Eastern Counties Men lose out Yorkshire

Eastern Counties played ventured North to play their final game match in the Bill Beaumont Cup against Yorkshire playing the match taking place at Hull Ionians. The game started with a bang with Yorkshire scoring within the first minute, which was duly cancelled out from the restart by Eastern Counties. The game remained in the balance until the 60m mark, at which point Yorkshire unloaded their bench to great effect blowing the visitors away with an unanswered 42 points in the last quarter.

Yorkshire got on the score sheet within the first minute of the game through fly half Calum Irvine, who duly converted his own kick to take an early 7-0 lead. Eastern Counties struck back with Tom Jackson scoring out wide out on the right, Fraser Gillies narrowly missing the conversion taking the score to 7-5 with only a few minutes played.

Irvine was again on the score sheet scoring for Yorkshire with his second try, which he also converted on the 25minute mark. Counties’ then struck back with right wing Fetuli Paea receiving the ball in space and beating four defenders to score a second try for the visitors, Simon Hrbeck missing the conversion from wide out, but narrowing the gap to four points at 14-10. Yorkshire then added a third try with Irvine again instrumental making a break before offloading to Jake Brady to dot down, this time Irvine unable to add the extras to take the score to 19-10.

Eastern Counties final try came from scrum half Harry Brown who was popped the ball by Number 8 Steve Hipwell from the base of a scrum 15m out, allowing Brown to race to the line Hrbeck missing the conversion, restoring the four point deficit and taking the score to 19-15 as the half time whistle was blown.

The first 20minutes of the second half were a keenly fought affair, with Counties’ openside flanker Brian Du Toit making a nuisance of himself at the breakdown supported by the ever present Hipwell. However, as the game entered the final quarter Yorkshire shifted gears, using their finishers to good effect to rack up 42 unanswered points in a fine display of power and precision as they did so.
With Joe Makin, Simon Frewin, Lewis Minkin, Josh Burridge and Peter Swatkins all scoring tries and replacement scrum half Issac Green adding three conversions.

Eastern Counties were unable to retain any possession or generate any clean ball, but a highlight of the final 20 was a break by Steve Hipwell from half way that unfortunately ended with him being dragged down with the line in sight and being penalised for holding on having out sprinted his own support runners. After the game Counties’ captain Red Newbury praised the Yorkshire team, in particular the impact of their bench and said that despite the result he felt Counties’ had played well and were in touch until that final quarter and can take a lot of what they have learned into next year’s campaign.

Despite their bonus point win, Yorkshire were pipped to the final spot in the table by local rivals Lancashire who scored their own bonus point win with a try in the final stages of their match against Cheshire to secure a place in the final of the Bill Beaumont Cup which will be played as a curtain raiser to next Sunday’s England vs Barbarians game at Twickenham.

Eastern Counties

1 Luke Palmer (Bury St Edmunds), 2 Dan Reilly (Shelford), 3 Wes Mukonoweshuro (Shelford), 4 Dave Hill (Shelford), 5 Red Newberry Capt. (Shelford), 6 Matt Meek (Cambridge), 7 Brian Du Toit (Cambridge University), 8 Steve Hipwell (Diss), 9 Harry Brown (Bury St Edmunds), 10 Fraser Gillies (Cambridge University), 11 Mike Stanway (Cambridge), 12 Sean McClure (Diss), 13 Shaq Meyers (Bury St Edmunds), 14 Fetuli Paea (Shelford), 15 Simon Hrbeck (Shelford)

Finishers : 16 Aki Downing (North Walsham), 17 Aki Lea (Shelford), 18 Tim Bond (Cambridge University), 19 Henry Cowling (Sudbury), 20 Tom Jackson (Shelford), 21 Christopher Lewis (Sudbury), 22 Jack Harvey (Shelford)

Scorers: Tom Jackson 1T, Fetuli Paea 1T, Harry Brown 1T

Manager: Dave Masdin
Coaches: Mark Bolton (Lead) ,Simon Kidney, Spencer Williams
Physio : Sam Jones, Marjolijn Visser

Yorkshire

1 Dave Laverick (Hill Ionians), 2 Francis Entressrengle (Huddersfield), 3, Ben Ball (Sandal), 4 Joe Makin (Hull Ionians), 5 Jake Brady (Harrogate), 6 Tom Cotterill (Hull Ionians), 7 James Briscoe (Sandal), 8 Rob Baldwin(Wharfedale), 9 Stephen Depledge (Sheffield), 10 Calum Irvine (Hull Ionians), 11 Simon Frewin (Sandal), 12 James Tincknell(Wharfedale), 13 Lewis Minkin(Hull Ionians), 14Jamie Broadley(Sheffield Tigers), 15 Peter Swatkins(Sheffield Tigers)

Finishers: 16 Josh Burridge (Wharfedale), 17 Sam Brady(Harrogate), 18 Connor Ward(Harrogate), 19 Ally Forth(Hull Ionians), 20 Chris Bell(Huddersfield), 21 Issac Green(Hull Ionians), 22 Jamie Guy(Wharfedale)

Scorers: Calum Irvine 2T 5C, Jake Brady 1T, Joe Makin 1T, Jamie Broadley 1T, Simon Frewin 1T, Lewis Minkin 1T, Isaac Green 3C, Josh Burridge 1T, Peter Swatkins 1T
Manager: Steve Johnson Assistant Manager: Benji Pickin
Coaches: Jon Feeley (Head), John Skurr, Mark Luffman S&C Coach: Natalie Gould
Physio: Rachel Galley, Jill Alexander
Doctor: Dr Andrew Edwards

Match Officials

Referee: Ieuan Davies (RFU) Assistant Referees: Tudor Grifiths (RFU), Kevan Crawshaw (RFU)