line, and returned the compliment by putting Ballantyne over the line for his second try. City had by this stage won the game and the final quarter was illuminated by two fine solo runs from Robbie Metson. On the first occasion his pace and evasive skills took him past several Blaydon players before being crudely tripped. From the subsequent penalty the ball was quickly shipped to the winger again, who proceeded to make a point by weaving his way through the home defence from outside the 22m line, to complete the scoring. The final five minutes of the game saw resolute City defence prevent any further scores and the much depleted Durham side finished worthy, albeit tired winners. Full time: Blaydon 5 Durham City 36
Man of the Match: Once again there were many very good performances in a game which Durham were always in control despite the disruption to the team caused by the half term break. All the relative newcomers played their part, but Jack Stokoe in particular was first class. He played the full 50 minutes, making great yardage in the first half in particular and his work rate was second to none. Well done Jack. Hollow Drift Sunday October 19th Durham City 29 Billingham 14 City took the game to the opposition from the kick off, and received a great response from the visitors pack, who provided real opposition, led by the Billingham number 8, who drove from the base of a ruck to take the game into the City half. The home side re-grouped and put together 3-4 attacks with the ball being shipped wide to wingers who were thwarted only by valiant Billingham defence. Eventually their defence was broken as quick hands delivered the ball to Metson and the winger sprinted in for the opening score. Bushnell converted to make it 7-0 to City. By far the most competitive game of the season then unfolded with both packs scrapping for possession in an unrelenting ten minute spell of rucking and mauling. Eventually, it was the City backline, superbly fed by Heron, who broke the deadlock. From the far left of field the ball was moved to Howie who went for the corner, but was held up by a try saving tackled just inside the 22m line. Ballantyne took a pop pass from the winger and proceeded to break through three tackles to force himself over the line for the second try. The game was now following a pattern of ferocious forward play, edged by Durham, and flowing back play, dominated by the City team, held back by solid defence from Billingham. City reaped the full reward for their dominance with two tries in the space of five minutes. On both occasions, the forwards drove over a ball on the ground and Heron spun the ball at speed to number 10, Bushnell, who in turn fed his line for Metson to cross the line for well deserved scores. Robbie Metson’s hat-trick try in particular was well finished, with the winger stepping inside the covering full back to score under the posts. Bushnell converted. Half time: Durham City 22 Billingham 0 The second half started with sustained Billingham pressure and a converted try for the visitors under the City posts. 22- 7. With many reserves now playing in the City pack, the home side were now subjected to a ten minute period of intense pressure, with the Billingham side playing their best rugby of the day. After playing in their own 22m, City then counter-attacked and scored their best try of the game. From a ruck in the middle of the park, Bushnell took the ball at pace and a dummied pass took him into acres of space behind the visitors back line. He linked with Ballantyne who short-passed to Milne. Ballantyne then linked with the winger and burst through the gap left by the stretched defence. Whaley stormed up in support and took another short pass to race in under the posts. This was hard on the boys in green and white, given their hard work and dominance, but a great piece of counter attacking rugby by the City boys. Whaley converted to make it 29-7. After a further round of substitutions in the forwards City continued to defend resolutely, and a 20 metre break by Jack Stokoe looked to have cleared their lines with the game nearing closure. However, the visitors were not to be denied and after intense pressure on the City line a good pick up at pace from the Billingham centre saw him crash over the line. Billingham converted to give the score line some balance given their second half revival. Full time: Durham City 29 Billingham 14
Man
of the match: Robbie Metson, starting only his second game scored
a hat trick of tries in 15 minutes. Heron and Yetman continued
to show in their new positions, and Liam Owens was athletic throughout.
As per last week at Westoe the performance of the new players
continues to bode well. Toby Simpson more than matched his opponent
at No.8 and the backline generally continue to do their stuff.
