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Otley 22 v 45 Hull Ionians

A satisfying and comprehensive victory for I’s at Cross Green wasn’t without the now customary bête noire. This week they concentrated hard on miss directed passing. Sam Pocklington, of all people, gave an early demonstration when, after bravely taking a clearance kick, he broke up the touch line before inexplicably throwing a pass directly in to touch.
Ionians didn’t have time to dwell on the error. Otley won the line-out and the ensuing scrum before hacking the ball nearly the full length of the field to take play to within 10m of the I’s try line.
There play remained for a further ten minutes. The Otley pack huffed and puffed but were unable to blow a hole in a solid defensive line. Incapable of making any headway, pragmatism prevailed and Joe Roundtree potted three points from a penalty in front of the sticks.
Virtually from the re-start I’s struck back to take the lead. The home side attempted to clear the ball only to find James Watts. He was smothered but laid the ball back for Pocklington, who switched play up the narrow side, with Jamal Khalil charging away. He picked out Adam Brankley, galloping on his inside shoulder and he popped a pass to the new wide receiver, All American ( and all of 6’6”) Kieran O’Meara, who was able to fend off two defensive ends before throwing a pass back in field where it was skilfully scooped up by Pollocklington for a dart to the line. Ben Smith did the necessary from the tee and the visitors were 3 – 7 ahead after 13 minutes.
Now they were away from the base camp in the bottom corner Ionians took the opportunity to extend the lead. It took less than five minutes.
Otley found touch just outside the 22, giving I’s the throw. Clean ball was shipped in field and Brankley carved his way to 10m out on a powerful diagonal run. Otley were caught out at the breakdown and at the scrum that followed and a quick tap saw the ball swung across to the opposite wing. The hosts were able to prevent a simple run in but a pass picked out Cam Burnhill who skirted up the touchline to cross in the corner.
Smith banged over a beauty of a conversion and I’s were 3 – 14 to the good. The home team were encouraged to up their efforts, made plain to everyone in the ground by some earthy invective from one of Otley’s leaders and the response took them back into familiar territory down at the bottom corner.
The pack battered away, with the result that I’s were repeatedly penalised for transgressing around the breakdown.
After a warning the inevitable occurred and Joe Makin “took one for the team” and took a 10 minute breather. Otley capitalised immediately with a tap penalty driven over from 5m, hooker Ryan Gibson credited with the score. Roundtree converted and Otley were back to within striking distance, 10 -14.
Probably in an attempt to eat into the 10 minutes card time I’s attempted a long range pot at goal that was well wide. They then lost James Sanderson to injury but replacement Kobby Fofie did improve the line-out options , not that it did them any good because they lost the next line-out and Otley broke away nearly the length of the field, only to be penalised for going off their feet at the breakdown. Criminal.
It wasn’t a lack of effort that was hampering the home side but a lack of guile and control and they will probably rue the decision not to take 3 points on offer when Ionians were penalised in their own 22, almost in front of the posts. Rather they went to the corner and then overthrew the ball allowing I’s to break away, with a mazy run from Fofie taking them into the opposition half.
Play was centred on and around the halfway line until just before the break when Mal Holden took a quick tap and barged forward, the ball was released and driven on. Otley were penalised trying to stop the momentum and Smith drilled the ball to touch. I’s won the line-out and despite a couple of poor passes they retained possession and got the ball to Holden in midfield. He fired out a long pass to Burnhill who cut back infield on a weaving run to the posts. He was pulled up short but the ball was re-cycled out to Watts who squeezed over in the corner.
After a delay for Mr Yates to sort out a bit of pushing and shoving Ben Smith stoked over the touchline conversion to push the score to 10 – 21.
From the resumption I’s were straight back on the attack. When Otley were caught off-side the visitors elected to kick to the corner. Up went Fofie and good ball was driven towards the line. A couple of darts for the line sucked in the home defence and Watts popped up on the opposite touch to take the final pass and dot down close to the flag.
The conversion attempt drifted wide so the teams went to the break with Ionians leading by 10 – 26, having just claimed a bonus point.
The hosts drew first blood early in the second half. Utilising a plentiful supply of line-out ball to bombard the skies and harry the Ionians cover, their forwards were able to keep driving on until Adam Malthouse was close enough to barrel his way over under the posts, giving Roundtree an easy go at the extras.
The seven points were erased within a minute and there was more than an element of luck involved; The re-start went deep into the 22, the clearance kick found only an Ionians player who threw a long pass across the field, another errant pass almost evaded the intended recipient but at full stretch he tipped it out of the grasp of the onrushing Otley centre and into the path of Holden who gathered and ran fully 50m to score. He is obviously quicker than he looks.
Smith’s successful conversion took the visitors well clear, 17 – 33, with still half an hour to go. Could Otley pull things back or would Ionians run away with it?
There wasn’t another score for ten minutes and it went the way of Ionians. Josh Thundercliffe emerged from a driving maul to run in from five yards out. Ben Smith tagged on another excellent conversion to stretch the lead to 17 – 40.
The play became increasingly open and more compelling as both teams strove to impose themselves. It was an entertaining stalemate and not until the final couple of minutes was there any reward for the respective efforts.
Otley ran in a try, scored by Josh Sarsfield, after challenging the line for a protracted period. Although there was then only a minute remaining it was sufficient time for Ionians to claim a seventh try, with Adan Brankley emerging from a pile of bodies to claim the score.
Ionians ran out victors 22 – 45 and looked good value for the win. They introduced some fresh faces in winger O’Meara and prop Kaminieli Tuvotu but it was old head Smith who orchestrated affairs and earned the plaudits.
It isn’t only the players who make mistakes. The photographer had been messing with his camera earlier in the week and forgot to re-set it and also failed to charge the battery, so there are limited photos.
The reporter wasted two hours watching football, a mistake not to be repeated, but it means a late edition onto the website, sorry to the two of you who have been waiting since tea-time.
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