Season 2007/8 Reports
20070901 Blyth
20070908 Ryton
20070922 Gateshead
20071103 Whitley Bay Rockcliff
20071110 Gateshead
20071117 Blyth
20071124 Alnwick III
20071201 Northern III
20071229 Border Park
20080105 Berwick
20080112 Novos
20080216 Morpeth Stags
20080223 Percy Park Pumas
20080301 Whitley Bay Rockcliffe
20080308 Northern III
20080329 Ryton
20080405 Whitley Bay Rockcliffe
20080412 Alnwick III
Blyth Vs. P&S (League) - 1 Sept 2007
It was a bit of a strange thing ; Blyth v Stocksfield on one pitch and Blyth v. Prudhoe and Stocksfield on the adjacent pitch.
The team in white from Stocksfield contained both Matt Bewick and Prudhoe and Stocksfield captain Chris Russell. In fact more than half the cricketers there have turned out for the rugby club at varying times. So with the sun shining and the clock at just past three the league rugby season began. Other than new addition Steve Rogers in the centre the side was full of familiar faces, although the selectors were aided by several players still being unavailable.
From the kick off Prudhoe and Stocksfield looked positive. Within the first five minutes the home side found themselves penalised on as many occasions as they tried to disrupt and unsettle P&S. The fifth penalty had provided John Whitfield with a kicking opportunity and whilst there were no points from that kick it took only a couple more minutes before the visitors did get points on the board. The score came from a scrum mid way into the Blyth half and number 8 James Rusby picked up and took the ball through the gap that had opened up through the middle of the field and with Matt Jefferson outrunning the defenders to support him, he popped up the pass for Matt to run through to score between the posts.
The third member of the P&S back row, Ian Christer had left the field by this point having got an eye injury and this had brought Ed Halford into the second row with John Ballentyne switching to the flanker spot.
The Blyth side tried to rally and the forwards, who matched the visiting forwards in size worked very hard to ensure that they maintained the ball. The penalty count fell and the next ten minutes saw a mid field exchange with neither side able to dominate. It was a piece of opportunism that brought the next score. Steve Rogers taking the ball whilst running was able to break through the somewhat static Blyth backs and whilst the Blyth back row managed to cut off his route to the line Matt Jefferson was again supporting well and took the ball to the line. With a quarter of the game gone the green and black shirted home side found themselves 14 points down. For them worse was to come. Prudhoe and Stocksfield camped themselves in the Blyth half and began a series of assaults on the line which eventually saw John Reed conclude the period of pressure with his first try of the season.
The final few minutes of the first half were fairly evenly matched with the Blyth forwards desperate to keep the game from their, or the P&S backs, leaving an opportunity for Mikey Brown to celebrate his return to competitive rugby with a simple couple of kicks ahead to touch down for the fourth P&S try.
The sides tuned around with stern words ringing in the ears of the Blyth players. The words were not enough, as from the kick off a scrum was awarded to P&S. Picking up at the base of the scrum and seeing a big gap ahead of him Mikey Brown scored his second try of the game.
This finally seemed to stun Blyth into action and they mounted their first real attack of the game. For fully ten minutes Prudhoe and Stocksfield found themselves pinned back and it took some three scrums and some superb blocking around the fringes of several mauls before they once again found themselves in the Blyth half and beginning to look for another score.
It was James Rusby who found the power to cross the line from about twenty metres for the score. The now 40 point gap signalled a time of change for P&S. Nick Sherwin, Ian Jewitt and John Patmore all joined the fray whilst skipper Richard Sample came off having managed a very successful hour of rugby.
The demoralised Blyth team also made some changes but found themselves no better off. It was Ed Halford who, having in a previous game at Blyth celebrated a very good touch down at the five metre point , made no mistake in adding five more points. In the last ten minutes there were further Prudhoe and Stocksfield tries from Charlie Tindall and a wonderful from mark Stobo who nearly repeated the feat a minute or two later .
As the referee offered Blyth the opportunity to conclude the game earlier than 80 minutes there were nervous looks at the cricket scoreboard, the rugby players not wanting to embarrass the cricketers by scoring or conceding more points than the men in white had amassed runs.
It didn’t happen and with players waiting for the final whistle a Blyth player ran threequarters of the length of the field to score a home try and leave the final score Blyth ll 7 Prudhoe and Stocksfield 57.
Back to top.
Ryton Vs. P&S (League) - 8 Sept 2007
A late August or early September trip to near neighbours Ryton has been the pattern for the last four or five years for Prudhoe and Stocksfield RUFC. It has usually been a warm up game for both sides but the admission of Ryton junior sides into the Northumberland leagues meant that this season it was a league meeting that brought the two together. For P&S there were three changes from the fifteen that began last weeks encounter at Blyth.
The visitors kicked off and it was clear from the outset that Ryton would play a forwards game despite the hard pitch and warm conditions. This plan saw forwards keeping in ball in tight as play switched from end to end until after nearly ten minutes the first scrum was awarded. The Prudhoe and Stocksfield pack had looked at least as good as their hosts in the loose and with a front row of Ed Halford Andy Marsh and John Reed they looked well equipped for the set pieces. The first scrum was taken against the head by P&S and that was a trigger point. The ball went up field and when it became scrappy in the Ryton twenty two metre area it was P&S who came up with the ball and set it off across the backs for Paul Griffin to come into the line from full back to score the first try of the day.
The Ryton players responded positively and for the next ten minutes the game went from end to end, although it was rarely touched by a Ryton back. The difficulty for the hosts was to try to prevent the ball reaching the P&S backs who looked to have the ability to damage the home players.
They were right to recognise this. Winning another scrum Mikey Brown passed to John Whitfield who somehow took the ball from his toes before flicking it up for Steve Rogers who simply outstripped the Ryton defence. P&S were starting to look dominant and it only took a further five minutes before once again Steve Rogers burst through the Ryton players to feed Paul Griffin who scampered to the line ahead of a couple of chasing home players.
P&S were now dominating all aspects of play. With a 19 point lead it was captain Richard Sample who ran half the field to claim the fourth try within the first thirty minutes.
The Ryton side looked dejected and the half time whistle must have seemed a long way off as straight from the kick off Steve Rogers again carved a path straight through the sad home side. It was enough to provoke a response from Ryton. Trailing by 31 points and half time looming like a wounded animal they suddenly found life and rallied. Taking the ball out wide on the right they found Mark Stobo in good defensive form before following up they found a weak spot in the P&S defence line to score the final try of the half.
This set the tone for the half time team talks and whilst Ryton did begin the second half with some fire it was dampened after five minutes when from a scrum on the twenty two metre line visiting scrum half Mikey Brown took the ball at the base and neatly chipped over the advancing Ryton defence, collected the ball and scored what, for him, was a well merited try.
Three minutes later it was another Steve Rogers burst that saw him outstrip the defending blue shirts before releasing Charlie Tindall for a try.
The Ryton side behind the posts were determined to do better and fired up by their captain were encouraged to bury the P&S player who collected the ball from the kick off.
Four minutes later after scrappy play had led to the ball getting out to Paul Griffin for him to go over for his third try of the day the Ryton captain asked his players to get to the man receiving the ball.Two minutes later when Steve Rogers had again released Charlie Tindall for his second try and with the score at 59 –7 the Ryton captain asked nothing of his players at the kick off. The game was over albeit with some 15 minutes left.
