Wharfedale bounced back from their first defeat of the season at London Scots to secure a comfortable victory and reclaim second place in the

Tincknell scores on debut

table. The performance from the Dalesmen was all the more pleasing for their being weakened (though only theoretically, as it turned out) by the absence of key players in the shape of Joe Ford and Latu Maka’afi (both unavailable), and Chris Malherbe (injured).

The Greens thoroughly deserved their second 5-pointer of the campaign, but they didn’t have it entirely their own way against the robust and speedy visitors.

At half-time Stourbridge led 6-5, and had they come more to terms with the strong wind at their backs they might have built a meaningful margin in the opening quarter. Three times attacking kicks were blown over the dead ball line, and their otherwise reliable stand-off Joe Higgins, whose boot accounted for 11 of his side’s points, wasted a penalty (aimed at touch) in the same way.

As the second quarter developed the Greens gradually got the measure of their opponents. Recalled winger David Hall was prominent in defence, effectively neutralising the threat from Stour’s dangerous left winger Simon Frewin, on loan from Coventry, who was twice sent into touch by thunderous tackles.

In the second half the Dalesmen – with Andy Hodgson as emergency scrum-half following injury to Alex Black – set about making Stour pay dearly for earlier profligacy. They launched fierce attacks from the restart, and within 15 minutes well-taken tries by flanker Dan Solomi and Hall had opened up a 2-score advantage at 19-6.

Higgins cut the deficit with a penalty (62), but with Stour flanker Ben Gerry absent on a yellow card the Greens’ pack plundered a push-over try (70), claimed by hooker Gavin Hindle.

Horsfall's try. Photo: Chris Parker

The visitors fought back and pinned the Greens inside their half for a hectic 5-minute spell, once being ‘held up’ over the line, and finally earning reward with a converted penalty try (77).

However, that was the last Stourbridge saw of the Wharfedale line, and the Greens rounded things off in the final action when substitute centre James Tincknell capped an impressive debut with a glorious bludgeoned try, converted from wide out by Mark Bedworth for his third clearance.

In the first half 2 penalties by Higgins (3 and 35) were almost cancelled out by a fine try from Simon Horsfall (25), Bedworth and Black combining neatly to send the winger clear.

Wharfedale: I Dixon; D Hall, A Hodgson, M Bedworth, S Horsfall; A Black (J Tincknell 41), L Gray; T Horner (A Mason 78), G Hindle, M Chivers (N Dickinson 45), O Renton (T Ball 78), A Allen, R Brown ( R Rhodes 64), D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Stourbridge: D Richards; C Tennuci, S Robinson, B Barkley (J Rodley 77), S Frewin; J Higgins, T Richardson; A Sturdy, H Collins (J Rodley 41, H Collins 67, W Cooper 77), A Lawrence, B Hughes, S Homer, B Griffiths (S Pearson 64), B Gerry, R Cooper.

Referee: Ian Tempest