Rhys Powell and Alex Trotman were voted joint “men of the match”
by the Billingham coaches. Rhys worked tiredlessly and impressively
throughout and Alex was a constant threat when he joined the line
and put in several important “hits” particularly in the second
half. A good display against a competent team….but there will
be even tougher games ahead. Sunday October 12th Westoe 0 Durham City 43
After a week off, City lined up again with several fowards short due to prolonged injuries, against a large Westoe squad, augmented with players from the now defunct Jarrovians side. On a warm, sunny autumnal morning, in conditions perfect for running rugby, City kicked off playing down the hill. From the kick off City kept the home side pinned in their own 22m, and after three successive penalties for loose play infringements the Durham pressure finally told and Andy Dalglish powered over for the first score of the game. From the re-start, City immediately went on the offensive with strong, straight running from the City backs, culminating in excellent wing play from Howie, who weaved his way forward into the Westoe 22 metre area. From the breakdown the ball was swiftly moved left-field along the three-quarter line and from the ensuing ruck, Andy Dalglish, playing at flanker for the first time, picked up and crashed over for his second try in ten minutes. Bushnell converted to make it 12-0, with City looking very confident. This time from the re-start City found themselves needing to defend their line as the home team exerted pressure from their pack in the visitors 22 metre area. Then, from a City scrum, the play went blind side, and a great sprint from Robbie Metson fed Alex Trotman. The full back took the ball at pace and proceeded to outsprint the entire Westoe defence to score in the corner. In the five minutes remaining until half time, City went over the home line twice. On the first occasion, the City backs once again moved the ball wide with precision and pace, and Howie outran two defenders to score a well-deserved try in the corner. Bushnell converted to make the score 24-0. Not to be outdone, Metson then scored possibly scored the try of the game on the stroke of half-time. City defended their line from a 5 metre scrum and the ball broke to Trotman. The fullback gathered and, under pressure, made ground before kicking high and straight ahead. The City backs, led by Ballantyne and Howie, pressurised the receiver and from the resultant turnover, Heron spun the ball out to the City backline who put in Robbie Metson for a spectacular score. Bushnell converted. Half time: Westoe 0 Durham City 31
City made changes to personnel in both pack and forwards at half time. Westoe pressed in the early stages particularly down the right, but after excellent work from the City pack, from turnover ball, Durham moved the ball wide, with Trotman coming into the line, he fed Whalley and the Anglo-French centre sprinted around the Westoe defence to score, another eye catching try. The game continued to be dominated by City, without turning the ascendancy into further points. The pack continued to perform well, particularly in loose play, and the half-backs and three quarters were always much quicker and slicker than the opposition, running the ball at every opportunity. Recognition must be given also to the Westoe lads, who, depite the scoreline, never gave up. As the game neared completion, City mounted a final attack with Bushnell, whose distribution had been immaculate throughout, he dummied and broke into the Westoe 22m. Powell picked up and fed Whalley and Ballantyne who sent Howie in for his second try. Whalley converted from the side line to seal a convincing victory. Full time: Westoe 0 City 43
Man
of the Match: Westoe coaches (AND City coaches) selected Jacob
Bushnell as the game’s outstanding player. His judgement, distribution,
running, kicking and communication were of the first order throughout.
He also put in the first, all-important text book tackle on the
Westoe number 8, who is six foot tall and thirteen stone! Well
done Jacob. And well done to all the City squad. We had new guys
playing for the first time, old guys playing new positions, and
players with injuries…and nobody took a backward step the whole
game, all in all a grand day out! Sunday September 28th Durham City 36 Blaydon 5 City started the game deprived of six regulars through a combination of illness, injury and school commitments. In ideal playing conditions the Durham boys immediately took the game to the Blaydon forwards and after five minutes their dominance produced a score. After several phases of open play possession, Robbie Metson made an incisive break down the blind side and linked well with Matthew Whalley who outran the defensive cover to score in the corner. From the restart the City pack continued their onslaught with Powell, Dalglish and Ball all making ground and recycling. Roberts and scrum half Yetman continued to move the team to within 5 metres of the try line. After further sustained pressure, Yetman fed Bushnell and the fly half dived over for a try made by the pack. Bushnell converted his own score. City were now dominating in loose play and the platform created by solid forward play allowed the backline to move the ball wide with speed and precision. Two successive flowing back moves were only thwarted by excellent covering tackles as Blaydon defended valiantly. From a midfield scrum Jacob Bushnell fed Matthew Whalley a switch pass and the inside centre stormed through a series of tackles to score his second try and City’s third. The centre completed his hat trick of tries several minutes later when he completed a sequence of excellent handling from Metson, Ballantyne and Trotman to again outrun the Blaydon cover to score under the posts. Bushnell converted. Durham completed the half with a try from their captain, Rhys Powell, picking up and crashing