Or so we thought for just like Blyth last week and the first half of this game there was suddenly life in Ryton. With a burst of pride and some determined rugby they broke through the by now weary P&S defence to score another try. So with two converted tries Rytons score moved to 14 whilst with nine tries, six of which were converted by Ian Christer and one by John Whitfield the P&S tally was 59.
The game ended as last weeks with a Prudhoe player injured and it is hoped that the spinal injury to Matt Jefferson, who had not stopped covering and tackling all game will not be too serious.
Back to top.
Gateshead Vs. P&S (League) - 22 Sept 2007
In recent seasons Gateshead have proved difficult opposition for Prudhoe and Stocksfield and the encounter at the ground formerly known as Gateshead Fell last Saturday promised to be a test for the so far unbeaten P&S side.
The game actually kicked off a few minutes before three and by a minute after the visitors were behind. The physical presence of the Gateshead side will undoubtedly intimidate some sides this season but P&S are not much smaller and having scored over 50points in each of their last two games seemed to be inviting the bigger side to take a lead so they would have a target to chase.
They did not have to wait too long as Gateshead were awarded a couple more penalties within the visitors 22 metre area. Having a physical big side and the visitors seeming to be like rabbits in headlights Gateshead simply powered over the line and took their lead out to 10points.
Without talisman and openside wing forward Matthew Jefferson, whose injury, whilst keeping of the pitch for at least the next three months, was not as serious as at first feared, the visiting forwards had a real lack lustre appearance about them.
The backs whilst strengthened by the return from the crease of skipper Chris Russell found themselves devoid of any sort of protection for the first part of the game.
It took a strange moment nearly twenty minutes into the match to turn the switch that started the P&S side playing. As the ball was going across the Gateshead backs Richard Sample tackled a player as the player sought to jump out from the tackle he was taken to ground. A somewhat clumsy but not dangerous “spear “ type tackle which should have given the home side a penalty, however a Gateshead player ran some distant to attempt to hit the tackler. The game was stopped and after a brief talking to both the tackler and the player seeking to take retribution were sin binned.
It was probably at that point the P&S side determined that to get anything out of the game they were going to have to make it happened.
Five minutes later this proved to be the case. A scrum was called in the middle of the field some fifteen metres into the Gateshead half. The scrum, which until that point had been a very even contest, wheeled the referee penalised the P&S side for not pushing straight. Gateshead kicked for touch where there was a brief exchange of words between the P&S touch judge and the referee which concluded with the referee giving Gateshead a penalty ten metres up the field.
Having been involved with rugby for many years I cannot ever recall a penalty being given against a person not part of either team.
With some thirty minutes on the clock Prudhoe and Stocksfield lost another openside wing forward with a back injury when Ian Christer had to leave the field. At the time the visitors were up to the Gateshead 22 metre line and with James Rusby involved from the moment he came on the momentum was maintained and Richard Sample was able to go over for the first P&S try of the afternoon.
With five minutes more pressure the Gateshead side found themselves penalised and Chris Russell converted the penalty, making the half time score 10-8 to Gateshead.
Having seen a score against a side not really switched on to the match in the first three minutes of the first half there was some justice in the reverse happening as from the Prudhoe and Stocksfield kick off there was instant forward pressure before the ball went to into the waiting hands of Chris Russell who lost no time scoring his first try of the season.
The Gateshead side could offer only limited resistance and it was no surprise to find themselves a further three points down following another transgression within the Russell kicking range.
Whilst it was not good flowing rugby at this point the tactical kicking of John Whitfield and the tackling of Charlie Tindall were easily containing the Gateshead backs whilst the front row of John Reed, Andy Marsh and Nick Sherwin tied up the scrums very comprehensively. Ian Jewitt was outstanding in and around the lineouts and Ed Halford shone in attack John Ballentyne was the pick of loose forwards tackling over and over again what seemed to be every Gateshead player.
The difference in the two sides was underlined by the next score which came as good a game as he had played in recent seasons simply held it in the scrum until Mikey Brown popped it up as Chris Russell took the ball at pace and seemed to run through and over the panic struck home defence who conceded their third try.
The visitors were in complete control, the defence of Mark Stobo, Paul Griffin and Andy Moore were becoming less and less involved as Gateshead went further and further back. However their defence was caught once more as Mikey Brown took a quick penalty and crashed over the line to give the visitors a 20 point lead.
That was how the game finished with P&S looking as strong as they have in both their previous league games.
Gateshead lll 10 Prudhoe & Stocksfield 30.
Back to top.
Whitley Bay Rockcliff Vs. P&S (League) - 03 Nov 2007
Following a poor display from a scratch side at Border Park, Prudhoe and Stocksfield were further frustrated the following weekend when Berwick Badgers cried off less than two hours before kick off. Instead of a match the players had a training session and worked on some core skills and game drills. So by the time they kicked off at Whitley Bay Rockcliff they were ready to play a match. Two minutes later and having been penalised three times they must have wondered if their efforts had been wasted. Perhaps it was the pace, perhaps it was a referee wishing to assert himself or it may just have been bad luck however the dominant feature of the first five minutes of the game was the sound of the whistle. The first scrum was a delayed affair whilst the referee set out what he felt would be required. It was helpful to Prudhoe and Stocksfield who were soon awarded a free kick at a scrum. Unable to take it quickly taken the ball was passed simply from hands to hands along to Steve Rogers who ran directly, and at speed, through most of the opposition and to within striking distance of the line. Good supporting saw the ball go to Charlie Tindall who crossed the line for the first try.
Less than five minutes later Rockcliff Vikings found themselves in all sorts of disarray as the visitors pushed a scrum from some 15metres out across the home try line. The Rockcliff front row who had found themselves pedalling backwards at quite a rate saw the rest of their scrum completely disintegrated however the P&S celebrations were cut short as Rockcliff were for some reason awarded a penalty on the twenty five metre line.
P&S came straight back and were soon awarded a penalty in front of the posts which skipper Chris Russell converted to give the visitors an 8 point lead.
Five minutes later Charlie Tindall scored his second try when Rockcliff struggling against a very strong forward display were simply unable to combat the inside trio that the P&S forwards were setting up. The training drills of the previous week had seen the forwards work on controlled ball from loose situations and then release to planned running lines from the backs. The practice worked in the game situation and with the first quarter of the match gone it seemed as if it would be how strong a defence Rockcliff could provide against how many points P&S could amass.
The pick of the tries was a near solo effort from Chris Russell who ran at the defence, chipped and gathered and then popped the ball up for his supporting centre to score.
With Steve Rogers , Charlie Tindall and Chris Russell on the score sheet and Rockcliff down to fourteen men, one being in the sin bin, Mark Stobo ran in a well deserved try to give the visitors four tries and a 27-0 lead at the break.
The second half was a new game. Prudhoe and Stocksfield had a full bench and so took the opportunity to ensure that this was a squad effort and despite having lost John Reed to an early injury made a further four changes to the pack. The ability to play a variety of formations may prove critical at other times of the season and so to make so many changes and still dominate in the tight scrums where Nick Sherwin and B.J. Martin were outstanding was very pleasing. Around the breakdown points both Matt and Phil Bewick were prominent with Ed Halford and then Steff Schollick providing the addition drive at impact points.
Back to top.
