North Ribblesdale 24 v 29 York

Saturday 12th January 2013

By Steve Maud.

After escaping defeat last week with the last play of the game York travelled to Settle with their 8 match unbeaten run intact but would find their minerals thoroughly tested by a North Ribb side who sat immediately below them in the league table at the start of the day and who are always a tough opponent in their own backyard. This made doubly difficult for York who had major player availability issues in the back line seeing Mark Benson (lock) starting on the wing.

The conditions were good although finger numbingly cold and that could explain the lack of accuracy and ball retention skills of both sides in the first 20 minutes. Nothing of any great significance occurred as both sides essentially cancelled one another out and where they did make some yardage the mistakes came in. York spent almost the full 20 minutes in their own half although not really in danger of conceding a score other than the 30 metre penalty attempt that went well wide.
But on 21 minutes York no 8 Will Enslin knocked on at the base of a York scrum on his own 22 metre line. From the resultant Ribb scrum they moved the ball wide and a good miss pass from their standoff found the young but very quick fullback Davidson on a good arcing run he attacked the 15 channel and was too quick for the York midfield defence. He then converted his own try. 7 – 0.

From the restart York were awarded a penalty 40 metres out and Ben Hobson had a shot at goal into the breeze, but his attempt dropped well short.

On 32 minutes York started to enjoy some decent possession and field position actually venturing into the Ribblesdale half. When the ball came back to the blindside wing, York hooker Freddie Portrykus who I suspect had been loitering taking a breather found himself carrying the ball with Mark Benson on his outside with one defender to beat. Portrykus ran over the winger who slowed him sufficiently for the next scrambling defender to line himself up, again ignoring the obvious option of passing the ball to Benson, Portrykus ran over the next defender and it was only after he ran over a third defender did he off load to Benson who ran in unopposed from 20 metres. Conversion missed 7 – 5.

On 38 minutes Ben Hepworth who was on for Darren Rutherford carried strongly down the right hand flank before being brought to ground, Ribb were penalised at the ruck and York kicked for the corner. The catch and drive was on but some 15 metres out and as York got to the Ribb 5 metre line it was collapsed by the defenders, the referee did not penalise, but Joe Maud broke blind and fed Andy Kay who was on for Will Enslin, Kay showed good handling skills as he managed to buy Mark Benson a yard of space on the touchline and he finished off with a score in the corner. Conversion missed 7 – 10 the half time score.
The second half then seemed to explode into life after 6 minutes when firstly York seemed that they were going to run away with the game as they scored two further tries. The first by James Hartley from close range after York had built up pressure through possession and field position by going through a number of phases before the inevitable gates opened for the loose head prop to score from 5 metres. Converted by Dudman, score 7 – 17 and then from the restart Steve Kerr who was impressive with his work rate throughout, caught the ball on his 10 metre line. He evaded the Ribb chasing forwards before carrying the ball into the Ribb half when he found his support, Ben Hepworth was on hand and at full tilt, on the right wing, he ran over the left wing Mitchell who must now have been feeling like the coyote out of road runner before crashing over in the corner. Conversion missed 7 – 22, bonus point secured.

Many thought that York were going to go on, but quite the reverse was true, a combination of York taking the foot of the gas and Ribb digging deep saw Ribb come powering back into the game. Davidson together with Mitchell carried real threat when they received the ball in space and time and again they stretched the York outside defence with Mark Benson struggling to cope on his wing.

On 13 minutes after having a penalty award reversed for dissent York found themselves scrambling to defend a quickly moved ball. They were penalised on their own 5 metre line and Ribb elected to scrum. The drive came on and the York pack who had been dominant in scrummage in the first half were penalised again for an illegal wheel. Ribb reset and again as the York forwards collapsed the scrum the referee went under the posts and awarded a penalty try. Converted 14 – 22.
Shortly afterwards Ribb added to their score with a penalty kick from 30 metres. 17 -22. Game on.

After 24 mins of the second half, Ribb again had an attacking scrum on the York 5 metre line. This time as the drive came on the York scrum wheeled and the ball squirted out of the side. Lewis Hannibal dropped on the ball and was adjudged to have been offside. A further penalty and 10 minutes in the sin bin for Hannibal. Ribb reset the scrum Mark Benson was introduced to the back row from the wing. The shove came on and again the ball squirted out of the side again. Benson was the quickest to react and dropped on the ball. This time the turnover stood and York kicked deep. The chase by Joe Kirker and Joe Maud was good. Kirker made the tackle, Maud turned the ball over and Dudman broke free. He was hauled down just short of the try line but good quick ball was moved out wide and Andy Kay was on hand to score next to the posts. Dudman converted 17 – 29.

Still Ribb came back and with 34 minutes gone they scored another try whilst York were still down to 14 men after pushing York off their own scrummage ball 18 metres from the line. Carr being the beneficiary, this was also converted. 24 – 29.

The game would go another 12 minutes and Ribb pressed hard, they nearly benefitting from a charge down kick which rolled agonisingly over the dead ball line. But York held on for a deserved win, Ribb however will consider themselves unlucky not to get anything more out the game other than a losing Bonus Point.