Heath’s power and game management proved too much for York as they bowed out of the Papa John Cup just one step away from Twickenham. Heath emphatically beating the valiant York side 36 points to 13. This game looked well balanced at 10-6 as half time approached with York meeting the big heavy Heath pack head on with commitment and valour. However, a yellow card for Maud and a try for Heath just before the whistle together with a second yellow card for Maud not long after his return proved a significant turning point in the game from which a 14-man York side could not recover.

Heath started the game briskly and quickly settled into what would become the pattern of the game for them. From the outset, Heath’s set piece in both scrum and lineout provided a solid platform and lots of time for Johnson to orchestrate the game and choose his options to keep York pinned in their own half. Once established in the York half with some good kicking out of hand by Johnson, strong carrying by the Heath forwards, particularly the dynamic Rowntree off the back of the scrum, battered the York defence. In response, York who had recognised the size advantage Heath had up front chose to try and move their big pack around going through the phases smoothly trying to find the edge of the Heath defence or create good ball for Shackleton to clear. And so, this set the pattern for the first half with the game evenly balanced. York forcing Heath into handling errors, making tackles above their weight and swarming like a nest of hornets around the loose ball, moving the ball in attack at every option. Heath in return kicking to gain territory and battering the York line with powerful running.

The early pressure looked ominous for York and when Johnson stepped up to take a shot at goal after York were penalised 35m out, the opening score looked inevitable until it hit the post and York were able to clear. Minutes later Heath opened the scoring. An accurate throw hitting Stringer at the height of his lift in the middle of the line was unopposable. Heath formed the maul, slipped the ball to their right in the maul and rolled around the edge to crash over the line with the brave attempt to stop them by Burlingtham ineffective. A text book move from the training field well executed on the day. Johnson converted to make the score 7-0 to Heath. York responded quickly. A charge down by Mills created loose play in which Heath were penalised. At 30m this was well within Shackleton’s range, and he made no mistake to bring the game back to 7-3.

The game ebbed and flowed with some good phases from York, Atkin fizzing at scrum half urging the pack on to give quicker cleaner ball. Heath exploiting the small pitch, playing to the corners, and powering their way forward. An uncharacteristically poor kick from Johnson was collected by Davies who gave them a taste of their own medicine, picking out the acres of space behind the Heath defence with a beautiful cross field kick to relieve the pressure on York. After 28 minutes the Heath pressure secured them another penalty which Johnson converted to increase their lead to 10-3. York responded with a penalty of their own ten minutes later to pull the score back to 10-6. Thirty eight minutes gone, it was on a knife edge, could York keep them out until half time? Possibly, but for what seemed an endless first half; the game clock in the ground showing 48 minutes before the referee blew his whistle. It was in these extra minutes that Heath swung the momentum of the game. Courageous defence about ten metres out on the York right saw the touch judge intervene and point out what must have been deemed a professional foul by Maud as the referee award him a yellow card reducing York to fourteen men. Heath executed another text book rolling maul off the line out to take the game to 17-6 just before the half time whistle.

It was York that got the second half off to a lively start with a man down. After creating good field position, York recycled, pulling the Heath defence out of shape enough for Shackelton to dance his way through the gap and over the line to score a try which he converted. Heath 17, York 13, the contest still very much on.

With Maud’s return from the bench and York back to full strength, the full blooded and uncompromising battle resumed. Heath piled on the pressure but inaccuracy in their passing lost them at least two chances of scoring. York defending the breakdown in their right-hand corner had managed to slow down Heath ball. Heath desperate to score fumbled the ball in midfield and the referee stopped play. Enter stage right the touch judge who advised the referee that a York player had infringed at the breakdown, not coming in from behind the back foot. After some discussion about who the offender was, the referee called the York captain over along with Joe Maud who received his second yellow card of the game which was duly upgraded to a red. Heath 17, York 13, York down to 14 men and 25 minutes to play at least. This impacted the game tremendously, and there were many York supporters who felt Maud was hard done by. His strength and ability to interject himself into Heath’s play was certainly a loss to York.

Heath settled into a pattern of play that was ultimately energy sapping for the York side who never gave up. Forward power and an organised defence that York struggled to break took its toll with Heath running in three more tries to close the game at 36-13. One of these a cruel and undeserved interception by Heath just before the final whistle as York battled to the very end to get back on terms.

It can’t be argued that on the day Heath were the side who controlled and dominated possession and territory and ultimately the score board. But at the same time, one can’t help but feel that had York stayed at fifteen men, this game would have been closer than the final score stated. The whole squad gave it their all, committed to each other and the dream of playing at Twickenham. It wasn’t quite to be. That said, they have given everyone a season to remember and themselves some lifetime memories. We look forward to them creating some more next season after a well earned rest.