P&S Vs. Gateshead (League) -10 Nov 2007
The pitch looked in the sort of condition you would expect for only the second home game of the season as Prudhoe and Stocksfield took on Gateshead lll at the Stocksfield Sportsground on Saturday. The home side are currently top of the Northumberland League 3A and had won 30 -10 on their visit to Gateshead in September. All seemed to suggest they should be confident from the start of the game. However Gateshead came to restore their pride and to do what they did last season, when they beat a then flying high P&S side right at the end of the game.
Prudhoe and Stocksfield kicked off going down the slope but against a diagonal cross wind. Early exchanges saw both sides penalised and whilst the exchanges were in mid field it was the home side that had the early territorial advantage.
Gateshead have several experienced forwards and they were clearly going to make sure the Prudhoe and Stocksfield pack were given a game in the set pieces.
After seven minutes there was a scrum on the Gateshead 22. Prudhoe and Stocksfield took the scrum and the ball went from Mikey Brown to Chris Russell, to Charlie Tindall then to Steve Rogers who ran a straight and direct line to score the first try of the day.
Ten minutes later Steve Rogers’ direct running again caused Gateshead difficulties as he made good ground from the half way line before being halted near the try line where he popped the ball up for Charlie Tindall to cross for the second try.
With a quarter of the game gone Gateshead found the pressure too much and following sustained attack from the home forwards the ball was released to Steve Rogers again who simply seared through the faltering defence for try number three. From the Gateshead kick off the cleanly taken ball fell to James Rusby who followed earlier leads and ran directly at the defenders who halted him only to see the ball go to Richard Sample who carried the ball on until he was stopped but only after releasing Chris Russell to score the fourth try.
Try five came from good ruck ball on the half way line. The ball was passed out to Steve Rogers who ran directly and at speed to complete a hat trick of tries.
Five tries up after half an hour would seem to suggest a one sided game but the Gateshead side were not giving up. They were coming under severe pressure and whilst all the tries had been scored by backs it was the ability to take on the opposition in the forwards that enabled the backs to put into practice many of the rehearsed training ground moves.
There was nothing rehearsed about try number six which saw Ed Halford break out from a maul some thirty five meters out and charge directly for the line. It was effective and whilst the full back may have already begun to have nightmares of a direct running Steve Rogers to have Ed charging at him more or less concluded his attempts to defend for the rest of the afternoon.
As half time approached the Gateshead side were able to reflect back on what had been quite a torrid forty minutes for them. It might have been worse had Mikey Brown not failed to be awarded a try for the second week running and had Mark Stobo not been adjudged, from some distance back, to have made a forward pass with the line open for Ian Christer.
The second half began with the home side 38 nil up and with both Mikey Brown and Chris Russell pressing hard for further scores.
The scores in the second half came from Paul Griffin and a second from Ed Halford. Both were from within five metres and whilst the Gateshead continued to battle it was more that the home side had control of the game.
Again the work on the training ground was evident and whilst he is currently unable to play coach Matt Jefferson has introduced new routines to the training sessions, now sponsored by Alarm & Communication Systems, that are coming through in match situations.
Once more the home side used a full squad of players and rotated positions in the second half. Again it was a game where one individual scored a hat trick of tries but where the team performance was the key feature in maintaining a blank score line for the opposition. The confidence to attack often reflects the knowledge of a sound defence. Final score P&S 50 Gateshead lll 0
P&S Vs. Blyth (League) - 17 Nov 2007
There was a bite on the wind as it cut across the open spaces and then seemed to hover and swirl over the rugby pitch within the Stocksfield Sportsfield on Saturday afternoon. The last match between Prudhoe and Stocksfield was played in the sunshine of early September with several of the rugby players actually playing cricket on the adjacent pitch to the rugby match in Blyth.
The Blyth side also showed several changes to the side P&S thrashed that day. A late cancellation of other matches meant that the visitors had a full squad with them whilst P&S had several players unavailable from the previous couple of weeks.
It was Blyth who kicked off, going both up hill and against the bulk of the wind squalls. However they set their stall out from the start fired up to keep the P&S side pegged back within their own half for fully ten minutes from the start. The home side did aid and abet by conceding four penalties in those early exchanges. The referee being very clear about what and what he would not permit gave fair warning to both sides and it was the ill discipline of the Prudhoe and Stocksfield forwards that fortunately were not made more of by the Blyth side.
With Jay Neil making his full debut for the home side in the second row and John Reed finding himself pitched straight back from injury as an emergency Number 8 the home forwards were strong up front and having had several weeks of training and playing with a rotating formation the efforts of the Blyth eight were not insignificant in matching P&S in the first quarter of the game. Where there was a real difference was in the speed of the back row where the whippet like open side flanker from Blyth covered the pitch time and time again both in attack and when defending he was prominent, although wearing white boots when putting in the occasional cheap shot at a ruck was not the brightest move. The other significant differences to the early season Blyth side was in the centre where for the first time in many weeks P&S came up against a defence and at scrum half where despite Andy Murray being very visible and having the whistle there was a want to be ref in a black and green shirt.
Having got into the Blyth half and having Jay disrupt and distract the Blyth line out Ian Jewitt took text book ball at four and the ball moved along the line to press the Blyth defence. It did not last too long as having been cautioned a couple of times the Blyth side were penalised. Chris Russell took responsibility for a quick tap and crashed over from all of three metres.
The next ten minutes saw the game stuck in mid field with the Blyth forwards probably taking the honours in the loose but being brought back to reality by the very strong Prudhoe and Stocksfield scrum. Prominent during this phase of the game was Phil Bewick, who was covering the left wing spot with distinction, despite being hit with one of the tackles of the season from a Blyth forward and Andy Walsh on the right wing who given it his first season shows real promise.
The end of this session of play came when Blyth attempting to break out from their own twenty two metre area were halted by Steve Rogers, who on being penalized, made inappropriate comments to the referee and found himself standing in the cold for ten minutes.
This raised the tempo for Blyth who did all they could to get the ball to their backs and make their additional man count. The challenge was taken by the home side who matched the step up in tempo and replied with a very well taken try by inside centre Mark Stobo. Blyth won a line out some ten metres from their own line and instead of clearing the ball passed it across the field where the ball was mishandled and P&S turned it over for Stobo who ran in the try.
Half time saw the home side 14 nil up but with a real challenge to face in the second half. Within two minutes of the restart Blyth scored. Prudhoe and Stocksfield were warned at half time what to expect and that they would need to defend and defend well however a try from some twenty five metres out did not bode well for the remaining 38 minutes.
The game a very even match with both sides pressing to gain the advantage and break into their opponents twenty two metre area. The only real advantage for Prudhoe and Stocksfield was in the set scrums where the front five again dominated. The same front five were also critical in the way they defended rucks and mauls not allowing the quicker Blyth backrow to dominate. When Blyth did manage a second score it was an individual effort with a man evading some four tackles before crossing the line. The scores were level and in the spirit of equality the Blyth hooker accepted a ten minute cooling off period after he also spoke to referee inappropriately. The game continued in what was an absorbing contest for the spectators to view and was total commitment from the players of both sides.
The return of the fifteenth man for Blyth also coincided with a particularly good spell from the home side leading up to the awarding of a penalty a few metres from the line.
Having been caught a few times by the opposition Chris Russell asked Ian Christer to take the kick and it was the youngest player in the P&S ranks that claimed the points that won the game 17 –14.
From the top of the league table Prudhoe and Stocksfield look forward to entertaining Alnwick lll next week.
