Crag-like resilience is key to Greens' victory

Wharfedale 22 Newbury 5

(Half-time 8-5)

Just like their infamous bypass all Newbury's attacking ideas were closed down very quickly by a Wharfedale defence which at times looked as insurmountable as its own nearby landmark - Kilnsey Crag, writes Keith Lewis.

The visitors' back division, scorers of six tries the previous week, had their chances but were kept well in check by the Dalesmen for whom centre David Whitfield was nothing less than a rock.

It was a welcome return to winning ways for Wharfedale after surrendering their proud home record the previous week in unusual circumstances. Newbury found the going tough but might easily have broken free of the Greens' stranglehold if they had not over-elaborated when opportunities arose. Home fullback Sean Gilbert was exposed several times under the high ball but recovered admirably to pull off numerous try-saving tackles. Few would probably argue though that it was the pack who contributed most to the scoreline, defending together in situations where it looked well nigh impossible for the opposition not to score and then returning up field to record three classic forward tries in the best Dales tradition.

There is a flier on the Wharfedale noticeboard which says "beauty is in the eye of the beer holder" and no doubt things will always look a little rosier through the bottom of a glass. However there are a few Wharfedale diehards who still bemoan the passing of those adventurous, nay even kamikaze, threequarter movements of decades ago. Halcyon days perhaps but the opposition at The Avenue is not quite as obliging now as it was in those days of flower power and free-flowing rugby.

In the late '60s and early '70s, like today, Wharfedale based much of their game around a robust and mobile pack, hence the coining of the term "Green Machine". Since then "playing to your strengths" has proved to be a sensible strategy for the Greens. This pragmatic approach is probably one of the main reasons why as the Millennium approaches those who remember the Sergeant Pepper era are now able to watch National Division One rugby at Threshfield.

"When we get older losing our hair many years from now" a Wharfedale winger might once again score 52 tries in a season just like "Nipper" Sugden. In the meantime, according to the recently published Official RFU Club Directory Andy Hodgson of Wharfedale is third in the all-time list for tries in a season at National Division One level with 21 in 1996-97. The record is 29 by Nick Baxter of Worcester in 1997-98.

Against Newbury the Greens made four changes to their pack, two positional, as James Ogden took over the unlucky No 2 shirt and Yorkshire Under 21 No 8 Tony Jackson started his first league game in place of the injured Charlie Vyvyan. Paul Evans returned to the second row after a leg injury sustained against Harrogate. Former Wales coach Kevin Bowring included former Saracens scrum-half Marcus Olsen in his Newbury side along with former England Students fly-half Morgan Davis from Wasps and lock Ed Mallet - who sounded like a bit of a head-banger!

The opening exchanges were little more than aerial ping-pong in the stiff breeze with Newbury slightly ahead on style points even though Greens' prop Richard Lancaster's effort had "Apollo" written all over it.

Understandably the game was contested mainly in the loose at this stage and gradually the Wharfedale back row of Russ Buckroyd, Hedley Verity and Jackson, with ancillary help from lock David Lister, began to exert its influence. With 20 minutes gone Buckroyd took play into the visitors' '22' with a line kick following an infringement and from Lister's secure catch another penalty against Newbury resulted in an attacking scrum being taken two metres from the visitors' line.

Although the position was squandered the opening try soon followed, this time from a scrum 30 metres out when the impressive Jackson picked up and breached the advantage line on the blind side before sending Adam Mounsey away down the tramlines. With the cover closing, Mounsey's inside pass found Buckroyd in support and the flanker's power took him over near the corner. The Dalesmen remained well in control for much of the remainder of the half as Lister was almost mauled over following another lineout in the corner.

Mounsey made it 8-0 with his only penalty attempt of the game as half-time approached, but then as often happens the opposition responded with a spectacular but slightly fortunate score to leave the game wide open. Resolute defence in the left hand corner had saved Wharfedale on at least three occasions previously but this time Newbury switched play rapidly to the other flank where visiting fullback Dave Griffiths was awarded a try. Some doubted its validity because the corner flag had been tweaked in the process but the touchjudge was happy and that was all that mattered.

At the start of the second half the Dalesmen extended their lead following a classic lineout take by Jackson and a drive marshalled by experienced lock Paul Evans, with front row men Lancaster, Ogden and Neil Dickinson providing the beef - like all good farmers do. As the Greens' pack went racing at Newbury the referee awarded a penalty try, presumably for pulling down, a metre short of the line. Mounsey's conversion made it 15-5 and although the visitors frequently looked dangerous on the counter-attack the Dalesmen held the aces for the remainder of the game.

Wharfedale put the result beyond doubt in the 70th minute when Jackson's lineout ball was driven fully 20 metres and Buckroyd emerged from the pile-up to claim his fourth try in four games. Mounsey completed the scoring with another conversion.

After the Wharfedale defence had withstood another prolonged assault from the visitors, the game ended on a light-hearted note as the ever-adventurous Newbury fly-half Davis and his inside centre Tim Osman mistimed a rehearsed move and instead performed a near perfect mid-air pas de deux.

Wharfedale: S Gilbert; A Mounsey, C Walker, D Whitfield, G Smithson; N Heseltine, D Harrison; R Lancaster, J Ogden, N Dickinson, D Lister, P Evans, R Buckroyd, H Verity (capt), T.Jackson ( S Allen 71).

Newbury: D Griffiths; T Holloway, H Graham, T Osman, J Griffiths; M Davis, M Olsen (capt); B Williams, R Kellam, N Collins, E Mallet, H Harrison, P Hennessey (A Ramos 61), S Gully, C Hart.

Referee: C Seeley (RFU and Cheshire)

Other results are: Birmingham Solihull 44 Blackheath 5; Harrogate 11 Bracknell 10; Lydney 17 Reading 15; Nottingham 23 Fylde 16; Otley 26 Preston G/H 10; Rosslyn Park 31 Camberley 3.

Rosslyn Park and Otley both made it four wins from four games and last season's strugglers Harrogate continue to surprise, moving into third place with their third win. Wharfedale moved up to fifth one point behind Birmingham Solihull, while at the other end of the table Blackheath and Camberley both lost heavily.

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