After some good performances in the opening matches of the new season, the first home fixtures of saw the Beverley RUFC under 11s squad hosting Goole and Malton.
Home support was strong as Beverley took on Goole and, from the start, it seemed that confidence and a willingness to play expansive rugby has truly taken root amongst the Beverley team. An early try from Ben Parsonage calmed whatever nerves there might have been and, with Tom Barnard adding the conversion, the team soon settled into a confident rhythm.
The forwards more than held their own against a physical Goole pack, with Oliver Cornelius once again showing that he is a force to be reckoned with, and consistent strong play from Jack Dixon helping with ball retention at the breakdowns. A second well-deserved try for Beverley came from Huw Adams, out on the right wing, released into space after some consistent recycling by the forwards. The subsequent conversion points from Barnard’s right boot gave Beverley a 14-0 lead at half time.
Goole tightened their defence after the restart, and Beverley found it harder to open up the gaps. Having been rested for the first half, Billy Coughlin took to the field and continued from where he’d left off last weekend, building on the strong play he’d exhibited in Sheffield. Alongside the tireless Dixon it meant that, whether in attack or defence, it was Beverley who looked more in control. Dixon’s efforts finally paid off as he crossed the line for the only try of the second half, the conversion from Barnard lifting the full-time score to 21-0.
The second match was a far grittier affair, with Malton’s strong pack often out-muscling Beverley in the set pieces. On more than one occasion Barnard was forced to relieve the pressure with long clearance kicks from hard against the Beverley try line. The pressure told though and, by half time, the visitors were 14-0 up. Just before half time Beverley lost Cornelius through injury, which necessitated a reshuffle in the pack. Despite the blow of losing their powerful front row forward Beverley regrouped well and began to take the game to their opponents in the second half.
A score and conversion by Barnard brought the home side to within touching distance, and consistent recycling by the forwards and careful play by the back line saw Beverley camped on the Malton try line. Unfortunately though the rally came too late and the final whistle prevented Beverley from capitalising on what had been a strong and courageous second-half performance.
This Beverley team is continuing to mature and improve. Already streets ahead of their standards of play last season, they will no doubt continue to go from strength to strength and will be a force to be reckoned with through the coming months. The whole squad played a tight, intelligent couple of matches today, and all of the players contributed well to what was another great team display.
Man-of-the-match Jack Dixon richly deserved the accolade today, leading from the front, tacking tirelessly and repeatedly spreading valuable ball to the Beverley back line.
If you’re interested in Joining Beverley RUFC under 11s then please contact either Steve Barnard (07941 463929) or Phil Crockett (07730 624595). Based at the Beverley RUFC Beaver Park ground on Norwood, they train on Wednesday evenings at 6.30pm and on Sunday mornings at 10.15am.