Availability will see some changes to the team for that game but the club spirit and the rotation of what is a genuine squad this season should see no difference to the simple effective rugby the team are playing : the forwards win the ball and release the backs.
Back to top.
P&S Vs. Alnwick III(League) - 24 Nov 2007
After having to work extremely hard the previous week to overcome a strong and battling Blyth side Prudhoe and Stocksfield were unsure as to what sort of opposition would travel down from Alnwick for a Northumberland League 3A fixture last Saturday.
The first scrum seemed to tell all. Some seven metres from the Alnwick line P&S shoved the visitors back over their own line where they were able to gratefully fall on the ball and give themselves a second chance to get their scrum right. As the ball was put in so P&S gently squeezed and moved forward with ease and control. Number 8 Ed Halford had opened the scoring with less than five minutes gone. With skipper Chris Russell on the touchline injured, Ian Christer had kicking duties for the afternoon and opened his account with a conversion to give the home side a 7 point lead.
With 9 minutes gone Alnwick had conceded a second try as the first running move of the game saw an interchange of passes between Charlie Tindall and Ed Halford who then released wing Paul Griffin to score.
The Alnwick side were still up for the game and several individuals made good contributions to the match but they seemed to lack the cohesiveness or the planned play that have been features of the Prudhoe and Stocksfield team latterly. The strength of the P&S front five has been a constant feature of the season and part of the strength was highlighted on Saturday when “Hicker” “Andy” and “BJ” seemed to change positions at will, each one able to play across the front row and hence unsettle and destablize the opposition who had difficulty settling and setting themselves being unsure as to who their opposite number is.
The third try came from the good platform of the scrum with the Alnwick put in being taken by Prudhoe, the ball came out to Steve Rogers who set up Matt Bewick who in turn released Ed Halford who scored his second of the afternoon.
Three minutes later the score of the afternoon came from a maul up near the P&S 22 metre line. As the ball came out of the maul it was popped up for Steve Rogers to take at pace and evading two or three fairly despairing tackles score a fine try between the posts.
With four tries scored and only twenty minutes having gone P&S were given a prompt that a match lasts a little longer as Alnwick with no great struggle or drama managed to claw back a try.
This meant the final ten minutes of the first half were more meaningful with Alnwick seeking to claw back more points and the home side looking to reassert their dominance.
A good scrum was again the breaking point for Alnwick as the home side took another ball against the head the ball was released out to Charlie Tindall who went over for his first score of the day.
For Alnwick according to their half time team talk, despite trailing 31- 5 the second half was to be theirs. The first quarter of an hour was at least more even. Indeed Alnwick did conclude that patch of the game by scoring a second try which seemed to kick start P&S back into action.
With Gary Waters, Charlie Murray, John Ballentyne and John Patmore all joining the fray in the second half the opportunity for rotation in the P&S squad enables the whole game structure to change and with Gary and Charlie combining very well to dominate the lineouts and John Ballentyne foraging around the fringes P&S scored a further three tries. One for Charlie Tindall and Steve Rogers grabbed another two to complete a hat trick for the second time in three weeks.
The final score was 52 –10 to Prudhoe and Stocksfield. Again a satisfying win with a successful return from injury for Richard Sample who linked well with Mikey Brown who had a superb game.
Back to top.
Northern III Vs. P&S (League) - 01 Dec 2007
With several players unavailable it was a strong, if depleted squad that arrived at Northern. Chris Russell and Phil Bewick still nursing injuries formed half the subs bench, whilst Mark Russell returned in the centre after nearly two months out and Sanjay made his club debut on the left wing. For at least two players there was some extra spice in the fixture. Both Ed Halford and BJ Neal had played for Northern in recent times and they clearly wanted to show their worth.
Prudhoe and Stocksfield began the game top of Northumberland League 3A with a lead of some eleven points. The Prudhoe MOT Centre sponsored side having won their last six league games and averaged 40+ points a game during November.
Northern, were a mixture of colts and some more senior players but they increased their average age significantly by borrowing a P&S prop. For Prudhoe and Stocksfield this meant a further league point ( a so called fair play point being awarded to a team that loans another team a player, or players, so that a full game of rugby may be played). It also meant that the P&S pack had an idea that the opposition would not be too strong up front.
Prudhoe & Stocksfield pressed from the start and soon had Northern pegged back in their own 22 metre area .Under pressure a Northern player transgressed and Mikey Brown kicked the penalty from in front of the posts to open the visitors account,
A few minutes later came the first try. Richard Sample was prominent in the early stages and it was his good run that lead to the ball going to John Reed who sold an outrageous dummy before running in a fine try close to the posts.
The second P&S try came from Andy Welsh who having joined the club this season is making a real contribution. The try he scored was far out on the right but was noteworthy for the pass he took from his toes to collect the ball and power over the line. He also showed his strength in defence when catching and holding a ball that if released could well have lead to a Northern score. Andy was playing against a Northern debutant, Richard Brady, twin brother of former P&S winger James. Richard was without doubt the Northern player of the match scoring all their tries. The first being a good backs move from the home side who were winning nothing at the lineouts and even less in the scrums.
The Northern backs were somehow gaining from mistakes or chance balls to give the appearance of a side that was making the game a match. Prudhoe did keep the pressure on and after a fine direct run by Mark Russell, Steve Rogers scored a try so keeping the P&S lead intact.
It was a stuttering, stop, start sort of a game with the referee, also making his debut at this level, managing the game very well.
The second half saw the visiting forwards dominate. Rolling mauls, and scrums were being won with ease. It was only a matter of time and opportunity before a push over try would be their reward. So it was that Ed Halford got his name on the score sheet.
Probably the best try of the game gave Richard Brady his, and Northerns, third try. The astute and measured cross field kick from the Northern fly half may owe much to the World Cup but it was very well executed. It also served to demonstrate that whilst Prudhoe and Stocksfield may well be a good side in this league they have not yet grasped the nettle of punishing sides. The forwards are strong and the front five, which may be a combination of eight or nine players, are likely to out scrummage most packs although towards the end of this game scrums were lost not due to power or technique but by a failure to control the ball. The varied half back combinations have all had merit. Mikey Brown is loving playing behind such a dominant pack and John Catnach was always prepared to keep the ball in hand. Whilst the Northern backs were probably the most competent we have seen this season at harnessing Steve Rogers there were also handing errors and two inexperienced wingers that meant the try scoring was shared by forwards and backs in this game. Final score. Northern 17 Prudhoe & Stocksfield 43
Back to top.
P&S Vs Border Park(Friendly) - 29 December 2007
Port and mince pies it was then as these two grass roots West Tyne rugby clubs set out to enjoy their Festive season encounter. Having soundly beaten a scratch fifteen players at Kielder in October there was some doubt that the Border Park side would arrive with sufficient players to make the return match. They did and had some spare. Like all these fixtures the sides that started did not necessarily feature those players that play for the respective clubs week in and week out. Local players who are perhaps trying their luck in the higher reaches of Tynedale also find their way back to what are their home clubs for the game. Some players may even be confused as to who they should turn out for! Take Geoff Sloan, hooker for Border Park in this encounter, but has played some seasons at Prudhoe and Stocksfield and at Tynedale and before that at the now gone Alston Moor. The Rugby World Cup may have come and gone but for Geoff and lots of others on the field on Saturday these are special games, reminding the well populated touch line that this is where the game has the roots and strength. In the P&S side there were three sets of brothers all local and all contributing on the field and off the field to the well being of rugby in Prudhoe and Stocksfield.