over from a 5m scrum. This was a convincing first half performance by the whole team. Half time: City 29 Blaydon 0 The visitors made several changes to their pack at half time and started the second period on the offensive. With increased strength, pace and determination in the pack, Blaydon took the game to City, and the home side struggled to get out of their own 22m area for almost ten minutes. After soaking up this intense physical pressure, Yetman kicked ahead and Ballantyne chased down the kick, holding up the Blaydon full back and recapturing possession. James Milne followed up in support, sprinted into the opposition half and fed Alex Trotman who accelerated past the cover and scored a breakaway try under the posts. Trotman converted. Blaydon continued to press and despite steadfast City defence the visitors were rewarded for their efforts with a consolation try in the final minute as their outstanding forward (who shall be known as No. 21) drove over from a penalty in the corner. Full time: City 36 Blaydon 5
Man of the match: In a game which had many contenders, (Ball, Powell, Roberts to name but three….) the choice of the Blaydon coaches was Matthew Whalley. Three tries, strong running, no dropped passes, and a constant threat to the visitors defence, well done Matthew. Much better than last week boys, lets build on this performance. Sunday September 21st Sunderland 0 Durham City 29 Both teams struggled to achieve control and continuity in a scrappy encounter which deteriorated in quality as the game went on. City were in the ascendancy throughout the first half and deservedly went in front after persistent possession from the forwards allowed the backline to move the ball wide and wingman Elliott went over in the corner. Elliott continued to make ground throughout the half with a series of mazy runs as the Durham backs looked to have the beating of the home side. It was not long after another flowing move along the three quarter line resulted in Elliott being held up just short of the try line, and Trotman, in support, went over to make it 10-0. By this stage in the game, the scrum was proving to be a problem and the referee took time out to speak to both front rows and respective coaches. Shortly before half time, after further pressure from the City pack, Powell charged from 10 metres and despite dogged defence from the home side, went over for City’s third try. Whaley converted. Half time: Sunderland 0 City 17 Sunderland forwards had the better of a poor second half as the difficulties at the scrum continued to spoil the contest. The home side failed to capitalise upon their dominant possession, and after playing the majority of the half in their own 22, City broke from the midfield, Simpson made good progress and found Elliot who evaded the home defence with ease to score under the posts. Trotman converted. The game ended on high note for City with prop Dalglish sprinting from a line out some 30 metres out to score in the corner. Full time: Sunderland 0 City 29 Man of the Match: In a match of poor quality, played on an uneven surface, Robert Ballantyne, at outside centre excelled in respect of his positioning, unselfish distribution and strength at the breakdown.
The
score line suggests a convincing win, but City will need to train
hard and play much better to make an impact against stronger opposition.
The manoeuvres of the low flying second world war Dakota will
be remembered long after this match is forgotten! Sunday September 14th 2008 Durham City 22 Darlington MP 0 Home at Shincliffe After heavy overnight rain, conditions were very wet underfoot and as a result the early exchanges were littered with handling errors as both sides struggled with the slippery ball. After several set pieces inside the visitor's 22m line, Durham's forwards took control of the open game, and persistent front five pressure eventually produced an opening score. After several phases of taking the ball into contact and recycling, Durham moved the ball wide with speed and precision along the back line, leaving wingman Charlie Howie to finish off the move with style and crossing the visitor's line for a rousing score. From the restart, City continued the onslaught, only pegged back by resolute Darlington defence and the slippery conditions. After 15 minutes play, almost entirely played in the visitor's half, Durham scored their second try. Toby Simpson broke from a maul and although stopped within 5 metres of the try line, he managed to offload to the support player, Jack Yetman, who raced over for his first try of the season. City's third was scored by Andy Daglish who powered over from a tap penalty on the stroke of half time. After two very long range efforts, this time Jacob Bushnell added a further two points from the conversion. Half time 17-0. The second half continued much where the first half had left off with Durham looking to exert pressure, and contain the play almost exclusively in the DMP half. After ten minutes further brave defence by Darlington, Durham again moved the ball wide, and good link up play at the breakdown from Robert Ballantyne and Robbie Metson allowed fullback Alex Trotman to go over in the corner. This was just reward for his excellent support play throughout the game. With the Darlington lads still competing, albeit with tired legs, the game was brought to an unfortunate and premature end with a neck injury to the Durham hooker, David Berriman, which required a precautionary hospital check. Full time 22-0. Man
of the Match: Matthew Roberts. Impressed with his pace, tenacity
and evasive skills on the break and consistently took the attack
to the opposition whilst linking up with both fellow forwards
and backs. A good start to the season which we must build on.
Tour Name – Sloop John ‘B’ Tour Essential Tour Garment – hat (the silliest most absurd will receive a prize) – must be available to wear at all times.
