Lancashire 22 Yorkshire 36
Despite a gutsy effort from the Red Rose County, Yorkshire came out on top in a very competitive encounter at Fylde’s Woodlands Memorial Ground. On a sunny, typically windy day on the Fylde Coast, a very healthy attendance – almost 1,200 spectators – testified once again that there is an appreciative and substantial audience for county rugby in the North of England.
Yorkshire were fast out of their blocks and took early control in terms of possession and territory. In the 4th minute from a lineout on the left side of the pitch, the White Rose backs went right and their accomplished scrum-half Elliot Fisher created enough space for powerful winger Chris Hooper to get the touchdown. The attempted conversion by Lewis Minikin drifted wide. But the experienced centre was to play a very important part later in the game.
In the 12th minute the visitors doubled their advantage when Rotherham fullback Jack Townend finished off a slick backs move by scoring in front of the heavily populated Clubhouse. The substantial number of Yorkshire supporters showed their noisy appreciation. Minikin converted the try for a 0-12 lead. This was to prove a crucial lead which meant that Lancashire were always chasing the game.
Although the bigger Yorkshire pack featuring, in particular, the very experienced duo of locks, skipper Joe Makin and Dom Parsons, were consistent throughout, the Lancashire forwards soon warmed to the challenge. Neat interplay by their backline through Will Hunt and Adam Lanigan resulted in a good try wide out by winger Cam Smith who burnished his growing reputation in only his second ever County Championship appearance. Hunt converted very well from near the touchline and the deficit was reduced to 7-12.
Five minutes later the Yorkshire pack hammered away at the Lancs line and no 8 George Mewburn drove over for the try. The conversion went wide but their lead had grown to 7-17.
The forward battle, however, was far from one way as Lancashire fought their way back into the contest. Yorkshire’s loose head prop Loma Kivalu committed an offence in a ruck and received a yellow card. Lancashire took due advantage of the situation and in the 28th minute hard working prop Corey Bowker drove over the line for another try in what has been a productive season and narrowed the deficit to 12-17.
Unfortunately for the home side, this score was as close as they got to recovering from the early setbacks. A crucial 11 minute period just before and after half-time cemented the Yorkshire advantage. In the 32nd minute a clever chip by the White Rose fly-half Eddie Crossland, gathered by Minikin and offloaded to scrum-half Fisher led him to scoring under the posts. Minikin converted for a 12-24 half-time lead.
Immediately after the half-time interval a break by Yorks flanker Adam Brankley set up Minikin to score an unconverted try. A lead of 12-29 seemed pretty conclusive but the Lancashire players certainly didn’t cave in and fought back strongly.
In the 60th minute Lancashire battled back once again and hard working no 8 Tom Ailes drove over in the corner to claw back five points. This wasn’t built on as Yorkshire replacement centre Will Smith broke through tackles in the 73rd minute and scored his side’s sixth and final try.
Former Fylde favourite, Chris Johnson was by now off the bench to contribute his considerable experience to the home cause alongside his ‘old mukker’ Scott Rawlings. At the other end of his rugby career is Will Greenwood, not the rather older player we all know and love! This Greenwood is notable for his youth, talent and, from Garstang, a club unused to having current senior county championship representation. Good on the Lancashire coaches and selectors for giving him this opportunity and for Garstang RUFC providing the development route to this success.
A last minute drive over the line by another replacement, flanker Lewis Quinn, gave Lancashire some consolation. Earlier in the move an illegal challenge by Yorkshire fullback Townend earned a yellow card. FT Lancashire 22 Yorkshire 36.
Lancashire competed bravely throughout but couldn’t put sufficient pressure on the visitors to turn around a fourth defeat in the last five matches against ‘the old enemy’. Yorkshire were deserved winners and progress to the Bill Beaumont County Championship Final against Kent at the Allianz Stadium, aka Twickenham. The strength of Yorkshire club rugby in the National Leagues – 9 clubs in National One and Two – is notable and the performance of the County Squad reflects this.
Photos courtesy of Andy Sowden.
Teams
LANCASHIRE
15 BEN TURNER (Fylde); 14 CAM SMITH (Fylde), 13 ALEX CLAYTON (Fylde), 12 SAM STOTT (Fylde), 11 ADAM LANIGAN (Fylde); 10 WILL HUNT (Sale FC), 9 MATT STURGESS © (Sedgley Park); 1 COREY BOWKER (Fylde), 2 ADAM MALLINSON (Sedgley Park), PETER ALTHAM (Fylde), 4 MICHAEL WALTON (Fylde), 5 CONNOR JAMES (Sedgley Park), 6 ISAAC DEANS (Sedgley Park), 7 TOBY HARRISON (Fylde), 8 TOM AILES (Sedgley Park).
16 DANNY RYLANCE (Sedgley Park), 17 JACK WILKINSON (Rossendale), 18 JOSH WOODS (Chester), 19 LEWIS QUINN (Fylde), 20 WILL GREENWOOD (Garstang), 21 SCOTT RAWLINGS (Fylde), 22 GABE McGUIRE (Rossendale), 23 CHRIS JOHNSON (Heath RUFC).
YORKSHIRE
15 JACK TOWNEND (Rotherham Titans); 14 CHRIS HOOPER (Sheffield RUFC), 13 LEWIS MINIKIN (Hull Ionians), 12 OLI CICOGNINI (Wharfedale), 11 JAMES NORMAN (Sheffield Tigers); 10 EDDIE CROSSLAND (Otley), 9 ELLIOT FISHER (Sheffield RUFC); 1 LOMA KIVALU (Rotherham Titans), 2 RHODRI CAMPBELL (Sheffield RUFC), 3 RIKKI STOUT (Rotherham Titans), 4 JOE MAKIN © (Hull Ionians), 5 DOM PARSONS (Sheffield Tigers), 6 MARTIN DODDS (Harrogate), 7 ADAM BRANKLEY (Hull RUFC), 8 GEORGE MEWBURN (Hull Ionians).
16 WILL ARCHER (Sheffield Tigers), 17 CHRIS MOORE (Heath RUFC), 18 WILL SCHOLEY (York RUFC), 19 ARCHIE CRAPPER (Sheffield RUFC), 20 FELIX CRAPPER (Sheffield RUFC), 21 HARVEY HARDING (Hull RUFC), 22 WILL SMITH (Sheffield RUFC), 23 KRISTIAN DOBSON (Harrogate).