And so to the match. After a morning of rain the pitch was in good order when the home side kicked off having been asked to play against the slope in the first half.
It took only four minutes for Border Park to put full back Will Halford under pressure. Will took the ball well and passed to Chris Russell who made a few yards before unleashing Andy Welsh who put his head and ran almost half the length of the pitch to score out wide on the left.
This was not quite what the visitors had expected and for some time they found themselves pressed back in their own half.
When they did break out it was with real purpose. Making the yards that took them to the home 22metre area they caused some pressure before two penalties were conceded by P&S the second being taken quickly by Billy Robson who dived over for an equalizing try. Border Park went into the lead when Rory Self converted.
From the kick off Prudhoe and Stocksfield pushed hard and when the ball came quickly from a maul out to Will Halford it was his quick hands that put Mikey Brown clear to run in the second home try.
The visitors then dominated the game for a ten minute spell when the home side defended incredibly well. There may have been some question as to them being awarded a penalty try following a sequence of five penalties all on or around the five metre mark but each stoutly defended. Coming out of defence there was a spell when the Prudhoe forwards really took control of the scrums and at one point pushed Border fully ten metres back up the hill.
It was an enthralling encounter for the spectators and the pressure was only properly over when the half time whistle brought on the port and mince pies.
The game is used as an opportunity to say thank you to the clubs sponsors and those who have held the most senior role in the club. Hence some eight P&S Presidents, covering the majority of the clubs existence and recent years sponsors, Alarm & Communication Systems, Aramee, Peters School of Motoring and Prudhoe MOT Centre were all thanked.
In the second half it was the side on the pitch that said thanks with a fine display that saw the visitors concede four tries to a single reply.
From the kick off it was downhill for P&S as they simply overran their visitors. Chris Russell scoring from close range as the bemused Border Park side took time to digest their half time refreshment.
Three minutes later the sight of Ed Halford on a twenty metre charge seemed enough to deter most Border Park players and following up Chris Russell turned provider for James Rusby to cross the line.
With further strong running from Steve Rogers, Andy Oliver and Paul Griffin the home side looked as though they may score at will. To credit Border Park they did try to defend and the combination of errors and tackles saw ten minutes pass before Andy Walsh rounded off a series of good passes to cross the line for his second try.
As the weather changed and the dull skies began to release the rain so the game as a spectacle came to an end. The honest endeavours of the Border Park side continued but they had no real answer to a fine Andy Oliver run that saw him cut in and through a tired and stretched defence for a sixth P&S try. With Will Halford converting three of them the home side had amassed 36 points. Whilst it may have been predominately the backs that had scored the forwards, with Jay Neal to the fore, provided the platform through their scrummage, their lineout and their rucking.
It was perhaps fitting and a tribute to the spirit of these games that with a last flourish, or was it simply a dash towards they changing rooms, the final play of the match saw Karl May touch down for Border Park leaving a final score of Prudhoe and Stocksfield 36 Border Park 12.
Back to top. Back to top.
P&S Vs. Berwick (League) - 5 Jan 2008
New Year and new or renewed resolutions did not hang around the Stocksfield Sportsfield on Saturday last as the cross field biting wind ensured a less than warm welcome for Berwick Badgers.
The game had been switched from Berwick to Stocksfield as a forfeit when Berwick had cried off one Saturday in October.
Prudhoe and Stocksfield had a full squad available and several additional players on the touchline as they kicked off going up the slope and against the wind, which blew diagonally from top left to bottom right.
There was a nervous start and the pressure for the home side was all about whom and how they would score. Berwick seemed ready to defend and the real opposition seemed to be in the flow of the game, or rather the sound of the whistle. The game plan was clearly taken from the computer (www challenge) standing for wind, whistle and waste. The computer does not lie and it was a challenge.
From the second scrum the home side had the measure of the Badgers with the P&S front five in total control. With Andy Marsh, Mark Russell and BJ Neill able to switch positions and unsettle the opposition the impact on the opposing front row is to render them powerless. With the wind disrupting the lineouts it was almost random who got the ball from either sides throw ins. The game as a spectacle would depend on the ability of the referee to let the game flow.
It was a long time before the game came to life. The game was entering its second quarter when eventually, following a simple pattern of play Prudhoe and Stocksfield got their first score. Win a scrum, get the ball to the fly half and let him unleash the inside centre, who runs directly at his opposite number and when challenged he off loads the ball to the outside centre,Steve Rogers, who, going at pace, scores. Simple effective rugby. No errors, no whistle and no sustainable opposition.
Berwick were working hard to say in touch with the home side, who whilst well in control were not controlling. It was on a very rare foray forward that a Berwick kick ahead fell to Jay Niel on his own 22. Jay returned the kick with interest and charged after it. He just failed to hold the Berwick full back who ran wide to the right before kicking into the home side 22 just before a late challenge felled him. The referee awarded a penalty where the ball landed, and with the ball going straight between the posts Berwick found themselves back in game.
The first half finished with the home side leading 5 – 3, against a side that you could say had not yet left their sett having been in their opponents 22 metre area only four times in forty minutes.
The second half was different. The half time team talk for P&S had been about temperament and tempers. Instead of winge, whine and waste the emphasis was to be on playing simply and well.
The first score took three minutes and this time a strong run from Steve Rogers was continued by Charlie Tindall, to Chris Russell who passed to Mark Stobo who did not need the players outside him as he crossed the line for try 2.
The third was as the first. Prudhoe and Stocksfield won a scrum some five metres out and the ball was effectively passed out and to Charlie Tindall who was not stopped as he went forward to score.
The fourth try was focussed around the five-metre point. This time it was a very effective lineout jump and take by Richard Sample. The forwards drove, and over the line went Jay Niel.
Six minutes later another scrum won and this time scrum half Mikey Brown took the ball himself to dash over the line and take P&S to a 25 – 3 lead.
The final play of the game brought the final try. The forwards won the ball and out it went to Charlie Tindall for his second try of the game.
So six tries to none and yet not a good game to watch. The home side did very well to maintain their own discipline and hang on to their own ability. The opposition were there but posed no threat to the top of the table side. The visit of second placed Novos should be a much better spectacle next week and hopefully having overcome the www challenge in this game it will again be the disciple and self believe that will come to the fore.
Back to top.
P&S Vs. Novos (League) - 12 Jan 2008
It was going to be one of those days. Both squads were ready, changed and warming up long before the appointed kick off time. The anticipation of a top of the table clash was evident from the time the first of the players arrived at the ground. It was a far cry from the days of junior rugby when although referred to as “junior” rugby it was often played by the fat lads, the old fellas and those who talked a good game but couldn’t quite catch a ball and certainly had no wish to tackle a moving object.
Novos arrived a well drilled and impressive looking side. They have lost only one league game this season, as have Prudhoe and Stocksfield. In the case of the home team it was a less than impressive effort at Novos in early October when the squad was depleted.
With the slope and no real wind to speak of the home side kicked off. The game began at pace and whilst the encounter was enthralling there was little between the two sides until the seventh minute when the second scrum was called. As in previous weeks it was the start of the end for the opposition. The home sides front row has been the foundation of much of the teams dominance this season. Without the experience of the injured John Reed, with BJ Neill unavailable and with the formidable John Patmore on the touchline Andy Marsh, Mark Russell and Nick Sherwin held the positions and took all the plaudits as they took the scrum leaving the Novos pack in disarray.
