Greens struggle at Tynedale (From Craven Herald)

Greens struggle at Tynedale

6:54pm Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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Tynedale 55 Wharfedale 18

Fly-half Gavin Beasley scored Tynedale’s ninth try just before the final whistle to add some extra gloss to the home side’s total but there are no doubts about the splendid attacking credentials of this talented side or the exciting brand of high tempo rugby they revel in.

It is true that the hosts were able to stretch way from a mere 29-18 lead to add four further nails in the Green coffin in the last 12 minutes while Wharfedale were minus prop Adam Mason, both lock forwards and skipper Rob Baldwin, all injured, doleful side-lined watchers except the former on his way to Hexham hospital.

But though dead and buried at the end Wharfedale had competed well for the better part of the match and were just about still in touch after scoring their own second try in the flurry of points coming up to the hour.

And perhaps it was just as well the Greens managed to commandeer as much early possession as they did during the majority of the opening half, at the end of which they were a shade unlucky to find themselves at the wrong end of the 17-13 score-line.

The home side were made to defend consistently from the start as Wharfedale made promising inroads in successive waves of attack. Though a scoring break just eluded them daylight just about appeared when James Tincknell was held back before receiving the ball with open space ahead.

The ball bounced loose, Tynedale collected and were away for the opening try finished off by No 8 Alistair Murray.

Though only dogged home tacking denied Wharfedale more than a fine, long Mark Bedworth penalty there were glimpses of their running finesse to come when the home side forsook their lacklustre kicking from the back for more creative attack.

Full-back James Hoyle - a lousy kicker out-of-hand but a fine sinuous running finisher - completed a flowing move from turnover ball and ever-dangerous winger Charlie Ingall was worked free for a third home try. Wharfedale still threatened with the ball in hand in wide space and Simon Horsfall and Chris Malherbe took up the running for Tincknell, with the aid of his trade-mark savage hand-off, to power home for a try converted imperiously from the touchline.

A further fine Bedworth penalty meant that the home side enjoyed only a marginal advantage at the break. Two quick tries in the first six minutes after the break turned the contest firmly in the home side’s favour though Wharfedale were again initially able to respond with a score of their own.

Tynedale’s greater intensity of focus was evident in a switch to more prosaic basics up front. First hooker and captain Joe Graham stole away from the unattended blind side of a ruck with the defence sucked in for a clear run to the corner. Then within minutes some powerful ruck play under the posts ended with a short driven maul with the ball worked free to full-back Hoyle in the corner.

No side however good their talent can mount the fluency of a high tempo running game as effectively as Tynedale do without a secure forward platform. And their demolition of the Greens had its genesis firmly in the set-piece dominance from the earliest scrum, some competent line-out work and the hugely influential turn-over work of flanker Grant Rastall.

Wharfedale did pull back a score, Tincknell again the scorer. The rapidly maturing centre enjoyed a fine game overall providing a constant threat with the ball in hand and much the likeliest hope of any successful Wharfedale finish while being as comfortable as any in the Green defence. His second try was again the product of a devastating hand-off launch out of the tackle and powerful finishing pace.

But any true flickering threat to the home side was quickly extinguished as Wharfedale were then reduced to a supporting cast in a feast of dramatic and exhilarating back play from the home side.

Once injures took their toll on the visitors’ already tiring efforts and Tynedale were in receipt of regular fast possession their pace and running confidence allowed them to cut loose and add four further tries.

First lock Andrew Murray finished off a drive near the line. Then substitute winger Stuart Hall weaved through a tiring defence before Hoyle secured a well-deserved hat-trick. Fly-half Beasley - whose confident fluid quick transfer of the ball made much of the midfield wizardry happen - completed the rout as well as collecting the opening conversion. Hall was on hand to collect the remaining four conversions.

Tynedale proved once again one of the sides Wharfedale find most difficult to handle. This was their fourth victory over the Greens on the trot.

They have struggled to cope with the pace and precision of the northerner’s play. There is much to be learned as well as admired from the Tynedale play even if on Saturday they face a different sort of forward-based challenge from Blackheath. WHARFEDALE: L Gray; I Dixon (P Woodhead 65), J Tincknell. C Malherbe, S Horsfall; M Bedworth, S Cottrell; A Mason (N Dickinson 57), S Graham, N Dickinson (M Chivers 47); A Allen (R Rhodes 65), O Renton (R Brown 47); L Maka’afi, R Baldwin (G Hindle 65), D Solomi.