North Ribblesdale RU
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Ribb fail to use elements in first half
North Ribblesdale 8 Yarnbury 18
North Ribblesdale failed to use the elements in the first half and left themselves too much to do despite a spirited fightback against the wind in the second.
Their cause was not helped by a crucial slip by Simon Spensley who seemed certain to score. Ben Topham scored a try and Tom Davidson kicked a penalty for Ribb.
Yarnbury opened up a curiously lax defence twice in the first half and scored a crucial early try against the wind.
The Ribb pack were to say the least not at their best with only Mick Carr, Ryan Kirkbride, who came on after his nuptials, and the ever improving Nathan Dakin, who is the only Ribb forward who thinks running for 80 minutes is the thing to do, such inexperience; the ones to shine.
Losing the toss and first playing with the wind was not the game plan as Ribb are generally slow starters but it is bound to happen some time and Ribb in fact started brightly but soon faded, particularly as the big Yarnbury line-out got the benefit of all the 50-50 balls against the wind.
They have two large line-out operators and it was not until the second-half that Ribb got the measure of them. In the meantime Yarnbury had a supply of ball that allowed them to attack the Ribb midfield. It was good quality line-out ball that gave the visitors the opportunity.
They worked a scissors in midfield and put their outside centre through and this resulted in a score for the winger. This was a massive score against the wind and they rounded off with a try with the wind in the second-half
Once again Ribb refused to put the ball in the air with the wind. It is inexplicable why they will not and doubly puzzling when not only do they talk about it before each game but they also practice it at training.
It doesn't require a lot of skill, the aim is to get the ball in the air behind the opposition. It is not neccesary to be accurate, just kick it high. Instead we had the usual array of the chip, the nudge on the ground and the hopeful hoof and chase.
Two things happen with a strong wind in your favour; passing is difficult and you tend to lose 50-50 ball in the line-out as it is blown to the opposition.
The easiest thing to do is put it in the air so high that you catch the opposition in possession.
Davidson kicked a penalty and Topham scored a try but trailing 13-8 at half-time with the wind to face in the second-half was too much and though Ribb were better in the second half when the introduction of Richard Maudsley put some bite in the scrum and Kirkbride added power, Ribb had opportunities.
Davidson made a couple of breaks and Dakin was unlucky not to score after charging down two kicks in the 22. Ribb missed two kicks at goal that Davidson would normally have blown over.
Apart from his try Topham had little chance and neither did Simon Bolland, a speedy and fast improving winger.
This was a game to forget and Ribb will have to improve markedly if they are to trouble Scarborough on Saturday.
12:14pm Thursday 10th January 2008
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