April 29th, a very special day indeed, as we closed our 150th anniversary season with Caroline McHale's City President's XV taking on Andy Openshaw's County President's XV, drawn from 11 clubs currently playing at level 7 and below. It was all a bit 'great unknown' but blimey, what a fabulous game and a fabulous day ! It couldn't have been more closely contested, with the score coming down to the last kick for a conversion to return a draw, so we were all delighted with the final result DCRFC 22 DCRFU 24. Massive thanks to everyone from our club and the County who made the day happen, whether that be pulling on a shirt, organising the team or managing the game. Another 150th anniversary memorable moment with lots of fun in the clubhouse afterwards - rugby was definitely the winner ! Special thanks to Stewart Eddie for the match report that follows, recording this special game for posterity.
Saturday 29 April 2023
Durham City Select XV v County Durham Presidents XV
(Hollow Drift 1) 3.00 pm KO
Result : Durham City 22 - 24 President’s XV (HT 5 - 14)
Durham City Select XV’s Team Sheet :
1 Andy Kirkup
2 Ollie Chapman
3 Clem O’Rourke
4 Euan Gardiner
5 Josh Cotton
6 Jack Cahill
7 Matt Mercer
8 Howard Johnson (Capt)
9 Dan Spence (Vice-capt) 1 try
10 Scott Rochester Colt (U18) 1 try & 1 con
11 Rory Marsden Colt (U18)
12 Jonny Hedley 1 try
13 Trey Milgate
14 Will Henderson Colt (U18)
15 Matty Vincent
and their replacements :
16 Justin Adesina (who, with the President’s XV’s permission, was our eighth replacement)
17 Jack Bengochea
18 Liam Davies
19 Jack Handy Colt (U18)
20 Herbie Hay Colt (U18) & 1 try
21 Michael Hay
22 Kiran Hope
23 Rhys Powell
County Durham President’s Select XV team sheet :
1 Josh Healey Hartlepool Rovers
2 Harvey Ward Peterlee & Horden
3 Kurt Miller Seaham
4 Shane Ivey Hartlepool
5 John Lawton Bishop Auckland
6 Finlay Ward Peterlee & Horden
7 Will Barker Bishop Auckland
8 Lewis Wilson South Shields
9 Brandon Livingstone South Shields
10 Ryan Foreman Hartlepool 2 cons
11 Ben Turnbull Seaham 1 try
12 Dave Chester Hartlepool
13 Dave Heckles West Hartlepool 1 try
14 Aidan Jayawickrema Durham University 1 try
15 Luke Redfearn Bishop Auckland 1 try
and their replacements :
16 Matthew Brookes Durham University
17 James Bromley Bishop Auckland
18 Ed Cross Durham University
19 Bryn Davies Durham University
20 McKenna Longstaff Bishop Auckland
21 Jack McCallum Seaham
22 Sean McCallum Seaham (injured in warm up)
23 Luke Redfearn Bishop Auckland
24 Cadell Riddick Bishop Auckland
25 Jack Thornton Sunderland
26 Luke Watson Horden and Peterlee
27 Jake Wrightson Sunderland
28 Ben Yates Durham University
(See the post-match team photographs attached to the end of this report)
Physiotherapist Laura Richardson
Referee Will Lacey (Durham Referees Society)
Though it was error-strewn what a thrilling game of rugby this was to finish the season - the only disappointment from City’s point of view being that it wasn’t a draw between two well-matched sides - which in some ways was a dual between City’s stronger set-piece forwards and the President’s XV backs who ran and ran and then ran some more (and that isn’t to say that City’s backs didn’t enter into the spirit of things by running and passing the ball as well).
So on a chilly, grey, windless and thankfully dry afternoon, City started the game by kicking off to the River Wear end of Hollow Drift, in front of what must have been as many if not more than those who have watched a 1st team game this season.
Good City pressure and carries took play into the visitors 22 but the City XV lost it forward and from there a President’s XV relieving kick took play to a City line-out on the home side’s ten metre line. Before the line-out was taken Clem O’Rourke had to leave the field with an injury and was replaced by Michael Hay. Though City won the line-out a knock-on meant a President’s XV scrum and play then moved to another scrum on the City 22 without any alarm to the City XV defence. City then produced the first pressure of the game as they hammered on the visitors line and the continual pressure yielded an unconverted try for Dan Spence that gave the City XV a 5-0 lead with ten minutes on the clock.
Back came the visitors from the re-start and having won a line-out on the City 22 fairly simple right to left passing saw left wing Ben Turnbull go over in the corner to level the scores. Ryan Foreman’s magnificent conversion put them into the lead at 5-7 with quarter of an hour gone. As the game entered its second quarter the President’s backs once again showed how dangerous they could be when Aidan Jayarwickrema got on the end of a beautifully weighted kick to the Clubhouse corner to score. Another great conversion by Ryan Foreman - this time from the other side of the pitch saw them increase their lead to 5-14.
