Hard graft and a relentless set of players ground out a precious victory against our guests from the East Riding on Saturday. In a long game of tit-for-tat, where no team remained in the lead for long, Trees eventually left the field with five points (four tries). The pitch was, as often, spotless, and the day breezy but dry.

Rowntree kicked things off, and the visitors showed right away that they were not there to twiddle their thumbs: scoring a converted try very early on, quickly followed by a penalty, putting Hessle in the lead by ten points. Not the best beginning, but hey ho. The local team kept their focus, putting a commendable effort in sticking to their game structures. And, as the guests from under the Humber Bridge kept Trees’ attacks at bay, the first half became a hotly contested battle, with both teams fighting to gain the physical upper hand. Inching into Hessle’s half, Rowntree’s forwards opened a breach, wide enough for winger Dave Helsden to dive through a forest of limbs and touch down in the right hand corner - alas too wide for outside centre Ali O’Gara’s conversion attempt. One try all: this surely enlivens the party, until the guests’ prop tries to tackle fly-half John Hatton, aiming for the latter’s ears: a tad too high, the umpire strikes back, and sends the culprit away for 10 minutes. This concluded the first half, on the score of 10-5 to Hessle.

Energised by salutary quarters of orange, Rowntree occupied the visitors’ half from the get-go. After a couple of minutes of pounding, the forwards punctured Hessle’s defence: loose-head prop Jack Gabbatiss, who, upon hearing a commanding “beam me up, Gabby,” popped the ball to his compadre tight-head James Kirk, who then passed to winger Steve Rouet, who elegantly ploughed through the last defenders to score a welcome try, unfortunately too close to the touch line for a conversion: 10-10. For a somewhat long while, the score-board did not change, both teams defending with a commendable obstinacy and energy: the number of head-injuries certainly attests to that. WIth ten minutes remaining on the clock, Rowntree turned the intensity up a notch: strong carries, pick and go’s, elusive back moves, everything was tried, until no. 8 Zak Hardy, finding himself at the conclusion of a solid series of pick and go’s, touched down, giving Trees the lead by five points. Not for long though: Hessle scored between the posts immediately afterwards: 17-15 to the visitors. But the locals rallied up, and, producing another hammering en règle of the guests’ defensive line, Hardy, encore lui, propelled by a supercharged flanker Tommy Wyles, ploughed through for his second try of the afternoon, which O’Gara gleefully converted, adding seven points to the score-board: 22-15! With seconds to go, the local team showed a spectacular defensive effort to keep the visitors away from Trees’ try line, Sadly, Wyles, who tackled relentlessly until one last tackle got the better of his eye socket, had to leave the field to go down Wigginton Road for an impromptu visit of the emergency services. Moments later, this gripping fixture drew to an end on this satisfactory success cum bonus point.

Next Saturday sees the team travel to South Yorkshire, to grapple with Stocksbridge. Clocks have not changed yet, so kick-off at 15:00. See y’all there!

Tries: D. Helsden; S. Rouet; Z. Hardy (2).
Conversion: A. O’Gara.

Squad: J. Gabbatiss; R. Roodt (C); J. Kirk; T. Smith; T. Eaton; M. Thorpe; T. Wyles; Z. Hardy; J. Daniels; J. Hatton; S. Rouet; A. O’Gara; K. Gayle; D. Helsden; M. Thomas.
Finishers: M. Ford; C. Reeves; G. Neill; W. Chandler; R. Cames.

Nestle Rowntree (York) RUFC

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