9:20am Thursday 21st January 2010
By Gordon Thomas
Where there’s a will there’s a way. A bit of smart thinking, some common sense and flexibility and hey presto, 24 hours later than advertised, an end to a month of frozen frustration and snow-bound rugby hibernation.
A year ago Wharfedale’s initiative in shifting location and decamping twice up the road to Giggleswick was rewarded with a couple of spanking performances. And this time round their equally enterprising first foray into playing a league match on a Sunday once more resulted in success.
Mind you a mere look at the scoreboard might suggest that the Greens had only partially emerged from their mid-winter dormancy. But they will be content enough with the five-point haul and more than glad to be back in competitive action and, equally important, an injury-free outcome. With ten changes from the Avenue massacre, a change of coaching structure, a much greater sense of New Year resolution and some measured and even cynical realism in their play Manchester were good value for much their best outing of the season.
Just in figures alone their performance represents a massive advance for them. The first time they have managed to keep the opposition below the half-century. Their 23 points, massively their highest score in a single game, contrasting with the mere 43 haul from their previous 15 games. To cap it all, the heady exhilaration of scoring not one but two tries in a game.
And with an hour gone with the score at a mere 28-23 down there was for the home side just a tantalising glimpse of the unthinkable. But Wharfedale were able, with the help of some fresh legs, to recover some poise, lift the pace of their game and pull away with three last-quarter tries in a flurried frenzy of final attack which confirmed their unmistakable superiority and scrambled a final scoreline their consciences could live with.
In many respects Wharfedale played enterprisingly well with a creative energy in much of their approach play they were though let down too often by careless control once in sight of the line.
Wharfedale were reluctant throughout to commit enough men to clear out the breakdown and their backs were as a result faced with slower and slower ball. And with their job made all the easier the Manchester first-up midfield tackling was as secure as it had formerly been found wanting.
Wharfedale, for all their running endeavour, never consciously strove to construct the successive phases that might have pulled their defence out of shape.
They did however reap the reward of seven tries as well as a very welcome and rampant return by Chris Malherbe. The centre, back from long-term injury, crowned a noticeably eager performance.
His tight support in collecting a pass at the line from Ian Dixon, whose fine 50-yard run at the end of a Bedworth cross-kick resulted in the best constructed try of the match.
He then repeated a similar finish to cross for a second at the start of the second-half. A further flash of neat play in exploiting wide clear space saw Simon Horsfall score.
Skipper Rob Baldwin also recorded a pair of tries within minutes of each other just when it mattered to lift his team from their shaky 28-23 nadir to the heady relief of clear daylight at 40-23. He led well by example and was by a margin the game’s most imposing player.
Wharfedale also exploited corner penalty line-out play efficiently and bookended the scoring with a ninth minute opening try from a driven maul by flanker Latu Maka’afi and a 72nd closing similar one by substitute prop Adam Mason. Bedworth netted ten points from two penalties and two conversions.
Manchester were over-run in the final quarter with the fresh pace of Dave Hall and especially Luke Gray, who added some needle-sharp speed and penetration. All in all Wharfedale will be pleased enough with their return which restored them to fifth in the table.
Wharfedale: A Hodgson; I Dixon, J Tincknell (L Gray 67), C Malherbe, S Horsfall (D Hall 68); M Bedworth, S Cottrell; M Chivers (A Mason 63); G Hindle, N Dickinson (C Steel 67); R Brown, A Allen; L Maka’afi, D Solomi (T Wareing 17), R Baldwin.
p On Saturday Wharfedale entertain Cinderford, 2.15pm.
Wharfedale are accustomed to being well represented in Yorkshire’s U-20 County Championship campaign, but this year have more to celebrate than usual: two of the Northern sides will be captained by Wharfedale players.
Yorkshire by fly-half/centre Tom Davidson, currently on loan from Wharfedale to Bradford & Bingley. He will be joined in the centre by Jack Mackie, who made his Wharfedale First XV debut this season.
Northumberland’s challenge will be led by lock Rhys Davies, son of Wharfedale Secretary Antony Davies. Rhys is currently reading English Language at Newcastle University.
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