Wath 42 Wensleydale 10

Newcomers to Yorkshire 2, Wensleydale, buoyed by their win home win in Week 1, travelled with optimism to Moor Road. Wath were out to prove a point after an indifferent performance the previous week.
After a brief attack, Wath were forced onto the backfoot and conceded a penalty which enabled the away team to turn into a 0-3 lead after just 5 minutes. From the restart Wath took control. In the following 15 minutes the home team played some excellent rugby, displaying a blend of power and pace that the young, inexperienced visitors couldn’t handle.
Jack Jewell, starting at scrum half, scored a try with a blistering break from close to the line on 8 minutes. Sam Holt raced in for a try on 15 minutes and No. 8, Adam West, was unstoppable from close range on 20 minutes. Despite all three tries being scored wide out, Jack Whitlam’s immaculate boot made each conversion look simple and Wath had powered to 21-3 lead.
A lack of concentration allowed Wensleydale back into the game and, on 25 minutes, a quick piece of opportunism enabled them to cross Wath’s line. Adding the conversion brought back the score to 21-10. The game turned into a bit of a stalemate as Wath were unable to regain their dominance. However, just before half time, flanker, Sean Hopper, made a break near the middle of the pitch and went under the posts leaving a trail of defenders in his wake. Whitlam made it 28-10 at the end of the first period.
Hopper opened the scoring early in the second half. In contrast to his long range effort, his second try was a powerful drive from a line out near the away team’s line. Whitlam again added the 2 points with another difficult conversion and Wath now lead by 35-10.
Wensleydale refused to give in and a period of scrappy play ensued with both teams suffering yellow cards. With 5 minutes left Wath finished the scoring. Following several phases of play near their opponents line, the referee eventually awarded a penalty try for repeated offences at the scrum. The 7 point try extended Wath’s lead to 42-10, the final score despite Wensleydale’s desperate efforts in the last minutes.
This was a big test for the newly promoted Wensleydale but they displayed great spirit and should come to terms with the higher standard of Yorkshire 2. Hopefully, this performance will kick-start Wath’s season as they prepare to visit local rivals Wheatley Hills next week.

Steve Corns