In the loose the backrow of John Ballentyne, Richard Sample and Matthew Bewick were as impressive. From the scrum they took the ball forward and from a maul released Andy Marsh for a ten metre burst which when stopped saw the ball move out to Chris Russell who timed his pass for Steve Rogers to run on to at speed and score the first try of the day.
Novos worked hard to try to get equal. They constantly challenged the home side, pushing and probing but somehow unable to gain access to the Prudhoe and Stocksfield 22 metre area.
Prudhoe and Stocksfield seemed able to absorb and counter attack but Novos worked very hard to hold them. Their defence was lessened by a knee injury to one of their second row players, delaying the game for nearly five minutes. But the delay was a breather for the home XV who began a more serious assault on the Novos side.
Ed Halford made a surging run and when held up found the ever supporting Mikey Brown who touched the ball down for the second score of the day.
Five minutes later a sparkling run from Steve Rogers saw the ball over the line and held up in the hands of Andy Welsh. The hard pressed Novos forwards must have been concerned at the thought of a five metre scrum. Their worse fears were confirmed as the home pack completely controlled the scrum and took them back over their own line with Number 8 Richard Sample giving a text book display of scoring from a push over scrum.
Trailing by three scores to nil clearly stung the visitors and they made a concerted effort to break the Prudhoe and Stocksfield line. Finally getting in to the 22 metre area where they gained two tap penalties and a couple of five metre line outs but that was as far as they got. Novos could not cross the home try line.
The first few minutes of the second half were going to be testing and with the injured Richard Sample being replaced by James Rusby. It was James who caught the eye from the very first scrum. Not only were Novos pushed up the hill but when the ball was picked up there was a significant drive up the field.
The strategy Novos used to relieve the pressure was to kick down field but they found Mark Stobo and Paul Griffin were solid in defence and returned the ball upfield to the P&S attack.
The game was being played at quite a pace. Mikey Brown had driven the forwards on and sadly injured a knee. However as was to happen throughout the afternoon his replacement, Ian Christer, made an immediate impact. The quality of the squad was such that each player contributed something to the game and replacing one with another did not weakened the team but simply vary it.
Ian Christer began his game by taking the ball from the scrum and bursting forward. The ball was released to Paul Griffin who fed Jay Niel who scored the first try of the second half.
The next replacement could be said to be most alike, Phil Bewick replaced twin brother Matthew and his first contribution was a tackle that set the ball carrier back several metres and gave the turnover ball to P&S.
Novos were making a real game of it and although unable to carry the ball to the P&S line they did achieve some points through a penalty kick.
The response was swift. Andy Oliver who had replaced Mark Stobo made a twenty metre run. This was soon followed by a run from Chris Russell who fed Charlie Tindall who charged across the line for try 5.
The game as a contest was concluded but with almost the final play of he game John Ballentyne, who had harried and foraged all game, took the tally to six tries for the second consecutive week
P&S come away from this game with many positives and perhaps most importantly the knowledge that the efforts of the whole squad had created a clear gap between them at the top of the table and Novos ll who are second.
Final score Prudhoe and Stocksfield 34 Novos ll 3
Back to top.
P&S Vs. Morpeth Stags (Cup) - 16 Feb 2008
Cup games always seem to be different. Having played a more senior Morpeth side a couple of weeks ago Prudhoe and Stocksfield were under no illusion that this cup quarter final would be a very hard game.
Morpeth Stags comprise of usually older players who may have played at the highest club level but who now continue to enjoy their rugby at what is seen as a lower level. Certainly it was not an encounter for the young or inexperienced.
Morpeth kicked off going up the hill and the physical geography was not all that was against them as the next time they had the ball cleanly was when they took the next kick off.
From the first kick off Prudhoe and Stocksfield had surged forward putting the visitors under immediate pressure and BJ Neill had the line in sight when the referee called a 5metre scrum. This was followed by a second five metre scrum and although he took the ball from the base of the scrum Ed Halford was held up. The ball was quickly fed out and when Chris Russell switched the ball inside there was no way Charlie Tindall would fail to score.
The second kick off saw the Stags approach the Prudhoe and Stocksfield 22metre mark. However that was about all they did as the home side collected the ball and try scorer Tindall ran straight back to the advancing Morpeth side, breaking the line before releasing Chris Russell who ran from beyond the halfway line to score the second try of the day. He converted his own try to take the score out to 14-0 with only ten minutes gone.
It was third time lucky for Morpeth as they kicked off into the Prudhoe and Stocksfield half and successfully followed up to contest the ball. It took the home side some five minutes to get back to the lower end of the field, where they were awarded a penalty. Choosing to kick for touch and gain an advantage from a five metre line out rather than go for goal seemed a good decision for a side dominating the game. Unfortunately an error at the line out saw Morpeth clear their line and move upfield.
This was really the beginning of the match as the experienced visitors finally made the game a contest. It was a fascinating contest. Morpeth seeking to keep the ball within the forwards who then sought to rumble the ball upfield whilst Prudhoe and Stocksfield looked to play a more expansive game and utilise their backs. This did not mean that the home forwards did not compete indeed in the loose they were the better side. The size of the red hooped Stag shirts gave them the advantage in the maul but in the rucks and at the lineouts it was Prudhoe and Stocksfield who took the honours.
Richard Sample was dominant throughout the game. Jumping at two he seems to attract the ball time after time. When the line was varied Ian Jewitt again was able to consistently take clean ball. Mark Russell playing his part with sound throwing in.
As the first half drew to a close it was Morpeth who were in the ascendancy, managing to reduce the Prudhoe and Stocksfield with a well taken try to make the half time score 14-5.
The second half saw a tactical change for the home side, with Nick Sherwin giving way to James Rusby. Ed Halford moved to the front row and James added his skills to the back row. It looked to be a very good substitution and within three minutes of the start the home side lead was extended.
Having been harried and hampered around the scrum all the first half a five metre scrum caused some concern to the Morpeth side and in preparing for a back row move, a gap was left for Mikey Brown to simply take the quick ball from the scrum and dart over for the home sides third try. With a score of 21-5 the home side may have felt that they were in a winning situation, however the Stags did not seem to think that and under significant pressure Prudhoe and Stockfield were superb. The back three of Paul Griffin, Andy Welsh and Phil Bewick were equal to every thing the visitors could throw at them. Tackles from Phil Bewick in particular stood out. Up front it was James Rusby and the perpectual motion of John Ballentyne who caught the eye. The Prudhoe and Stocksfield forwards matched the bigger men constantly and whilst there was one lapse that saw the lead reduce by seven points it was a very strong performance that saw the home side gain a place in the semi final. With Jay Neal again putting in a huge effort around the field and Mark Stobo doing well to ensure that the threequarters were fluid in both defence and attack it was a genuine 15 man performance.
Next week it is back to league fixtures with Percy Park Pumas being the visitors. The coast side, having lost only three games all season, are in the group just behind the Aramee and Prudhoe MOT Centre sponsored table topping Prudhoe and Stocksfield side.
Back to top.
