Scarborough Gulls 7 vs Malton and Norton Vets 59
Marcus Lyon
This game was played on a Friday night under floodlights and stunning moonlight at Scarborough on a balmy night in similar conditions to the World Cup.
It was a great effort for skipper Finn Crockett to get a team together and probably for the first time in his playing career he was sat in a changing room 30 minutes before kickoff looking at 11 faces, one of which was the writer and the second Linda, the physio. The vets have not played for some time and it was pointed out that the costs of supplying tape and bandages for some of the players was something the club could only afford annually.
Vets rugby is aimed at over 35s. Before the match it was pointed out to scrum half Antoine Midgley that when our scribe was 25, he was being conceived. His face went blank until very quickly, JPR Cooke pointed out that our scribe was not present at the time. This clearly cheered up Midgley, who ended up playing one of his best games to date. Once the game got underway, the early exchanges gave no indication of what was in store. Both packs looked secure and well organised for the first 10 minutes or so. Malton had a brand-new front row with Tomas Featherstone and Tadhg Gwilliam propping, and struggling for a hooker, Jodie”Bongi”Stead volunteered and put in a fantastic shift and his highlight came halfway through the second half, when Gwilliam left the field and the scrums became uncontested.
The back five performed admirably throughout the game, and whilst stalwart, Ed Winchester was not available. He sent his Welsh half cousin Ed Wyn Chester in his place. Eben Northway, Siya Haisine made their efforts count in the loose and the back row oozed quality with Richie Mitchell and Pieter Steph Du Muscroft at 7 and 6 with Sergio Stone holding it together at 8.
Early exchanges were tentative and after Malt won the ball from a Scarborough lineout stand-off Finn Crockett sliced the ball badly. Although he did make amends later with a 50/22 that fell just short. The mighty effort from the pack supplied regular ball to the backs, and it was not long before Crockett cut open a gap and JPR Cooke came in from full back to feed Jeremy Woodhouse. To describe Cooke’s conversion as an attempt would be an incorrect use of the English language. It simply skimmed the top of the well cut grass.
Malton continued in the same vein with the backs starting to make inroads into Scarborough territory, and it was not long before Cooke’s poor attempt of a conversion was overlooked as he scored under the posts, making the conversion. More was to follow, and it was not long before scrumhalf Antoine Midgley scythed his way through the Scarborough defence and his try was converted by Cooke. Scarborough. piled on some pressure but when the ball came loose Finn Crockett fired the ball into the Scarborough 22 and as the forwards piled in Ed Wyn Chester stumbled forward and the try was given. Cooke's conversion was good.
Leading 26 nil Malton suddenly found some Scarborough pressure in their own 22 and it was not long before winger Jonah Armitage was shown the yellow card for not retreating. This was quite a sneaky move to get a 10 minute break, not lost on many of the players. Scarborough from a rolling maul added a try and conversion which unfortunately surprised a few of the Malton players in particular reserve scrum-half, Faf de Newsome.
At half-time, Malton made a few changes bringing on Faf de Newsome who quickly tried to boss the forwards and before long Malton, were back to their best with the backs starting to find their feet once more. Fat De Newsome quickly fed Finn Crockett and the centres, Stuart O’Driscoll, and Jeremy Woodhouse made great inroad and a longish pass to Cheslin Hopkin allowed the winger to make space and set up Pieter Steph du Muscroft in the back row to score under the posts. Cooke again converting this time with a dropkick from the other side of the post to save collecting it.
Jonah Armitage returned to the pitch. From a scrum in midfield Faf de Newsome fed Crockett, who displayed some silky skill with numerous sidesteps, followed by a cheeky chip, which, luckily was fielded by the Scarborough fullback. Crockett then left the field with Antoine Midgley joining the fray somewhere in the backs, who by now, were swapping places to confuse all and sundry. Bursting in from somewhere in the backs came Jeremy Woodhouse for another try, and then one of the finest tries ever seen saw Tomas Featherstone, who really did trundle from the halfway line to score under the posts and then Midgeley followed this with a mazy run covering a similar distance in half the time to add the icing to the cake. Before this try Ed Wyn Chester claimed "The foot was in touch".
The scribe who was also the touch judge rightly ignored his pleas but understands Sack Shavers may use this for their next short sighted advertising campaign (apologies for predictive text). Malton might have run in seven tries and added five conversions, but this was a festival of rugby played in a great spirit with many tired legs at the end. A massive thanks for Scarborough to organising this match and to all who played and watched.
