Stourbridge 15 Wharfedale 30

Wharfedale continued their impressive start to the New Year with another commanding win at a wind-swept Stour Park.

Their bonus-point victory was the product of another assured performance executed with confidence and even a trace of scoring panache.

They had to endure heavy pressure for much of ther first half before taking control, but a burst of scoring just before the break swung the match decisively in their favour.

And the Greens were in no mood to relinquish their grip thereafter.

Their highly effective game management against the wind in the second half ensured a territorial dominance which kept their opponents well out of scoring range.

This exemplary period of tight control also laid the platform for the Greens' two-try final flourish which sealed their victory.

The welcome ten-point haul from the two new-year victories moves Wharfedale up two places in a congested table.

A mere five points covers a spread of six teams - a single victory separates Blaydon in fifth position from Wharfedale in 12th. A real cause for pleasure is that both victories have come against traditionally tricky opponents.

Last week Tynedale were beaten for the first time in six attempts, while Stourbridge have regularly been a thorn in Wharfedale's flesh too. But the Greens will take even greater satisfaction from the manner of their performance.

Wharfedale were eventually dominant at the breakdown. But for the vital period of the game they were called on to produce supreme defence against the powerful driving mauls of the huge home pack.

The Greens had failed to profit from some fine sustained attacking play close to the home line in the opening minutes.

And they were made to pay when lock forward Ben Hughes ploughed over for the opening try.

Stourbridge stepped up the pressure and lock Talite Vaioleti was sin-binned after his side had conceded a string of penalties under their posts.

But Wharfedale managed to keep the rampant Saxon forwards at bay, crucially winning a vital scrum against the head to clear a particularly dicey moment near their line. Having survived the onslaught, Wharfedale countered decisively scoring 17 points in the closing six minutes of the half.

Tom Barrett succeeded with a second long straight penalty to edge Wharfedale 6-5 ahead and then added the conversion points to the two tries his side scored in quick succession.

First an alert Simon Horsfall stretched over in the corner after a series of powerful rucks by his pack near the line.

Then, straight from a deep restart, similar forward pressure allowed Dan Solomi to drag himself clear from a maul near the line for a trademark try. The visitors’ limited the Saxons to a single try in the second half, with flanker James Rodley driving over from close range.

Strong scrummaging – with Ben Hooper having a massively influential game – helped counter the driving power of the Stourbridge pack and they had little else to offer.

Wharfedale in contrast were able to support their superior forward work at the breakdown with flashes of eager confident creative and fast moving back play.

The home side’s faint hopes of a fightback were pretty well extinguished when bulky winger Simon Frewin was red-carded for stamping on Rob Baldwin.

The Wharfedale back-rower gained his revenge with an immediate pushover try from a scrum and a few minutes later a spirited short dash from James Druce saw the winger go over in the same corner. Wharfedale’s momentum in the final stages was somewhat eroded by a series of minor knocks which resulted in flanker David Hughes finishing the match as a winger.

The home side, at last showing some running enterprise, rallied to collect a final consolation try by centre Tom Jarvis that could not disguise Wharfedale's superiority.

Stourbridge: J Hearn; S Frwein, T Jarvis, G Dipple, A Bressington; C Surman. T Richardson; W Davis, L Wordley, T Pickard; B Hughes (Capt), W Betts; R Cooper, J Rodley, M Thomas Wharfedale: A Whaites; J Druce (T Davidson 65), C Malherbe, A Hodgson, S Horsfall; T Barrett (R Rhodes 74), P Woodhead; C Steele (M Chivers 62), S Graham (I Larkin 62), B Hooper; A Allen (R Brown 67), T Vaioleti; D Hughes, D Solomi, R Baldwin Referee: John Meredith (RFU)