Tynedale 19 -21 Hull Ionians

Cracking club, lovely lunch, pulsating performance, resounding result. Saturday’s game was what rugby is all about.
A game plan, discipline, fitness and ability are expected at this level. Once the whistle blows then bravery, adaptability, determination and sheer cussedness come into the mix.
When two teams meet, old rivals and sitting third and fifth in the league, it’s almost certainly going to be fine margins that determine the result. It was very fine margins that separated the two sides at Corbridge, with Ionians shading an excellent match.
Ionians started the match with Antony Newell and Owen Hanson-Church joining George Mewburn to form a new look back-row and Josh Britton resuming at inside centre. Anyone questioning the selection of a hooker (be honest, you did) at six should know that he was picked by the old heads of Northumberland rugby as Ionians MoM. Take a bow young man.
Britton’s involvement lasted barely five minutes. He sustained what could be a season ending knee injury, which required Ionians to re-shuffle the back line, with James Watts coming on at full-back and Jack Townend stepping forward to cover for Britton in the centre.
Watt’s first involvement was to find touch with a tremendous 50 – 22 kick. Ionians took the line-out and good handling brought them right to the try line but an interception allowed Tynedale to break up towards half way, until a knock on interrupted their progress.
Sam Pocklington feinted to go open from the base of the scrum, then quickly switched play down the stand-side and Townend powered away before setting Cam Burnhill free to scorch away to the line. Ben Smith struck true off the tee and Ionians had an early 7-point lead.
Ionians continued to have the better of play and added to their tally in the 12th minute. Ben Stephenson, proving to be the Luke Littler of the line-out, found Newell at the tail and the ball was spun to Mal Holden to steam up the middle of the park. Newell was first to the breakdown and he picked up and drove towards the line, before being tackled. Pocklington, as ever, was there and he grabbed the ball, conned the defence with a dummy and slid through the gap to go over under the posts. Smith knocked over the conversion and Ionians were 0- 14 up.
The hosts were soon up to the Ionians 22 and forced a line-out. The ball was shipped out to powerful centre, Will Miller, who cut back on a diagonal line for the corner flag to find support from Charlie Turnbull. He barged past the covering defence and squeezed over in the corner. 5 – 14 after a breathless opening fifteen minutes.
Ionians worries looked to have turned to a crisis when Jack Townend pulled up lame with only 25 minutes elapsed. With the only replacement back on the field already, hooker Archie Upton stepped into the breach, filling in on the wing and pushing Holden across one.
Tynedale were seeing an increasing amount of the ball and Ionians were forced into an orderly retreat. A resolute defensive effort looked as if it would see them to half time without conceding further but, unfortunately, right on the whistle Tynedale implemented a penalty move and the veteran Chris Wearmouth had all the pace necessary to barge over from a yard out. Cameron Grant made no mistake off the tee and the teams went to the dressing rooms with the match finely poised at 14 – 12.
Three minutes into the second half Ionians extended the lead. Sagacious Sam Pocklington took a quick tap penalty on half way and passed across to Greg Minikin. He broke through the first line of defence and then picked out George Mewburn to set him free on a lung-bursting 40 odd yard gallop for the line. He made it, just, evading the attention of Telford and Beaty before touching down under the posts. Smith made it three from three and Ionians held a 12 – 21 advantage.
There was still most of the second half to go and the home side re-doubled their efforts. They spent the next five minutes battering away at the visitor’s line. Wearmouth, Caudle, Hanning and Turnbull all had a barge for the line but Ionians were as resolute as Donald Trump’s defence team and although Tynedale made it over the line they were adjudged to have been held up. Tynedale try? Fake news!
Ionians cleared up field and unlucky Upton was laid out flat and had to leave the field (fortunately with no lasting effects). Newell moved to the wing and Jack Walker fitted into the back row. At the same time the industrious Sam Edwards made way for Josh Thundercliffe. That was the entire Ionians resources spent.
After the brief respite Tynedale resumed their forward assault on the visitor’s line. Again, they got no change for their exertion so Telford flung the ball wide to his half back partner, Josh Leslie, who darted under the posts. Grant added the routine conversion to close the gap to two points, 19 – 21, with 25 minutes still to play.
Ionians realised that they were unlikely to hold out for that length of time and that attack is deemed the best form of defence, so took the game to the hosts.
It was Tynedale’s turn to face a stern examination. Ionians alternated between forward offensives and moving it down the back line, in an effort to find a way through, but a combination of good defence and hurried handling left the scoreboard unmoved, as the clock ticked down into the final few minutes.
Ionians had eschewed the chance to add three points a couple of times during their period of dominance, pursuing greater prizes, but with a two point deficit Grant accepted two long range penalties for the hosts, in an effort to snatch victory. Both fell tantalisingly short; the final kick fell into the arms of Smith who gratefully booted the ball off the park.
Thus ended the best performance by Ionians this season. It wasn’t just the inexperience in the back-row, the injuries sustained in the first half or a solid defence that made it meritorious.
Credit must also go to the coaching team which has over-seen an improvement in the set piece; the scrum and in particular the line-out are vastly improved in recent weeks, as well as improved discipline and a clear game plan.
Something you can’t coach is determination and camaraderie and the team showed that in spades. Hopefully there are enough bodies left to turn out a side next week against Macclesfield. See you there.
PS On the 14th of February Ionians play Wharfedale and there is the ex-players pre-match meal. If you fancy coming along and joining a bunch of decrepit old blokes, contact the club or alternatively get in touch with Chris Taylor.