What a difference a win makes. After a luckless few weeks with numerous injuries and withdrawals Beverley RUFC got themselves off the bottom of the table with a close but well deserved victory against second placed Rossendale at Beaver Park.
The game never produced much quality rugby – not surprising given the strength of the raw wind that blew end to end all afternoon – but Beverley RUFC will not mind that and will be more than satisfied with the four league points gained.
Kicking off into the wind it was twenty minutes before Beverley RUFC made their first foray into enemy territory. Rossendale had them by the throat during all that time and constantly looked certain to score as they pounded the home line. But a combination of good defending and an inclination to waste easily kickable penalties by electing to take scrums or kick to the corner left them with nothing to show for all their pressure. Beverley RUFC were heavily out-muscled in the forwards and regularly pushed back in the scrums.
It seemed likely that as the game wore on Rossendale would make their muscle count to increasing effect. Certainly most of the forward play was not for the faint-hearted.
But having weathered the storm Beverley RUFC gradually started to get back into it. Their pack began to hold their own in the set pieces and slick handling in the backs suggested that the visitors were quite capable of being opened up. One lovely run by Phil Duboulay from his own 22 set the ball rolling and with ball in hand Beverley RUFC started to look increasingly dangerous.
Apart from an unwise tendency to throw long in the strong wind the lineout was otherwise working well. The return of Craig Hancock after an eighteen month injury lay-off is not only timely and welcome but is a tribute to his great determination in getting back from what for many would have proved the end of their playing career. He regularly took the ball cleanly in the lineouts and was always a presence in the loose. In a much improved all round forward display Mark Hatfield also had a good game getting in some thumping tackles and Phil Crombie and Jordan Thorne both put in a good stint in the second row.
The half looked certain to end scoreless but right on halftime Beverley RUFC took the lead. A penalty against Rossendale for a high tackle put them under pressure as Beverley RUFC moved the ball rapidly from side to side. Rob Smith on the left wing looked to be crowded out in the corner but a nicely judged swivel took him clean through the defence with an easy run round to the posts. Duboulay converted giving Beverley RUFC a 7-0 interval lead they could hardly have expected after the gruelling first twenty minutes. The fly-half was again having another impressive match, as might perhaps be expected from somebody whose name is believed more precisely to be Philip Housseman du Boulay.
With the wind behind them in the second half it was Beverley RUFC’s turn to mount a sustained pressure. They had by then already started to gain the upper hand. With several elder statesmen pressed into service their backline had a somewhat geriatric look about it but there was nonetheless a sharper cutting edge to the Beverley RUFC back play than we have seen for some time.
Beverley RUFC might easily have added to their lead. David Worrall burst away to the line from the back of the scum only to be brought back by the referee who rather belatedly ruled that the scrum had wheeled.
Hancock too burst through to send Smith racing to the line but the pass was marginally forward. Rossendale in turn gave it everything but the Beverley RUFC defence seldom looked like being breached, although they were indebted to Smith for one superb covering bit of defending when a Rossendale hack through looked certain to bring a score.
With the last action of the game Rossendale did get over in the corner through centre Tom Bedlow but the conversion from the touchline fell short leaving Beverley RUFC to breathe a sigh of relief and with a much welcomed win.
Final Score: Beverley RUFC 7 Rossendale 5
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