Another defeat for Beverley RUFC but this was a much improved performance and with the injured players beginning to return there is at last some light at the end of the tunnel. With results elsewhere again going in their favour they still have every chance to make a swift climb up the table. The return here of Sam Atiola to partner Junior Tupai in the centre has clearly restored to the backs much of the thrust missing in recent weeks.
The decisive area today was the scrummaging. Beverley RUFC looked lightweight and fairly pedestrian against a determined and vigorous home pack. David Worrall’s welcome return has made an enormous difference but Beverley RUFC are badly missing the muscle and experience of their other injured forwards. The game itself was closer than the final score might suggest. Beverley RUFC had plenty of possession and when they moved the ball quickly through the hands and kept it simple they looked dangerous. Unfortunately they did not keep it simple often enough and frequently lost possession as a result.
The defining moment of the day came ten minutes before halftime when Beverley RUFC were trailing 13-3. A wild pass thrown out from the scrum into no-mans land was pounced on by Waterloo wing forward Dan Palmer who raced clear for a converted try. It took Waterloo to 20-3, over two scores clear and just about out of sight. Although Beverley RUFC scored a try of their own through Chris Infield on the stroke of halftime they turned round 20-8 down. 13-8 and it might still have been all to play for in the second half.
Earlier Waterloo had gone thirteen points clear through a try by centre Andrew Trotter and two penalties and a conversion by fly half Liam Reeve before Beverley RUFC got on the scoresheet with a Phil Duboulay penalty. On a crisp autumn day both sides played with ambition and there was plenty of enterprising running rugby. It was not hard to see how Waterloo had accumulated nine bonus points from their nine previous games. Their movement was sharp and they had plenty of pace in the backs. Duboulay, Tupai and Atiola were combining well for Beverley RUFC but overall Waterloo in the back division generally posed the greater threat with their slick running.
Another Duboulay penalty early in the second half brought Beverley RUFC to 20-11 and briefly raised hopes of a comeback. Worrall was having a tremendous game at number eight. Few of the many international players gracing this famous old ground over the years can have shown to such good effect as he did here. He was unquestionably the outstanding forward on the field and increasingly made inroads into the home defence. Atiola too showed plenty of dash with several penetrating runs. But in the end poor defending and carelessness cost Beverley RUFC the match.
Too many lineouts were lost on the Beverley RUFC throw and one promising lineout deep in the home half was totally wasted by conceding a free kick for delaying the throw. Nor did it help giving away needless penalties through engaging in backchat to the referee. Waterloo stretched further ahead with another try by Trotter and a Reeve penalty and at the death centre Gary Lunt crossed in the corner allowing the home side to finish with yet another four try bonus point.
Despite the defeat there were encouraging signs for Beverley RUFC. There is plenty of spirit in the side and with injured players returning results should soon start to pick up. Tackling again today was often disappointing but overall it was by no means a poor performance. A bit more fire and aggression up front is what looks most needed, and perhaps more willingness by some of the young players to back their ability to run with the ball rather than quickly get rid of it. As so often this season you were left with the feeling that with a full strength side it was a match Beverley RUFC would probably have won.
Final Score: Waterloo 33 Beverley 11 | Reported by John Nursey