P&S Vs. Percy Park Pumas (League) - 23 Feb 2008
Robbed and Mauled
It was a bad day at the office for Prudhoe and Stocksfield on Saturday. Before the start of the match an intruder who took several phones and wallets whilst the players warmed up, this was followed up by a mauling from Percy Park Pumas. In between the thefts and the conclusion of the game there was a game of sorts. It is probably best summarised by the final Percy Park try that saw a scrum five metres from the Prudhoe and Stocksfield line. As the ball came out of the scrum the visiting scrum half flicked the ball forward with his hand and with a smile on his face followed the ball across the line to claim a try. He laughed as he walked back to the scrum. The referees whistle went. A try was awarded and the laughter became almost hysterical.
The bad bay became an absurd day.
The game itself had begun reasonably well for the home side. Going down the hill the pressure was immediately applied by the Prudhoe and Stocksfield forwards. Whilst the Pumas looked strong the home side front row were stronger. The first scrum saw the visitors pressed hard and penalised for not pushing straight. The penalty on their own five metre line was converted by Chris Russell.
Percy Park came back strongly. They had come with a very strong side several of whom have, and still do, play at a higher level. This was a compliment to the Prudhoe and Stocksfield side but given the depressed start to the day there did not seem to be the mental strength on the day.
The visitors responded with a well struck penalty after only five minutes and this seemed to spur Prudhoe and Stocksfield on. The running mauls and the second, third and fourth phase ball around the fringes were dominated by the home side. On one of the few occasions the ball was released to the backs deep in their own half Andy Walsh had a fine run and when held up the ball moved across the field before being held up in the right hand corner. As the forwards moved in Ed Halford burst from the fringe to score the opening try.
A quarter of an hour later the same player took a quick tap penalty and again went over from some ten metres out. By this time the sharp switched on rugby brains of the Pumas had arrived. The scrum that seemed to be beaten suddenly began collapsing and strangely, given their dominance the Prudhoe and Stocksfield side were being penalised. The visitors concluded the first half with a second penalty which gave the home side a half time lead of 15-6.
The lead was short lived and a penalty and unconverted try in the first five minutes of the try saw the visitors within a point of the home side. By this time vice captain Richard Sample had left the field seeing a reorganisation of the pack. Whilst the home forwards continued to win the set scrums they were not being allowed to keep the ball as several turnovers and unseen fringing took the ball away from them.
The Pumas half backs of Shepherd and Rutter who both play or have played for higher sides recently began to dominate. In a fifteen minute spell they, supported by the experienced and still talented Carr at inside centre, ran in three tries, all converted. Also during this time Prudhoe and Stocksfield lost the tireless running and chasing of John Ballentyne, who collected an injury, and their other wing forward, Matt Bewick to the sin bin. The spirit of the home side was not in doubt, whilst individually all tried they did not seem able to raise their individual or collective game. There was a welcome return, after long injury layoffs for John Whitfield and Andy Moore, but neither could influence the outcome by this stage.
Whilst Mikey Brown managed to cross in the corner for a home try the visitors extended their lead with a further two tries before the final try from scrum half, Shepherd, that simply added insult to the bad day.
The final score was 20 – 47 and whilst this was only the second league defeat of the season for Prudhoe and Stocksfield it was their first home defeat.
Next week they travel to Whitley Bay to play Rockcliff Vikings in the semi final of the cup. They will be looking for a significantly better performance and a full squad to see them through.
Back to top.
Whitley Bay Rockcliffe Vs. P&S (Cup) - 1 March 2008
After the previous week it had to be better. Following theft and defeat, including cash, cards and phones, Prudhoe and Stocksfield were better prepared and focussed for their cup semi final at Whitley Bay Rockcliff on Saturday. Well most were, Ed Halford just getting on to the pitch as Rockcliff kicked off !
The home side and their supporters were keen to get the game started and with a strong gusting wind behind them their game plan was obvious: get the ball behind the visitors and make them turn and chase back.
For their part Prudhoe and Stocksfield sought to keep the ball in the forwards and in hand. Early exchanges saw Andy Walsh have a brief run on the right and Johnnie Whitfield make an important tackle to halt the home side.
The early scrums were even with both sides wheeling the other but Rockcliff gained the first two lineouts and seemed to find favour with the referee at breakdown points.
For the better part of the first quarter of an hour they pinned the visitors back in their own half.
The breakthrough, when it came, was not surprisingly a try to Rockcliff Vikings. The conversion gave them a 7 point lead. It also seemed to be a wake up call for the Prudhoe and Stocksfield pack who with BJ Neill, Ed Halford and Jay Neal forming a very powerful nucleus began a rumble up the field. After forty metres it became a ruck and Andy Marsh darted from the base to cross the line and bring the score to 7-5.
With the pack now dominant Chris Russell, playing outside centre, seemed to find space and whilst the Viking defence were mustering all they could to prevent Charlie Tindall breaking the line it left space outside.
As the first half drew to a close the visitors seemed to have taken control. The wind had ceased to be a factor and as the clock wound down the move of the half saw Jay Neal run from the lineout and going in a wide arc make some twenty metres before offloading to Chris Russell who passed the ball to Richard Sample and on to some five metres from the Rockcliff line before it faltered.
With the wind now in their favour and already outpowering the home side Prudhoe and Stocksfield were keen to start the second half, albeit 7-5 down.
It took three minutes to turn the score around. Chris Russell looked to chip and chase and was tripped. Chris took the penalty to give P&S an 8 -7 lead.
Two minutes later a kick from Johnnie Whitfield took a touch from a Rockcliff player wnd gave the attacking side a five metre scrum. Ed Halford took the ball from the base and made a couple of yards before passing to Richard Sample who completed the move, scoring between the posts. At 15 -7 it looked promising for the visitors. A minute later they were back in their opponents half with only metres to the line to go a stray pass fell to Rockcliffs winger. He took the ball and burst forward. Prudhoe and Stocksfield turned and chased and chased and chased. The ball went from one end of the field to the other, from one side of the pitch to the other with valiant efforts at stopping the chase. To no avail. Rockcliff Vikings had come back 15-12.
The whole basis of the game changed. The Vikings moved up a gear. The game began to ebb and flow.
For the second time in the game Chris Russell was illegally prevented from collecting a chip in front of the posts. He added 3 points to add to his sides total.
For the next ten minutes the game was a real tussle with neither side able to dominate the other. The spell was broken by P&S conceding a penalty. The kick fell away but the pressure and the balance of the game has changed,
Rockcliff seemed to mount wave after wave of attack. The ball found its way out wide to the left wing and despite the best efforts of a tired looking Prudhoe defence the line was crossed. Prudhoe found their lead cut to a single point, 18 – 17.
It was a very long final ten minutes. With Mikey Brown having taken a knock, Johnnie Whitfield and Andy Walsh been replaced and Phil Bewick, having covered the pitch several times over and looking very tired it was a huge effort by P&S to keep the score in their favour.
They managed and will be in the final of the Northumberland Junior Shield on March 16th.
Before that they have a home game against Northern lll. The fixture is sponsored by former P&S captain Paul Barber (Builders) and will be an opportunity for former players and supporters to meet and plan their day out at the final.
Back to top.
P&S Vs. Northern (League) - 8 March 2008
Last week was hard, and the week before that was hard, thank goodness it was just a league game this week. For Prudhoe and Stocksfield sitting at the top of the league by some 11 points, playing a mid table side should have been a straight forward sort of contest. It wasn’t. Northern llls were a good side. A very different side to the side that Prudhoe and Stocksfield played earlier in the season when Northern had been significantly depleted by players being moved to play for other sides.
