For the third week in a row, Yate 2s were in league action again this Saturday. After a narrow loss to Kingswood last week, the team were keen to get back out and go again. With the 1s making the trip up to Drybrook for their first league fixture, the 2s were back at home playing at YOSC. Whitehall 2s were the opposition, a team like many others who have s
truggled for numbers in recent years, so it was great to see a good sized squad arrive for what promised to be a great afternoon of rugby.
The game kicked off in some late September sunshine, with some showers forecast and bound to make an appearance at some point. It was clear from the off that Whitehall wanted to capitalise whilst the sun shone and moved the ball well along the line on several occasions, feeding a couple of dangerous runners out wide. Some great scramble defence from Yate was all that stood between Whitehall the opening score of the game. With Yate unable to make any meaningful inroads into the Whitehall 22, the Whitehall attack finally found a hole in the Yate defence to open the scoring with a well taken try from their very elusive centre, converted to take a 7-0 lead.
Shortly after the restart came the change in weather that had been forecast. Whilst showers were expected, the black clouds rolled in and a strong wind grew out of nowhere, bringing with it a deluge of sideways rain and generally horrible rugby weather, making it difficult for both teams to keep hold of the ball. With the wind behind them Whitehall were again piling on the pressure, with Yate struggling to get out of their own 22 due to the weather conditions. Another good defensive effort, mixed with a bit of fortune for Yate saw the defence hold out in the end, with the slippery ball avoiding the grasp of a few likely scorers.
As quick as it came in, the clouds cleared away, the wind dropped and the sky was again blue. This bought with a change to the momentum of the game, a resurgent Yate team now finally getting some front foot ball. Some strong carries from both the forwards and the backs saw the Yate supporters looking to the left for the first sustained period of the game. Some poor discipline from the defence and a well-functioning lineout allowed Yate to get within striking distance, yet another penalty awarded, taken quickly allowing Nick Dury to catch a few defenders on their heels and wriggle over for the first Yate points of the day. A further 2 points added off the tee from the evergreen Bernie McMullen, edging towards amassing 100 points in Yate colours.
Now level at 7 points a-piece it was clear that, like the two previous weekends, this was going to be a close fought game. There were no more scores in the first half as both defences nullified and attacking momentum gained, with the game being played predominantly between the 22s.
The second half begun as the first half had done, with the sun beathing down and the wind no more than a breeze. It was again Whitehall who struck first with an overthrown lineout falling in the hands of their flanker who raced away, avoiding a couple of tackles to score close to the sticks, the conversion added to make it 12-7 to the visitors.
As was becoming the pattern of the game, the restart saw Yate dominate the next few minutes of play, spending plenty of time in the opposition without being able to cross the whitewash. A few indiscretions later and with a kickable penalty chance on offer, up stepped Bernie McMullen to slot over for 3 points, taking his tally to 101 for the club, just the 9th player pass the milestone.
With their tails up, the Yate team continued to press and push back the Whitehall advances, utilising the breeze that was now in their favour, coupled with some excellent work on the wings, to kick for territory and set up another opportunity to attack. Whitehall, falling foul of the referee at this point conceded another penalty which led to a yellow card. A short break in play gave Yate the opportunity to come together and plan their attack. A tap penalty feigned to a forward pod before being spread wide to the waiting Craig Archer to bust through a couple of tackles on his way to scoring his 74th try and regaining the all-time club-leading try scoring record. A day for milestones it would seem as the scores remained tight, with Yate taking the lead fir the first time, 17-14.
Whitehall were rewarded with the next try of the game, in similar fashion to Yate’s previous score, a strong charge and missed tackle led to the score under the posts, seeing Whitehall again edge their noses in front. Around 15 minutes to go and less than one score in it still, as it had been all game, with Yate knowing another score for Whitehall would open up a two score lead that would be difficult to overcome. Fortunately for the home side it was the home side that bounced back and got the very important next score. Unsurprisingly, as was becoming a frustrating theme for the travelling Whitehall support, the score came from another tap penalty taken quickly, leaving a 2 on 1 under the posts, allowing Craig Archer score his second brace in as many weeks. Converted again by Bernie McMullen. 24-21 with not long to go and another grandstand finish was on the cards, just like the week before.
By this point both teams had emptied their benches, the field was littered with the walking wounded, both sides looking for that one last push to victory. In all too familiar fashion, as was the case the previous week, Yate could not hold out. With several players playing through injuries and too many exhausted, a powerful run from the Whitehall full-back/centre, refreshed by his 10 minute rest earlier in the game, rounding the tiring defence to crash over the line and extinguish the hopes of the home team. The final kick at goal was converted, as was all kicks by both teams on the day, to bring the scoreline again back in favour of visitors, with the referee blowing the final whistle shortly after the restart.
A narrow 28-24 defeat but plenty to be positive about, almost 40 senior players in action on the day for Yate and encouraging signs of the competitive 2s side many have worked hard towards over recent years. Credit to the victors on the day, kept going to the final whistle and with both teams feeling like they had done enough to win the game, it sets up what is hopefully just as exciting a return fixture later in the season.
Next Fixtures:
Saturday 28th September 2024
Yate RFC 1s v Frampton Cotterell 2s - Home @ YOSC.
Yate RFC 2s v Old Redcliffians 4s - Away @ Scotland Lane
Commentaires