Saturday 6 April - Billingham v Wharfedale (A) KO 2.15pm ------- Billingham 2nd XV v Foresters (A) KO 2.15pm ------

Articles by JDriver

After rumours of stranded buses and sleeping-in students, Huddersfield eventually arrived and took to the pitch looking nothing like the few old heads who like social rugby which we had been promised.  

The Dalesmen, skippered by JD, played up the slope of the floodlit first team pitch and soon opened the scoring with Tom Fitsell crashing over from close range.  Marcus Farnsworth converted.
Joel Gill was the next to score an unconverted try.  Huddersfield’s indiscipline saw Farnsworth taking the points with the boot. Tom Oakes scored just before half time with Farnsworth adding the extras.  It was, therefore, 22-0 …

Wharfedale ran on to the pitch at Lockwood Park to a rousing cheer from the travelling faithful. It was good to see so many supporters making the trip down to Huddersfield. The Green Machine responded by playing with plenty of commitment. They showed this in the first few minutes when Huddersfield put in a clever 50-22 kick to win a line-out just in Dale’s 22. It was as close as they got, even though they went through 24 phases they made no progress, their only reward was a penalty kick by Will Milner to lead 3-0.

A scrappy few minutes …

Loughborough went in for oranges leading the game by 14 points to 3. They were gifted two tries by horrendous mistakes by Wharfedale. Dale had the courage to come back out at half time and, apart from a brief period, dominate the play. The Dale pack were awesome winning penalty after penalty at the scrum which allowed them to also dominate territory. They were also extremely efficient at the rolling maul often driving the students back 20 metres.

Dale had chances to keep the scoreboard ticking over in the first half but the usually very accurate Tom Davidson was having …

Dale turned out at Tynedale and were greeted with a cold day and a moderate breeze. A lot better than when they set off from the Avenue. The game drifted away from Wharfedale very early with the home side making a very positive start. Wharfedale hardly had a touch of the ball before Tynedale set up camp in the visitors 22. A knock on gave Dale a defensive scrum which they won but, as so often in this match, they lost possession. 4 phases later Chris Wearmouth forced his way over the try line. Cameron Grant slotted the conversion. The …

Another exciting game of rugby at the Avenue but at last Wharfedale ended up holding on to claim a fine win. Chester showed some early promise, and playing with the wind had some good possession in Dale’s half without really threatening the try line. The Dale defence held and Chester’s only reward was a penalty kick from 40 metres by Liam Reeve after 4 minutes.

Dale then came more into the game and worked their way into the visitor’s 22. A period of sustained pressure then saw Dale getting close, eventually a catch and drive from a 5-metre line out …

On a bleak autumn afternoon in the leafy suburbs of Moortown, 15 Dalesmen met to continue their campaign in the Merit League.  Our hardy souls scaled the slopes and made their way to a wood-surrounded clearing to face very abrasive opponents. 

Playing with the slope, the Greens’ youthful exuberance soon saw Beau Verity crossing for a try and then kicking the conversion.  Ever-present Luke Craven barged his way over next, but this try was not converted.  Just before half-time skipper Beer added his name to the scoresheet with Verity once more adding the conversion. 19-0 at half-time was a fair …

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