6.15am
– Meet DCRFC Sunday 22nd March 2009 10.00am
– leave hotel for Oadby Wyggs RFC
TOUR NEWS - LEICESTER HERE WE COME SEASON TO DATE: P-14, W-14, D-0, L-0: PF – 463, PA - 75 Great news - at last the weather seems to have quit messing up the season, and we can finally get some back to back rugby played on consecutive weekends. Believe it or not we have had 12 cancelled fixtures so far this season, with only two of these replaced by Cup games and with just over 9 weeks of the season left, we will struggle to re-organise any of these missing fixtures – its a real shame as we were looking forward to some old rivalries such as Darlington, West and Jarrovians as well as new fixtures with Percy Park, Northern and Morpeth this season – hopefully next year will be better. I know it has been a real disappointment for all the players, parents and coaches, as an increase in numbers this season has been matched by a loss of over 4 hours of game time. However, the coaching team is extremely proud of all the squad who have continued to train hard (weather permitting) and keep coming, week after week, despite only 4 games being played since the 19th November, two of which were Cup matches with squad sizes limited to just 22. This really showed on Sunday, where all 28 players got game time and showed fantastic grit and determination to dominate a tough Horden side. A fantastic win and one of the best performances of the season to date - well done everybody. Many thanks also to all the parents and guardians for continued support and commitment – it is very much appreciated. Special thanks to Carolyn Ball for bringing down her camera during recent matches and getting lots of snaps which we will hopefully posting on the website – also for the match report for the Gateshead cup match in lieu of our usual scribe. TOUR: However – enough of the lack of rugby this season and a look to the future. The great news is that our tour destination has finally been arranged and we are heading for a hot bed of rugby with a visit to Leicester – alas the Tigers didn’t think they were strong enough (having noted our unbeaten record this season), so we’ve pulled a few strings, through some family connections, and Oadby Wyggestonian RFC (web site: www.owrfc.com) will be hosting us on Sunday the 22nd March. Our Saturday fixture has still to be confirmed, but will be in or around Leicester so it will be an early start on the Saturday morning, over night in Leicester and back early evening on the Sunday. To add to the general festivities, it also happens to be the last weekend of the 6 Nations, with the potential grand slam crunch game of Wales v’s Ireland, and wooden spoon deciders; Italy v’s France and England v’s Scotland – I will be suitably attired in my DCRFC Tour Kilt to see the Sassenachs take a beating once again – remember 1314 (responses via Pete Davies please). We will be making arrangements to view these games in the traditional environment of a Rugby Club – probably Oadby Wyggs. Further details on costs and itinery will be available before Sunday and Pete Davies will be taking bookings. CONGRATULATIONS: DCRFC U13’s are extremely proud and pass on our congratulations to Toby Simpson who has been selected for the Prep Schools North and Midlands Barbarians side to play the South and South West, along with Robert Ballantyne, Callum Bain, Andy Daglish, Luke Elliott, Will Heron, Liam Owens, Rhys Powell and Alex Trotman, who make up the eight players who have been selected to play for the Mid-Durham District in tonight’s Tri-Team Festival. Good luck and do DCRFC proud. COUNTY CUP: Following our 2nd Round win against Gateshead back at the end of Jan, we are still awaiting confirmation of the semi-final draw and who will play whom. Rumour has it that we have got Blaydon away, with the other semi-final between Westoe and Billingham. The semi-final has to be played on or by the 15th March and so we are chasing the County to confirm who we are definitely playing next and where – so watch this space – at this rate it could even be this Sunday – once we have confirmation Pete will pass in on.
And finally.......... With the Cup, the Tour, Easter, Players Presentation Dinner (Thursday 7th May) and at least 6 arranged fixtures still to play, we have a busy run in the end of the season (and with the weather hopefully on our side), one we are really looking forward to. Cheers Mark
Berriman City U13’s kick off the season with a win - see match report for details. Following a good solid performance from the Durham City U13’s at the Shincliffe pitches on Sunday 14th September, Durham City took the honours to come out on top. Against a spirited and determind Darlington Mowden Park side, City won 22-0, with the match finishing early half way through the 2nd half due to a nexk injury to one of the City players, following a collapsed scrum. Well done all the City and DMP players for a great match, played in the best spirit, and we’re looking forward to a cracking re-match later in the season. Bring on Sunderland next week where we can look to improve on a solid performance from all quarters. Good news for Will Heron, with his leg injury healing well and a treturn to light training this week, we look forward to him returning to full fitness in the next few weeks. Good news also for Liam Davis’s elbow injury, which isn’t as serious as previously thought, with a small fracture picked up on the x-ray, clsoe to his elbow. He’ll be out for 5 to 6 weeks, which will be sore loss to the City pack, as Liam’s pre-season training was going great and he was well placed to get into the starting line up for the starting line up, a.k.a. the Destroyers. Andy Daglish sustained a back injury at the start of the DMP game, but played on valiantly to help maintain the edge City had on the DMP pack, despite being substituted, but the good news is that he should be fit for next weeks clash with Sunderland. The best news (not just for me) is that the neck injury sustained by David Berriman, following a collapsed scrum, is not serious, with the hospital diagnosing a severer neck strain, rather than anything more dangerous, and with luck David will be back to full fitness after the weekend. Many thanks to the North East Ambulance Service, the team at Dryburn (sorry – University Hospital Durham) and everybody else who helped out on the day. I’d also like to welcome two new recruits, Liam and Ross, who came down to training on Wednesday for the first time and performed very well, with both of them impressing the coaches with their level of skill, attitude and determination, and I am sure we’ll see more of them in Sundays game. To round off, I and the rest of the coaches would like to thank all of you for coming down to pre-season training and putting in the tremendous time and effort you have – we have the makings of a brilliant team – and we as coaches are really looking forward to this season, what we can achive and how far we will go. Cheers Mark
Berriman
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Tel: 0191 386 1172 |