Wharfedale 27 v Fylde 26: report by Simon Taylor
Fylde’s first defeat of the new season left them rueing some self-inflicted wounds as a penalty kick 3 minutes from time gave Wharfedale the narrowest of wins. In a game where the lead changed hands all day long Fylde outscored the hosts by four tries to three but came out second best as errors at key moments were to end up proving very costly.
There are few home grounds as picturesque as Threshfield, especially in September with the leaves on the trees, and a dry, still day with a pleasant temperature gave both teams the chance to play good rugby. Fylde received the ball playing up the slope and a high shot on Dave Fairbrother gave them the first penalty of the day. From the line out Matt Garrod took the first of many towering line out catches of and ball off the top was shipped quickly to Fylde’s speedy backs. A knock on at the second phase saw the first scrum of the day, Dale’s beefy pack forced a penalty and they kicked downfield. Dale then mixed strong carries with some wide play when it was on, until a knock on of their own halted their progress.
The home team were first on the board with a penalty from Sam Gaudie in the 7th minute. Gaudie, usually a scrum half, was filling in at stand-off with the fresh-faced Oliver Riddiough at nine showing some understandable nerves but also an eye for the break and fast, sharp service. Adam Lanigan took the re-start on the full to set up a platform for Fylde, however, another knock on meant the move broke down. To compound the error, wing forward Tane Bentley was yellow carded in the next phase for an early and high hit on the Dale nine.
Fylde finally got going in the 17th minute when a Wharfedale error gave them broken field ball near halfway. Tom Carleton made the break down the right channel, drew the last man, and gave Ben Turner a clear run in from 30 yards out. Greg Smith knocked over the conversion nicely and Fylde were in front at 7-3. A lead that didn’t last long, however, as a knock-on at the re-start gave Dale a scrum on Fylde’s 22. Riddiough shot through the gap created by the yellow card, took the tackle and popped the ball up to centre Olli Cicognini who dotted down near the post. Gaudie converted and Fylde had gifted the lead back to Dale immediately, 10-7 to the home team.
On the half hour mark Dale, if they weren’t aware already, learnt how costly it can be to miss touch as a clearance kick stayed infield. Jordan Dorrington fielded it and gave the other Carleton, Sam, the chance to show he is just as dangerous a runner as his brother. He created havoc in the dog-legged and disorganised Dale defence, jinked and swerved his way through to the last defender and fed Bentley, whose pace and support play is a strong part of his game, and he raced in under the posts. Smith converted, and the lead had changed hands again, Fylde now 14-10 up.
Fylde now had a strong period of play, running the phases more accurately and probing for gaps. One comedy highlight in amongst this period of play was Fairbrother handing off his own player Toby Harrison, presumable because he couldn’t find a Dale player to do the same to. The less comedic aspect was a period of poor game management in the last knockings of the first half. Losing their way in their own 22, Fylde eschewed the safe exit strategy of a kick, admittedly not really in their rugby DNA, and knocked on. Dale snaffled the loose ball, kept it for enough phases, and prop Jake Armstrong crashed over. Gaudie converted and Fylde went into the sheds 17-14 down. Having worked hard to get a lead playing up the slope, and having played the better rugby, this unnecessary gift, along with others later, was to prove very costly.
Coaches Alex Loney and Chris Briers got to work on their charges in the break and it reaped immediate dividends on the resumption. Dale again failed to find touch and Sam Carleton again broke though in midfield. Two phases followed and Corey Bowker bounced the tackler off and trundled over near the posts for Fylde’s third try. Smith converted and once again the lead was back with Fylde at 21-17.
Both teams then had their moments, but strong running and a fast tempo were not proving sustainable for either side due to errors in the carry or conceding turnovers with the support players not there early enough to effect the clear-out of the jackal defender. Fylde like a tap and go, even from deep, which is an eminently valid strategy, given the way they play the game, but the offload at the tackle always carries risk. One such offload, when Fylde tapped and went from their own 22, was at best 50/50 (or less), and it again gifted the ball back to Dale and put Fylde back under pressure back on their own line.
