Match Report by Simon Pickles

It was the second league game of the season for both clubs, York won their first game against Beverley and North Ribblesdale lost at Wheatley Hills. York named an unchanged starting team from last week. This season, Luke Stockton has joined Chris Fox in the second row and new captain, Sam Forbes partners Chris Peace in the centres.
The first fifteen minutes of the game were even. There was parity in the scrums and both teams exchanged kicks. John Dawes at full-back and Liam Hessay at fly-half were both kicking well out of hand. Joe Maud, playing at flanker and Shane Goulding at number eight both carried the ball forward.
York scored the first try after a quarter of an hour. Daz Rutherford and Chris Fox showed good hands to exploit space on a large blind-side. Chris Fox scored and John Dawes kicked the conversion. York had had the better field position thus far and North Ribblesdale picked up two injuries. Nevertheless, the home team earned two penalties to apply pressure on York’s defence. Michael Thwaite kicked the second penalty.
Michael Thwaite kicked another penalty five minutes later, again, after North Ribblesdale had gained field position through penalties. The full-back for North Ribblesdale was kicking very sweetly. North Ribblesdale 6 York 7 after half an hour.
George Davies scored the next points of the game. The York winger received the ball in space, moving forward in his own half. He was able to advance and put in a well-judged kick past the final defender, re-gather comfortably and touch the ball down. John Dawes converted the try.
The remaining five minutes of the first half saw North Ribblesdale defending. Joe Maud, Luke Stockton and Will Atkin combined to advance the ball fifty metres with Will Atkin eventually being held up a metre short of the try line. North Ribblesdale defended a York maul from a line-out but after more pressure, Liam Hessay, John Dawes and Will Atkin linked accurately from a centre-field scrum and Will Atkin was able to score. John Dawes was unlucky with the conversion.
Sam Forbes provided a vocal link between the forwards and the back line, the York defence was organised and Liam Hessay stripped the ball from a North Ribblesdale attacker as the first half closed. North Ribblesdale 6 York 19.
York scored their fourth and bonus point try early in the second half. Liam Hessay distributed the ball well to Joe Maud who carried it forward strongly and after a quick ruck Shane Goulding scored. The conversion was missed. A well executed line-out enabled Joe Maud to get his own (un-converted) try shortly after.
York’s open-side flanker, Lewis Hannibal, picked up a yellow card for a scrum infringement ten metres from the York line. North Ribblesdale winger, Jake Nowell chose a good attacking line from a subsequent scrum to score a try for the home team. The conversion was good.
The rain was falling heavily with twenty minutes to go in the match. York were attacking and they were held up over the line twice before Shane Goulding fed Toby Atkin from the base of the scrum for Toby Atkin to score. The conversion was good.
North Ribblesdale were brave and continued to fight in the game - they showed good spirit. York’s experience showed in the final ten minutes though as they scored three more tries. Inside-centre, Chris Peace broke a tackle thirty metres out and ran in to score. Chris Fox, Toby Atkin and John Dawes combined in space on a short side with John Dawes scoring and finally Luke Stockton scored after linking with John Dawes. All three of the tries were converted with the scores punctured by York’s second yellow card of the game.
It was North Ribblesdale 13 York 57 at the end. Congratulations to both teams for a good, hard-fought game of rugby.