As usual Coach Tony Horsfal had to not only mange the non-availability of a large number of players but cry offs less than an hour before the kick off forced him to have to reorganise the pack and the three quarters. He gave 20 year old Liam JONES his first team debut in the second row in place of Chris STEWART who was moved to number 8 alongside David SCOTT and Stephen KANE. Andrew COYNE was asked to play at full back and Dave WELTON was moved from wing to centre with Mark SEDDON filling that berth.

On another sunny exceptionally warm late November afternoon the game kicked off in perfect still conditions for open rugby.

Winlaton made the best of starts taking the game to their hosts and in the first minute saw the Vulcans forwards winning a line out and driving the subsequent maul some 30 metres upfield but the move broke down and Whitley Bay cleared their lines. On 5MINS another good drive by the Winlaton forwards was stopped short and a long cross field kick to winger Liam BOOTH failed when the ball was grounded by the defence.

For the next quarter the game died a complete death due to a series of mistakes and scrums with neither side being able to gain the ascendency and sporadic contributions by both sides was heart-warming but rugby as a team game it was not.

At last on 25MINS after another scrum saw number 8 STEWART pick up and drive up the middle and when halted at the resultant ruck Rockliffe infringed and from some 35metres Adam HOUSTON converted the penalty (3PTS).

This seemed to galvanise the home side into action and they started a wave of continuous attacks against the Winalton defence with slick passing and offloading in the tackle. For a period of ten minutes the Vulcans defence was solid with Liam BOOTH, Dave WELTON and Dominic NEALE dominant and ‘punching’ well above their weight with a series of aggressive tackles.

Although Winlaton broke the hold on a couple of occasions they finally succumbed to the pressure and Rockcliffe crashed over in the corner on 35MINS for and unconverted try (5PTS). For the remaining minutes of the half saw the game returning to scrappy and ill-disciplined play by both sides.

HALF TIME 5PTS- 3PTS

The second half saw the hosts starting to build momentum again with a series of attacks linking both forwards and backs and the Winlaton defence was again under huge pressure but were able to hold out with BOOTH yet again leading the way. The Vulcans again on occasions managed to break out and an excellent three quarter movement saw Andrew COYNE make a jinking 30 metre run but he was just halted near the line.

These efforts became less and less as the hosts exerted the screw and the Vulcans defence ‘dam’ was finally breached again on 55MINS when Whitley Bay sliced through and scored under the posts for a converted try(7PTS). It was more of the same from the hosts as the Vulcans were disrupted by injury and tiredness and became disjointed and they scored again on 63MINS (5PTS) the conversion being missed.

During the last quarter Winlaton seemed unable to get ball from any source to mount attacks to try and get something from the game and it seemed to be all Rockliffe but on 73MINS after a good series of inter passing between STEWART and Gareth HENDERSON Winlaton made a spirited attempt to register a consolation score. However when STEWART grounded the ball the referee awarded the try and then changed his decision and decided the ball was short and awarded a penalty to the defenders for a double movement!!!!.

The last play of the game on 78MINS Whitley Bay Rockliffe again broke through the tired and now disorganised defence to score another unconverted try (5PTS).

FULL TIME 22PTS – 3PTS

Man of the Match Liam BOOTH