In a game where two or three key errors made all the difference the next was again to prove costly. Fylde had good Matt Garrod ball off the line out on the Dale 22. They span it wide but chose to fling a rather wild out of the back of the hand pass that went to ground. Dale kicked upfield twice, re-gathered and Gaudie had an easy run in. A promising position for Fylde had turned into another gift, an 80 yard try for Dale, the conversion by Gaudie making it lead swap time again as Dale edged back in front at 24-21.
In the 61st minute Fylde opted not to go for goal with a very kickable penalty and went for the line out. Just when it looked like Dale had defended the phases well enough the ball was whipped wide to Tane Bentley who was lurking on the left wing and his pace took him in for his second and Fylde’s bonus point fourth try. Smith couldn’t make the conversion from the touchline so Fylde had the lead back, but it was a nervy one at 26-24, any kind of score by Dale would see them back in front.
In the 66th minute another Fylde knock on in their own half saw Fylde under pressure. With a penalty advantage already being played Corey Bowker was then adjudged to have played the man without the ball and Fylde were given their second yellow card of the day, and the penalty was more kickable. There then followed 2 minutes of helter-skelter stuff. Gaudie’s kick came back off the post, Matt Garrod gathered, his (perhaps first ever), kick for touch was charged down, Ben Turner tidied up over his own line and wriggled out of the tackle, kicked long, Dale made a hash of it, Garrod fly-hacked the ball deep and Dale finally kicked into touch on the halfway line. Crazy stuff.
Things got tense as time ticked by. Dale’s hard running centre Cicognini made a 60-yard break from deep only for skipper Ben Gregory to win a fabulous turnover penalty. Dale managed to stay in Fylde’s half and the defining moment occurred in the 77th minute. Fylde had a chance to clear downfield but the kick from just outside their 22 went straight to touch. Dale kept the ball and forced a penalty, which fullback Ryan Hodgson knocked over to see the lead change hand, ultimately for the final time. With just 3 minutes left Dale saw out time and Fylde, in truth, had conspired to lose a game that they really should have won.
There were positives in the game. 2 league points sees Fylde on 15 from a possible 20 and in third place. Pete Altham made a welcome return late in the game. The overriding feeling though, is one of disappointment, for travelling supporters, players, coaches, and support staff. It felt like a game Fylde did their best not to win, rather than Wharfedale pressure forcing a victory. Coaches Loney and Briers will never want to see Fylde stop playing the open, expansive game they and we all love to watch, but the mix of that with accuracy, sensible game management and ball retention when called for, is the key to this type of game being a win or an agonising loss.
Fylde will look to get back on track when they entertain league new boys Lymm next Saturday at The Woodlands.
Joint Head Coach Chris Briers said: “We thought that attack-wise we were really good at times and we created chances. Unfortunately, we made too many mistakes and Wharfedale capitalised on these very effectively. In the 2nd half we managed the game quite well but then gave penalties away or made mistakes. We pressed on the Wharfedale line on several occasions but spurned opportunities.
“It was frustrating but we can work on our failings with some fine tuning. We are hopeful and optimistic about the matches coming up if we can reduce the number of errors which are giving opponents some ‘easy outs’ when we are pressing.”
Teams:
Fylde: S. Carleton; Turner, Dorrington, T. Carleton, (Forster), Lanigan; Smith, Gould; Bowker, Gregory (c), Brooks, (Lewis/Atham), Hall-Lyon, Garrod, Bentley, Harrison, Fairbrother (Parker).
Wharfedale: Hodgson, Mallinson, Coulton, Cicognini, Kaup-Samuels, Gaudie, Riddiough, Dickinson, Collinson, Armstrong, Hedgley (c), Pinder, Markey, Baldwin.
Subs: Weston, Meehan, Green, Bell, Beresford