Beverley Braves U12s may have lost more games than they have won this season but just like Hull FC, the team so many of them support. They have been so close to victory on a number of occasions; losing four games by eight or fewer points so far this season.
This fantastic game between two very evenly matched sides was no exception with both sides scoring four tries, goal kicking only separating them, Cottingham Tigers running out winners, 16-22 at a sunny Beverley Leisure Centre.
From the kick off Beverley Braves stand-off Marcus Walker showed he was going to have a great kicking game with his inch perfect kick off bouncing once before skidding in to touch to put them straight on to the attack. From this possession, the Braves forced a repeat set, but were unable to get the all-important try despite strong drives from props George Bennett-Teare and Henry Hughes and the clever distribution of hooker Jack Turner.
Having weathered the storm the Tigers took advantage of a couple fortunate incidents to race into a lead, a try under the sticks after a penalty for accidental offside against Beverley and another on the right after the ball was knocked on after a flat kick. With both conversions, the Tigers were 12-0 up after less than ten minutes.
This Braves team is made of stern stuff, and they have been in this position before, their heads did not go down, and they were soon attacking the Tigers line, second rows Oliver Loney and Ethan Rowbotham supporting their props with stronger running. Twenty metres out on the last tackle Walker put a cross field kick over to the left.
The Tigers full-back stood back from the bouncing ball allowing winger William Kirkup to race onto the ball and touch down despite the Cottingham tackle coming in. In the next set, it was almost a repeat, this time Walker’s kick was from a little deeper, again to the left with the Cottingham winger having one eye on the oncoming Kirkup and Hughes, it was spilled allowing Hughes to scoop up and score. The conversions were difficult and unsuccessful, but it was game on at 8-12 to the Tigers.
Both sides tightened up their defences for the remainder of the half with Lewis Egan helping out his forwards with his usual determined defence and the improvised wing-centre combination of Tom Newton and Thomas Cohen looking water tight, the latter no doubt buoyed by a fantastic one on one tackle earlier in the half that not only stopped the player over the line but turned him on his back.
At full- back Ewan Morton was sound under the kicks and loose-forward Ryan Deane put in a good defensive stint whilst combining well with Egan in attack. It was a shame therefore that a lapse of concentration at a scrum allowed Cottingham the score in the right-hand corner, making the score 8-16 to the Tigers at half-time.
The second half started well for the Braves, and they began to apply some pressure on Cottingham and when Egan managed to slip the ball out of the tackle, Walker quickly spread the ball right to débutante Archie Murdoch, who, given the space outpaced the oncoming defence over 50 metres to touch down.
With only four points in it, the Braves began to look the better side and after Loney and Bennett-Teare went agonisingly close to scoring it was man of the match, Walker, who chipped over the Tigers defence and that man again, Murdoch was on hand to take the ball and crash over on the far right to tie the scores.
Turner’s conversion attempt, despite being from so far out, was agonisingly close, but it remained all level with just five minutes to go. With the fresh legs of Oliver Gresswell and Mathew Hutchinson now on the field the Braves were back on the attack again but failed to turn this into points and a piece of individual flare from the Cottingham stand-off resulted in the winning try after a kick ahead from the half-way line.
A draw may have been a better reflection of the game, but it was great to see such an entertaining game with the stand-offs on both teams playing a mature kicking game.
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