That there were no more scores in the rest of the half reflected the strength of both sides defence and the game’s competitive nature - something I’m sure everyone, players and spectators alike, had hoped for. Thus except for Aidan Jayawickrema looking threatening and despite his efforts coming to nought the score at half-time was 5-14 to the Presidents XV.
Half-time and it was difficult keeping up with the many changes on both sides. It suffices to say that all The City XV’s replacements got on the park at some point and I think the same was true for The President’s XV.
The City XV began the second half with their pack starting to exert pressure on the visitors line with driving play and dominant scrummaging. This resulted in Herbie Hay diving over to score at the posts and Scott Rochester’s straightforward conversion reduced City’s deficit to 12-14. It was brilliant for the Hay family to see Herbie score on his senior rugby debut on Hollow Drift, not least his Dad, Mike, who was playing in the same side as him and was one of the first to congratulate him at the time. The City XV then escaped what otherwise looked like a certain score when Scott Rochester intercepted on his own five metre line and the twinkle-toed City fly-half turned defence into an attack. Then within ten minutes of the re-start Jonny Hedley scored arguably the try of the game when he was set away on the visitor’s ten metre line by Scott Rochester who had once again turned defence into attack. Jonny showed good pace and determination, handing off two tackling defenders to score in Clubhouse corner for the City XV to go into a 17-14 lead.
With the Presidents XV winning their re-start City couldn’t get out of her own half despite there being a number of turnovers for both sides. As the game moved into the final quarter the Presidents XV scored an interception try by Luke Redfearn after a couple of City fumbles that passed the ball straight into his hands on the City ten metre line and it meant that they re-took a 17-19 lead despite Scott Rochester giving chase and tackling him on the line. Thereafter pressure by the Presidents XV led to their fourth try with less than 10 minutes left to play stretching their lead to 17 - 24 when Dave Heckles supported and ran well to score in the left hand corner but as the conversion failed the City XV were still within one score at 17-24 down.
With the City XV’s dominance at the scrum being reduced by conceding free-kicks for early shoves as well as their knock-ons and with neither side being able to achieve any penetration because of admirable defences it looked as though the President’s XV would win by seven. However the City XV then scored to make it four all on tries with the last play of the match when Justin Adesina showing pace and ingenuity put Scott Rochester over for a try with an off-load. But his failure to convert it left the President’s XV as narrow 22-24 winners. Scott can, however be forgiven, for not touching down closer to the posts having been solely responsible for keeping the President’s XV interception and unconverted try away from the posts.
And so the game ended on a high for both sides - the win for the President’s XV and a game in which the City XV ended up with a share of the try count. The City XV also played five of the Club’s Colts who showed that they’ve got the skills that will equip them very well for their coming years of senior rugby and all credit to the Presidents XV who played very well especially when you consider they were playing together for the first time and were very much a scratch side.
Though Matt Mercer was deservedly the City ‘Man of the Match’, because of his all-round forward play that would have included his consistent supply of line-out ball, my choice would have been Trey Milgate - proving that it’s better to be a player on the pitch to know who is the team’s most valued player. The Presidents XV award went to DU’s Aidan Jayawickrema. I must say here that, while I like my ale, I’m not a big fan of the pint race that follows these announcements and it seems to be a bit of a norm these days.
My other memories of the day include :
1 Meeting Eddie Bell (Jack Cahill’s grandfather) in the Clubhouse before the game thus making a pleasant change from meeting him at Consett, as he reminded me, as we did on our last three occasions.
2 At half-time City’s Clem O’Rourke and Rhys Powell were laid down on the ground for what looked like from my viewpoint in the stand initially as an old-fashioned team photograph but it was for treatment by Laura our physiotherapist who certainly worked hard as she looked after both sides on the park.
3 City’s captain, Howard Johnson, is known as ‘Hoff’ because someone in his family looks like the ‘Baywatch’ star David Hasselhoff. Perhaps it’s better that he’s got the nickname ‘Hoff’ as ‘Pamela’ would be a bit of a stretch.
4 Clem O’Rourke and Rhys Powell looking to me so much alike especially with both their seemingly identical style of play and their choice of black head-guard.
5 Hearing the confusion that Jack Bengochea’s Dad, ‘Ben’, has suffered because he and his twin brother have the same initials ‘E.V.’.
6 I knew that the first touring All Blacks of 1905 had played Durham County on Hollow Drift but it wasn’t until the County President, Andy Openshaw, mentioned it in his speech after the game that I found out that they weren’t called the All Blacks until they were called that later by the British press (Googling it revealed to me that as they were the first NZ team to tour outside Australasia they were called the ‘Originals’ and that a London newspaper had described them as ‘ALL BACKS’ !)
7 Eventually finding out that the ‘McCallums’ on the President’s team sheet are the nephews of the erstwhile long-time City full-back Kevin McCallum.
Oh and I almost forgot …
8 Staggering home from what was the conviviality of a very busy clubhouse - something that must have been caused by the drink or something else that I suffer from or, more probably, a combination of both.
So here’s to next season and more fun primarily on the pitch and secondarily, as it is less important, off it.