Wharfedale RU
| DALES FOLK |  | | | PICK OF THE PAST | | | READERS' LETTERS | | | COUNTRYFILE | | | | CARTOONS | | |
|
|
|
Park forwards humbled by composed Wharfedale pack
 |
| Andy Baggett attempts to shake off a Westcombe Park defender. |
Wharfedale 38 Westcombe Park 10
If fully paid-up pessimists still harboured lingering doubts about Wharfedale retaining National Two status into a 14th successive season, their worries were obliterated by a five-star, five-point performance that simply blew Westcombe Park away.
Turning round just 7-3 ahead after a tight first-half, the Greens went into overdrive in the second period, adding five tries to finish the match in total control.
The visitors, who have enjoyed a successful first season in National Two and sit in a comfortable fifth place in the table, build their game around a fearsome pack.
The forwards have accounted for 43 of Park's 79 tries this season - with no less than 26 claimed by the back row. However, the Wharfedale forwards, inferior in bulk but clear masters in technique, dominated their opposite numbers - faster to the breakdown, regularly winning turn-over ball, more secure with line-outs and rarely allowing the visitors' trademark maul to make meaningful ground.
With their pack neutralised, Park were exposed as having little else to offer. An alternative game plan seemed beyond them.
It was, nevertheless, a bruising battle. The Kent front men had one of the most robust approaches to forward confrontations that Wharfedale had faced this season.
There were notable similarities with the previous home match, when Blackheath were put to the sword. Both clubs hail from Kent, each relies heavily on forward power and the scorelines are almost identical.
The only significant difference is that this time the Greens' scoring blitz came in the second-half rather than the first - a detail of little concern to happy fans who are at last enjoying the quality of rugby that the Dalesmen have always seemed capable of but so often failed to deliver in early season.
 |
| Simon Horsfall leaps over the line to touch down for one of his two tries against Westcombe Park on Saturday. |
Park started well enough, pinning the Greens in their own half for the opening ten minutes. They managed just one penalty (six minutes), by stand-off James Whittingham, awarded for a careless off-side, in what was their sole period of concerted pressure in the game.
Thereafter, Wharfedale gradually took control of the remainder of the first-half, edging ahead with a mauled try (19 minutes), scored by prop Chris Steel, and converted by skipper Andy Baggett, his accuracy making light of the strong wind.
After the interval, the Dalesmen's grip tightened into a virtual stranglehold, and the backs, revelling in the service received from the rampant forwards, had abundant scope for fast-moving attacks that had the Park defence reeling.
By the end of the third quarter the match was as good as won. First, Bedworth and Chris Malherbe combined neatly to send Adam Whaites off on a weaving run. The full-back fed left-winger Simon Horsfall, still with much to do but speed and determination carried him through to a fine touchdown in the corner (45 minutes).
Then, showing full confidence in his pack, Baggett opted for a line-out from a 50th minute penalty inside the 22 rather than settle for three straightforward points.
His judgement was sound. From five metres out Steel collected his second try following a smoothly routine catch and drive. Both tries were converted magnificently by Baggett, who then made way for Luke Gray to take over at stand-off.
The ebullient Greens now pounded at the visitors' line, attacks flowing in from all angles.
A highly questionable forward pass' decision (doubted even by partisan Westcombe supporters) robbed Bedworth - back to confident influential form - of a try.
But the centre would not be denied for long. Lock David Lister was stopped just inches from the line, scrum-half James Doherty recycled swiftly to Bedworth, who crashed over to make it 26-3.
Park enjoyed a brief respite from constant defending when, with home No 8 Rob Baldwin yellow carded for an almost involuntary professional foul', they took immediate advantage to send the resulting penalty to touch and then maul ten metres for their own No 8 Tom Hayman, to grab the try (68 minutes), well converted by Whittingham.
Further consolation points for the Kent side never looked likely. The Greens saw out the rest of Baldwin's absence in relative comfort and, restored to full strength, ripped through a dispirited defence twice more in the closing minutes.
Horsfall's initial break made the opening for Bedworth's robustly claimed second try (79 minutes), and the winger scored his own well-deserved second in injury time - as for his first, Whaites was the final provider. Bedworth's conversion signalled the final whistle.
The victory lifts Wharfedale to the heady heights of eighth place in the table and, with three home fixtures (Southend, Blaydon and Halifax) in the final four games of the season, there will be hopes of further advance.
he toughest remaining challenge could well be the an away game with Westcombe Park on April 19. They'll have had time to digest the hard lessons learned on their first visit to The Avenue, and will be thirsting for revenge!
Wharfedale: A Whaites; N Baggett, C Malherbe, M Bedworth, S Horsfall; A Baggett (L Gray 53), J Doherty; T Horner (F Lovatt 79), G Hindle, C Steel (B Fear 71), D Lister (D Clements 71), A Capstick, A Allen, R Lednor, R Baldwin.
Westcombe Park: S Naden; L Campion, G Purdy, R Damant, Y du Toit; J Whittingham, G Roux; B McKinnell, J Moyce, S Croall (S Brophy 67), A Preocanin (T Carruthers 56), W Thorpe, I Hardcastle, J Lindfield (B Lonergan 47), T Hayman.
Referee: Mark Wilson
2:56pm Thursday 27th March 2008
Print 
Email this 
Comment
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
