Wharfedale 22

Kendal 21

You certainly get your money's worth at Wharfedale this season. Twelve times games have ended with less than a score separating the teams at the finish, and five of these have produced a dramatic last minute and incident-fuelled climax.

Some games though it seems are just destined to go to the wire. In the end on Saturday it was the Greens' turn to secure revenge for their 24-23 reverse at Kendal in September by a last minute disputed penalty, and become the inaugural holders of the Peter Cremmer Trophy, newly instituted in memory of the respected and fondly regarded Kendal coach, and former captain who died of cancer a month ago.

The passionate rivalry between these two clubs similarly rooted in hard rural fortitude has always produced an encounter of granite-like intensity. And often, for all their competitive fervour, contests between the two have been dour and unrelenting. But on Saturday they produced a performance that was as lively as it was thrilling, a match as fast-paced as it was resolutely compelling and an outcome as needle-edged as any in this nerve-racked season.

But the victory was agonisingly close. With the match still precariously poised deep in injury time, the visitors' fly half Mike Scott, who had already landed two drop goals, fired wide with an attempted third as the final whistle blew.

But for all the fine pace running this exhilarating match produced, at its core lay the immensity of visitors' defence and their destructive strength in halting the Wharfedale contact play upfront.

For long periods they seemed impenetrable as they repelled everything the Greens threw at them.

Not that Kendal were totally attritional in their outlook, for their fine centre pairing of Chris Malherbe and Ian Voortman showed not only a typical South African resolution in defence but also an object lesson in penetrative midfield attack. Kendal were twice two scores ahead and, on the second occasion, looked briefly the likelier winners.

But in the last analysis it was the greater aspiration of the Wharfedale approach that secured the day, while Kendal were to some extent victims of their own sense of limited ambition.

Wharfedale, in contrast, were from the start positive to the point of potential recklessness, passing up relatively routine shots at goal in pursuit of attacking play. Fine enough in theory, but you cannot expect your goal kicker to land the crucial kicks without the practice and confidence gained from putting over automatic sighters.

Having fallen behind to an early Smith drop goal, and survived a fifth minute scare when centre Chris Malherbe's kick ahead after a charged down clearance thankfully landed beyond the dead ball line, Wharfedale unleashed a flurry of attacks on the Cumbrian line.

An Andy Baggett loop and inside feed to Hodgson produced one of the more promising incursions but deadly tackling forced the attacking running ever more lateral. And despite the industrious midfield presence of wingers Johnston and Smithson, little clear penetration was achieved until a long and powerful determined touchline run from Smithson found Tony Capstick in support to sweep in at the corner and round under the post for a simple conversion and a 7-3 lead.

Both players had excellent games. The lock in particular revelled in his defensive duties as well as with the ball in hand, while Smithson's hungry display of determined running exacted every inch against a tenaciously tackling opponent.

Although Capstick just failed to gather a difficult pick up from a further Baggett half break, it was Kendal who retrieved the lead. Richard Hanyman was credited with a mauled try from close range, and added to it on the stroke of halftime when Scott slotted a drop goal from a simple position for an 11-7 interval lead.

Within minutes of the restart, the visitors were two scores ahead. The powerful Ian Voortman sliced through to feed supporting co-centre Malherbe, whose acceleration left full back Steve Healy a clear run to the line. The South African pairing had produced exactly the lesson in direct penetration, which had been eluding the Wharfedale backs.

Bur the Greens, aided by some better directed running up front, replied with an equally clinical try when a blindside switch allowed Smithson a fine finish.

Though a further mauled try by Colin Wolstenholme again stretched the Cumbrian lead to two scores on 65 minutes even the visitors' magnificent defence could no longer contain the final Green assault. First Davies and then Hodgson, contentiously, after another Davies charge, scored to provide the slender one point lead.

Although the final pulsating minutes were played out in the home half, the Wharfedale discipline, even without resolute services of the injured David Whitfield, held firm allowing only Scott his last despairing and unavailing drop at goal.

But the abiding memory of this thrilling and engrossing game is still that of the visitors' granite defence. Sometimes a team can play with all the guts, effort and commitment possible, tackle their heart out and still not succeed. Sometimes in rugby you lose.

But their performance in defeat on Saturday was a credit to their former coach and his intense dedication and passion for the game. They can do no better than reflect on his philosophical acceptance of defeat voiced by his proud father in presenting the new Cremmer Trophy for matches between the two clubs - "Shit happens"

Wharfedale: J Davies; G Smithson, A Hodgson (capt), D Whitfield (S Hargreaves 59), G Johnston (C Burnett 40) A Baggett, D Harrison; P Peel (N Dickinson 69), J Lawn, C Ingram; D Lister, A Capstick; P Evans, H Verity, R Buckroyd.

Kendal: S Healey; J Balmer, C Malherbe, I Voortman; M Woodcock; M Scott, I Gowling; I Thompson, K Robinson, R Hanyman, C Wolstenholme, M Bowman, A Bateson

Referee: Steve Savage

Gordon Thomas