Consett

W 31 - 14

League

17-11-2018

Scarborough - 1st XV

By Dave Campbell

Scarborough bounced back from an early reverse at Consett to run in five thrilling tries and grab top spot in North One East with a 31-14 victory.

Scarborough pressed early in the game and had the home defence on the back foot during the opening exchanges. However they weathered the early storm and a massive clearance from defence from a penalty, won them a lineout on the Scarborough five metre line.  A clean catch saw second row Dale Raine driven over in the 6th minute. Fullback Nick Cook added the extras for a 7-0 lead

The play ebbed and flowed in the opening quarter and it took the Seasiders a while to settle; however following a period camped on the home line, scrum-half Jordan Wakeham moved the ball in-field to fly-half Tom Ratcliffe who juggled the ball with both hands before a flicked pass to Aaron Wilson saw the big stand-in centre power over  in the 20th minute. Radcliffe converted to level the scores at 7-7.

The Seasiders continued to press and following a quick tap penalty by Wakeham from a ruck on the Consett line, the ball was whipped wide right for wing Jonty Holloway to scamper over in the corner for 12-7 on the half-hour.

It was by no means one-way traffic but the visiting pack were pressurising the home ball carriers all over the paddock and following good work by centre Aaron Wilson, Kiwi second row Cade Robinson made a powerful break and released fullback Jimmy Perrett who raced to the line and scored between the uprights in the  38th minute. Ratcliffe converted for a 19-7 half-time lead.

Honours were even during the opening period of the second half but the visitors always look the likelier side to score and when Tom Hicks pounced on a loose ball following a ruck on half-way, he powered down the left touchline to score in the corner in the 51st minute for a 24-7 Scarborough lead.

Hicks’s try was a precursor to a period of pressure from Consett who looked to attack the Scarborough wide defence but had little joy against a hard-tackling back three. 

 

The Seasiders showed steel and concentration during a period of pressure where Consett fullback Nick Cook was sin-binned in the 57th minute for taking Scarborough’s Perrett out in mid-air following a towering up-and-under from home fly-half Dougie Patterson

Crunching tackles from makeshift centres Matty Young and Aaron Wilson and the Scarborough pack’s back five rocked the rampaging Geordies back on their heels and a Howitzer clearance from Tom Ratcliffe lifted the siege.

As the game progressed work from scrum-half Wakeham and his half-back partner Ratcliffe kept their line moving and the Seasiders always appeared to have another gear if required. And from the rear of an attacking lineout, a delayed pass by Wakeham in midfield released flanker Drew Govier to side-step fullback Nick Cook, returned to action from the sin-bin, and glide in between the uprights in the 72nd minute; Ratcliffe added the extras for 31-7.

To their credit Consett continued to press and having capitalized on a Scarborough mid-field fumble, the ball was taken on and Raine crossed for a consolation try in the 79th minute; Cook converted.

There are no easy games in North One East and this feisty encounter was proof of that; Matty Jones’s men played with controlled aggression, invention and no little skill and were full value for their bonus-point win.

Scarborough

Tries: wilson, holloway, perrett, hicks, d.govier

Conversions: ratcliffe x 3

Consett

Tries: raine x2

Conversions: cook x 2

Teams

Scarborough: perrett jonty holloway wilson young smith ratcliffe wakeham jones dawson core robinson hicks e. govier d. govier martin
Substitutes: cutino jordan holloway anderson (all used)

Scarborough News "Man of the Match": cade robinson

There were outstanding performances all over the paddock, from quick thinking scrum-half Jordi Wakeham and bustling Aaron Wilson to dynamic second row Tom Hicks. However with an all-action performance at the set-piece, defence and in the loose Kiwi lock Cade Robinson took the man of the match award.