A hard fought and thoroughly enjoyable game between two well-matched sides. After their trouncing at Burnage the previous week Beverley came back in fine style and might easily have won this. Sheffield arrived here with promotion still very much in their sights. In the end they got the win they badly wanted but boy they had to work for it. Beverley were nothing like the lacklustre side of the previous week and today they played perhaps their best rugby of the season. A solitary losing bonus point was scant reward for a terrific effort.
The afternoon was sunny but bitterly cold with a fierce wind blowing downfield. Beverley started with the wind behind them and would have scored almost straightaway but the ball was lost forward as they crossed the line. For twenty minutes they remained camped in the Sheffield 22 and it seemed that tries must come. But somehow Sheffield held out and then scored themselves with practically their first venture over the halfway line. They counter-attacked down their left and winger Henrie Packard went over for a try which fly half Tom Outram converted.
But Beverley were playing with tremendous spirit and were back on terms after half an hour. Concerted forward pressure had kept Sheffield pinned on their own line and when the ball was moved wide Sam Atiola coming in off his wing burst through the middle for a try which Phil Duboulay converted. Two minutes before halftime Beverley might have gone ahead but Duboulay’s penalty attempt from near halfway drifted just wide in the fierce wind.
The outcome of the game now depended on how Beverley would fare against the conditions in the second half. As expected Sheffield started strongly although they could achieve nothing like the dominance Beverley had enjoyed in the first half. But they did edge ahead when Iain Morrison and Sheffield lock Aaron Langon were yellow carded following a brief fracas. Outram kicked the resulting penalty which was presumably awarded for Morrison’s retaliation.
Having gone behind and with conditions against them it was a now a defining period of the game for Beverley. But they responded magnificently. Sheffield flanker Lee Monks burst through with a clear run to the posts only for Atiola to appear out of nowhere and cut him down inches from the line. Beverley immediately countered and a half-break by Atiola sent Richard Bussey scampering down the left touchline to touch down and put Beverley back in front at 12-10.
With a quarter of an hour left it could now go either way. Sheffield strove hard for the win but they could make little impression up front and superb Beverley tackling kept them at bay in the backs. Eventually they did get the break when centre Peter Swatkins cut through from halfway for a splendid solo converted try.
Beverley threw everything into regaining the lead but five minutes from time unluckily conceded what proved to be the decisive score. Sheffield number eight Nicholas Pearson hacked through and was awarded a try despite his grounding of the ball being far from convincing. It was the killer blow for Beverley and it looked as though the losing bonus point had gone as well. But they came back in tremendous style and narrowed it to three points with a second well worked Bussey try and Duboulay conversion.
Despite the defeat this was a great performance by Beverley. Today every player used gave it everything. Bussey in particular had a fine match in both attack and defence as did Atiola. Duboulay’s tackling was outstanding. Ian Archibald kicked well and David Worrall inspired the pack with a vintage performance at number eight. Lewis Starbuck and the returning Matty Adams brought a welcome solidity to the second row. Starbuck was unlucky not to score late on and he has now clearly developed into a key member of the side. The loss through injury of Alex Ogilvie was a serious blow but the front row continued to cope splendidly after his departure.
Beverley RUFC 19 Sheffield Tigers 22 | Reported by John Nursey
