Greens end long wait for away win (From Craven Herald)

Greens end long wait for away win

2:39pm Thursday 4th October 2012 in Wharfedale

Loughborough Students 10 Wharfedale 32

 All things come to those who wait. Wharfedale’s first visit to Loughborough produced that long-awaited National League One away win that thankfully puts firmly to bed a sequence of losses on their travels stretching back to last December.

The result also leaves the promoted Students still searching for their first win.

The Greens will be happy to get that monkey off their back.

Given their powerful performances so far this season, it was no surprise that their fire- power up front was more than sufficient to subdue the Students and limit them to largely counter-attacking when they eventually managed to get their hands on the ball.

Loughborough for all their fantastic off the field facilities and broader sports back-up may well struggle against many of their opponents.

Despite their commendable energy and aspiration both on and off the field, their rugby remains somewhat short of the primacy and standard of their sixties heyday.

Wharfedale dominated possession throughout the opening half.

After seven minutes of complete control in which they went through the phases at pace, some positive pick-and-drive play and a sweeping run out across the home posts saw winger Nick Taylor squeeze over in the corner. Tom Davidson, returning to the starting line up in the absence of Christian Georgiou, added a towering touchline conversion.

Loughborough were seeing virtually nothing of the ball but a rare incursion into attacking territory saw centre Andy Hall secure the Students’ first points with a well-taken penalty.

Wharfedale, prompted by the buzzing energy of scrum-half James Gough, continued to set problems to a tenacious home defence without quite the penetration to produce a further score.

But the Greens, as they have done consistently this season, made their opponents suffer at the scrummage.

Destructive work from captain Chris Steel, a quick transfer from the back of the scrum and an audacious chip and re-gather under the home posts by Luke Gray saw the fly-half score his side’s second try.

A routine conversion by Davidson and a further long penalty opened up a 17-3 lead for the visitors which despite its advantage hardly reflected their complete dominance of possession throughout the half.

If Wharfedale, with a second-half breeze in their favour, thought things were settled they were mistaken.

Davidson added another penalty to increase the Wharfedale lead to 20-3. But the Students – with some sustained possession for the first time – rallied with an excellent counter-attacking run from deep by dangerous full-back Craig Holland whose try was converted by Hall.

Despite some forceful ball-carrying from replacement No8 Joe Burton this remained Lough- borough’s only score.

As Wharfedale regained control midway through the half their physicality resulted in a series of injuries at flanker, lock and prop to the Students.

Deep in the final quarter, at a time when the Students have been running in tries against flagging opponents, they were the ones on the rack.

Now adding pace and pressure in the loose to their set-piece dominance Wharfedale, with rampaging flanker James Tyson to the fore, added two tries in the final quarter.

First Tyson himself barged over at the end of powerful midfield run. Then further breakdown pressure within the 22, a fine break by Andy Hodgson and a neat transfer by Tyson saw Taylor squeeze over in the corner for his second try.

Wharfedale can be pleased with another powerful and disciplined performance.

They were again masters at the set piece. They managed the game sensibly, wisely opting to keep kicking to the minimum so as not set up counter-attack running from full-back Holland.

Their four tries were the result of cutting-edge running with Taylor again master of the certain finish.

Wharfedale’s physicality in defence was impressive too resulting in enforced substitutions by the home side in the face of bruising mid-field ball-carrying collisions.

Wharfedale’s fitness levels too, against a side renowned for free- scoring towards the ends of matches, were impressive in restricting the Students to a mere ten points against their average points total in the late twenties.

And Davidson’s 12 point haul included some precision kicking with only a final minute monster shot at goal fading wide.

Welcome though it was, the bonus point was incidental to the main objective: that elusive away win.

Loughborough Students: C Holland; C Kinlock (Capt), J Booth, A Hall, C Dowsett; C Surman. J Brookes; J Collister, G Harris, H Williams; M Rogerson, J Albon; J Parker, P Whitfield, J Freeman Wharfedale: T Davidson; N Taylor, A Hodgson, J Donkin, S Horsfall; L Gray (W Bell 67), J Gough; C Steel (Capt), I Larkin (S Graham 45), M Tampin (A Howard 64); A Allen, J Tyson, A Myers, (C Howick 71)

Referee: Tom Foley (RFU).