As the sides warmed up, the rain lashed across the field and it looked as if the elements were going to spoil any chance of a good game of rugby. Prudhoe and Stocksfield showed several changes from the two previous weeks sides with Andy Moore and Steve Rogers starting their first games since injury. Richard Martin started in the second row and John Whitfield at 15. The team was completed by the Bewick twins, Matthew and Phillip, both wearing number 7 shirts in the back row.
As the rain ceased Prudhoe and Stocksfield kicked off playing down the slope with the wind more or less behind them. From the off it was clear that Northern were not subscribing to the plan that would see them simply trying to limit the points against them. In fact they took the play to the home side and found the wind against them no problem as the controlling wind in the whistle seemed to firmly favour them.
Despite being penalised in the loose at least twice in the opening few minutes P&S gradually took themselves down field.
It took ten minutes to gain the first five metre scrum. It was not wasted. Number 8 Richard Sample picked up and twisted toward the line before off loading to the outstretched hands of Phil Bewick who scored the opening try.
It was the most memorable action of the first half. Neither side was able to dominate, the home side had a couple of kick and runs that all ended in nothing save one that bizarrely ended in Paul Griffin being spoken to for putting his arms out to stop a trailing Northern player from knocking him over, all came to nothing.
At half time having lost Richard Sample to injury and with Matt Bewick also carrying an injury the home side looked to face the winds with limited back row options. Initially Jay Neal went to 8 but this was short lived. Following a maul Phil Bewick remained on the ground with what looked like a very nasty neck/spine injury and play was held up for nearly ten minutes as he left the field. The scrum switched round and Andy Marsh became the blindside flanker whist BJ Neill took control at number 8.
The game continued to be a fragmented scrappy affair although two bursts upfield from Steve Rogers did raise the crowds enthusiasm.
The visitors who had anticipated that the home side would tire and would be punished, by having to turn and chase the ball kicked over their heads, found it was not that simple. Scrum half Mikey Brown and Nick Sherwin and Charlie Murray made sure the ball was kept in the pack and on the fringes. The Northern stand off rarely saw the ball and when Steve Rogers did cross for the home sides second try, he spent his time behind the posts berating his forwards and team mates for not getting the ball to him.
When Matt Bewick left the field the interchangeable pack became a reality. The front row of Marsh, Murray and Neill were the back row. With many clubs being sorely stretched for front row players it has been Prudhoe and Stocksfield good fortune to have an abundance of talented front row players this season. Indeed the majority of their success this season has stemmed from a solid tight five, no matter the combination of that unit.
With ten minutes to go, despite having defended superbly on several occasions, Prudhoe and Stocksfield did allow Northern to cross the line for a score. Whilst this gave the scoreline a look of closeness with Charlie Tindall and John Patmore putting in some outstanding tackles the result did not seem to be in doubt.
For Paul Barber ( Builders) it was not an exciting encounter that would bring his friends and guests streaming back to watch the side again but it was a win. It was also three points nearer a league title. With the Junior Shield Final to look forward to next Sunday (16th) it has already been a very successful season for Prudhoe and Stocksfield but the team are keen to make sure the job is completed with silverware in the cabinet before they will celebrate.
Back to top.
Ryton Vs. P&S (League) - 29 March 2008
In conditions that certainly let us know that spring could be a cruel season Prudhoe and Stocksfield entertained the 14 men of Ryton lls. For the home side the incentive was to achieve a win and maintain their place at the top of the table and take them to within a point of the league title. For Ryton there was the opportunity to give a little more experience to a good number of junior players. Indeed half the side were young men hoping to make progress to the clubs senior side. Whilst every game is helpful in terms of learning the young men came up against a P&S side who would severely test them.
It took one scrum and 3 minutes for the home side to take the lead. After a twenty metre drive the home forwards, playing up the hill, found themselves with a put in at a scrum some five metres short of the line. The front row of Nick Sherwin, BJ Neill and Andy Marsh were far too wise and solid to let the opportunity pass. They applied the pressure and Ed Halford at the base of the scrum controlled the ball and took it over the line for the score.
Two minutes later the forwards were again up at the Ryton 5 metre line and when the ball came out of the maul it went to Steve Rogers who crossed the line for the second try.
With another three minutes gone the Ryton side had managed to sustain the ball in the Prudhoe and Stocksfield half. Not for long the pre match game plan of forwards win the ball and then release it for Charlie Tindall and Steve Rogers to run at pace at the opposition was enacted. So Steve Rogers scored try three from just about the half way line.
Try four looked as though it would be Charlie Tindalls but held, just short of the line, he managed to turn the ball to Matt Bewick who spun round and down over the line.
The Ryton side were significantly aided by John Patmore who helped to make the rest of the half a little more even, although he could not prevent quick thinking by Paul Griffin who took a throw in that released Steve Rogers for his third and the teams fifth try giving the home side a half time score of 27 nil.
The attacking lines of Paul Griffin, Andy Moore and Mark Stobo were a constant threat in open play and flankers Charlie Murray and Matt Bewick were dominant in the loose. In the tight and set play Ian Jewitt and Jay Neal were constantly to the fore. The introduction of John Ballantyne for Ed Halford gave the game a different dimension. Ed likes to run at people whereas “Bally” is superb at hustling players into mistakes and then at close quarters his ability to gain and retain the ball has been outstanding this season.
The second half began as the first with a P&S try. Chris Russell put in a huge kick downfield and the Ryton full back found himself caught by the chasing Prudhoe and Stocksfield players. A ruck formed and the ball was quickly out to Steve Rogers for his fourth and the sides sixth try.
Two minutes later and the dominant pack again pushed over the Ryton line for scrum half Mikey Brown to claim the touch down.
Whilst the points gap widened, the next twenty minutes were certainly the best from the young Ryton side. They even came close to the P&S line on a couple of occasions and the home side had to muster their defences.
The home side did score in what was Rytons purple patch. Andy Marsh got his name on the score sheet, before, during the last five minutes of the game P&S really turned on the pressure again. It was a deserved try from John Ballantyne that was the penultimate score and a minute later captain Chris Russell rounded off the day and took the score to a huge 60 nil.
It was the highest league score of the season and the points tally takes Prudhoe and Stocksfield to an unattainable position at the top Northumberland League 3A.
Next week the visit of Whitley Bay Rockcliff Vikings could see P&S champions and leave the final league game at Alnwick as a chance to take revenge for the recent cup final defeat, ironically played on the Whitley Bay Rockcliff ground.
Back to top.
P&S Vs. Whitley Bay Rockcliffe (League) - 5 April 2008
The idea was to play fun rugby. Enjoy the afternoon, make sure everyone had a good run out and that the result was another significant win.
The last bit was true. A very significant win but with one try and one penalty it certainly was not a flattering margin.
Whitley Bay Rockcliff came with a full squad containing a good many players with senior experience. This gave the game a real edge and one the referee described as very enjoyable and competitive. From the touchline it looked a little less controlled than that.
The home side played up the hill first half and from the kick off found themselves being driven back by the Rockcliff forwards. They were halted when the ball came into touch after good spoiling work by John Ballentyne.
The home forwards then took control and gained a five metre scrum. It was a pattern that had been seen before. The ball came out and went along the three quarter line to Mark Stobo who powered over for the first try after only four minutes.
It was 45 minutes later that following several infringements Rockcliff were penalised and John Whitfield kicked Prudhoe and Stocksfields other points.
In between the two scores there had been several len
