A win is a win but for Beverley RUFC that is really all you can say about this game. They got there in the end but there was not much to cheer about. After the previous week’s fine performance against Sale this was mostly pretty poor fare. For much of the time all the rugby was coming from Billingham while Beverley were making one error after another. Only a fine effort by their forwards saved the day for them. In the end the Billingham pack was simply ground down and eventually ran out of steam as Beverley gathered increasing momentum in the last quarter.
Billingham were in need of a win to ease their relegation worries and they clearly came looking for it. In the opening minutes their lively backs opened up the home defence with the best move of the day only for a forward pass to deny wing forward Paul Shepherd a try. Both sides quickly showed a readiness to run the ball but in Beverley’s case it was all strangely lethargic and if the pass was not forward it was usually knocked on.
After an even start Beverley took the lead with a forty metre penalty from Phil Duboulay when Billingham were penalised for collapsing a scrum. They would have quickly added to it but the final scoring pass to Robbie Davidson was inevitably forward. Beverley did at last manage to edge further ahead when they moved the ball right and a half break by Junior Tupai put Tomasi Tanumi over. Duboulay added the conversion. At least Beverley were now two scores clear.
Having had the first half advantage of the stiff wind it was no less than they needed before they changed ends. Unfortunately Beverley errors continued to come thick and fast and a good deal of sloppy defending did not help. They badly missed the tackling of the absent Joe Pickets who was nursing an injury. Billingham were several times unlucky not to score especially during a spell when Duboulay was in the sin bin for a dangerous tackle. But with the last action of the half Billingham got themselves right back in it. Beverley failed to find touch from a free kick, Billingham counter attacked, went left, and wing Craig Shepherd had an easy run into the corner.
10-5 to Beverley at halftime and so it remained until the final quarter. Billingham made much better use of the wind than Beverley had done and it seemed only a matter of time before they would get on terms. Fortunately for Beverley the pack increasingly grew in dominance. Stuart Nel and Aaron Carroll in the second row were a towering presence and the back row were a constant handful. Beverley were now regularly winning the breakdowns and their rucking and mauling were producing plenty of good ball for the backs.
For ten minutes Beverley enjoyed a purple patch – well, relatively purple compared to their earlier play – and the outcome was settled with an excellent try by Tupai who ran in from halfway. Duboulay added the conversion and Beverley could at last breathe more easily. There were still errors and plenty of penalties being conceded but passes were now going to hand and were being held on to. The Billingham pack faded in the later stages and with less possession their backs could no longer pose a serious threat to the home side.
In spite of the win it was not a great day for Beverley. Duboulay and James Munro kept the line moving well and there were some classy touches from Tupai and Tanumi, who was Beverley’s main attacking threat, but elsewhere the back play was disappointing. Davidson returning after a long lay-off looked well off the pace at full back and there was generally an air of vulnerability about much of Beverley’s tackling. That victory was secured was largely down to the fine play of the forwards. It was still a useful win and a fourth place finish is still a possibility.
Final Score: Beverley RUFC 17 Billingham 5 | Reported by John Nursey
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