It was the turn of the men’s second XV to hold the fort at Brompton Lodge this weekend, hosting Barnard Castle’s second XV whilst the men’s first XV made the long journey down the M1 to play Sheffield Medics.
In amongst all the inclement weather of late, the conditions at the Lodge could not have been better for a game of open running rugby and that was exactly what the second XV delivered to the spectators on the touchline. A line up featuring a couple of new faces to the squad, centre Harry Patch and winger Joe Argo making their debuts for the team. Patch made his mark on the game early, side stepping several defenders to score his first try, the conversion kicked by Ben Gray. It was only a matter of minutes before Patch crossed again in similar style to his first to give North a solid lead. After camping on the Castle try line for some time, Ben Gray took advantage of a small gap close to the ruck to dive over and score a try which he duly converted himself. At this point in the game North looked to be playing at a canter, moving the ball wide off every phase and finding space all across the pitch. Veteran fly half Doug Mulholland pulled all the strings except for his hamstring
in spite of some audacious side steps that certainly caught the interest of the crowd.
Castle managed to slow the tide of the game by tightening up their defence around the rucks and stopping North’s quick ball to the backs. However, it was only a matter of time before the next try came, this time Sandy Gray was the scorer for North, finishing off a move that had seen multiple line breaks and quick hands. Ben Gray kicked the conversion from a wide position. Ensuring that it wasn’t just the backs taking all the glory, captain Dave Baker made an unstoppable charge from a tap penalty close to the try line and crashed through several tacklers to score under the posts and continue the momentum for the home side, Gray kicked another conversion. From the resulting kick off, indecision on the catch forced a scrum to Castle in front of the club house. Holding firm in the contest, their number 8 was able to pick the ball and charge around the corner, driving over the line for their opening score. A try certainly well-deserved and one to lift the spirits of their travelling
support. Close to the half time mark, utility player for the day Connah Richmond scored the first of his three tries that earned him a man of the match award after the game. Finding himself in an unusual position on the wing he finished smartly in the corner to take the game into half time with North leading 40 -5.
Whilst the second half did bring more tries for the home side, Castle’s defence reduced the frequency and, despite the game having moved away from them, they played with a great deal of pride, not letting anything go in defence and forcing North to play well in order to score. Patch once again showed quick feet to leave defenders clutching at air and by taking play deep into the Castle 22-metre area, allowed Connah to score his second of the day. Conversion was kicked by Ben Gray. More tries were still to follow as the conditions allowed the ambitious passing to stick to hands. Winger Rhys Brammah displayed his electric pace to sprint clear down the touchline and score a well-taken try in the corner. Another try to Baker in a similar style to his first tap penalty was followed in quick succession by hat-trick tries for both Connah Richmond and Harry Patch to round off what had been a very entertaining and eventful afternoon at the Lodge. The final score for the match was Northallerton 67 – Barnard Castle 5. Many thanks to Barnard Castle for travelling to the club, to the referee who officiated an open, running game and to all the volunteers at the club who helped make the day happen.

The first XV made the long journey to Sheffield Medics, a team the club hasn’t faced for a number of years and always an entertaining fixture. The visitors raced into an early lead with a try from winger Ross Easdon. This was backed up sharply by a try from scrum half Jack Tart. North were well into their rhythm by this point and controlling the flow of the game. A third try for the away side this time scored by second row Lee Peake from around the fringes of the ruck helped North to build a commanding lead going into half time. Into the second half though, Medics showed their strength of character and fought their way back into the match. Initially feeding off some ill discipline from North, their relentless speed of play eventually yielded a much deserved try that was converted. This seemed to wake North back to their senses and by using their forward might, wrestled control of the game back into their own hands, scoring a fourth try that secured not only the win but also a bonus
point as well. The final score was Sheffield Medics 7 – Northallerton 20. A terrific result away from home. Congratulations to utility forward Ethan Thiart on making his debut for Northallerton’s first XV, a feat he celebrated with a yellow card under the new high tackle laws. Fortunately for him, Matt Argo kept him company in the bin with another yellow for a similar offence. Many thanks to Sheffield Medics for their generous hospitality and to the referee for officiating the game.
Any readers who would like to play rugby in Northallerton, the men train on Tuesday and Thursday 7pm, the ladies train on Wednesday 7pm and the juniors play on Sunday 10am. All ages and abilities welcome.