Billingham RUFC 1st XV
Matches
Sat 17 Nov 2018  ·  North Premier
Billingham Rugby Club
Billingham RUFC 1st XV
48
26
Kirkby Lonsdale
Billingham RUFC 1st XV 17/11/2018  Home v Kirkby Lonsdale

Billingham RUFC 1st XV 17/11/2018 Home v Kirkby Lonsdale

Mike Brown18 Nov 2018 - 18:58
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Billingham defeat Kirkby

Start – The jam – 1980

It always starts with a blank page, a re-set to gather your thoughts and prepare. You don’t really know what will happen, you may go in with expectations but it starts as a blank page. Every game is different with both teams on a level footing at the start, all to play for as they say and it never really pans out as expected and you cannot be complacent. Autumn itself is nature re-setting and this week it’s all revolved around leaves, everywhere you go its leave and all the talk is around leaves. The Saturday morning warm up involved trying gather the leaves for the various nooks and crannies that they had managed to been blowing to during the week, it was quite a job. This however claimed the pressure of reporting on the high flying 1st team that had been mounting in the weeks before.
It had been a long gap between my match attendances, due to a whole raft of reasons (they were all true) it was nice to select suitable headwear and head down to the Greenwood road complex with anticipation. There was the usual buzz about the place as the Colts had notched an impressive friendly win earlier and this had set the stall out for the day. It was nice to catch up with so many friendly faces, although my security jogging blanket associates were elsewhere having requested a blow by blow report. This showed that they hadn’t read my previous attempts.

Selecting a good space to stand around the pitch was difficult due to the low sun over the car park, so a quick shuffle was made round to the Greenwood road side. Having followed the Colts last season where many of the warm ups consisted of a recap of the night before activities it would good to see even the match official warming up properly, I engaged in pen testing and selection at this point. Kirkby looked to be average Cumbrian size which is big and mobile, with not much variation in shape which highlights the evolution of the rugby player these days. A visiting supporter saw the note pad and assuming that I was the local press (must have been the pork pie hat) advised that the Kirkby team was different to the team sheet and he could confirm names. I thanked him for his offer but declined as I would struggle with the home team if they weren’t called Harry and would rely on strip colors and numbers, as usual.

So sun is on the back, a lively throng lines the pitch and the balcony looks packed, Kirkby Lonsdale in black, orange and red look to kick off from the Harrys Hill end towards the club house, its game on.
Kirkby kick off is landed just beyond the minimum distance to allow the forwards to pressure and the Billingham hands knock on. A solid scrum sees Kirkby test the blind side as the first ruck evolves on the far side. Kirkby look to build on the far side but Billingham strip the ball in the tackle and immediately use the width to break the gain line. Then it’s back to the work horses as Dan Dixon looks to break up the middle. Loose passing delays further progress but Billingham move into the Kirkby half for the first time. Quick ball and flat passes give Billingham momentum; an Adam Sunley “trademark” burst sees him over the line but held up by the Kirkby defense. From the scrum Dan Dixon picks up at 8 and again breaks the whitewash but the Kirkby defense again holds the ball off the AGP. With the scrum centrally aligned with the posts options are both sides, with Dan Dixon shifting the ball left as Martin Hopley speeds in for the opening try, conversion goes wide for 5 – 0 to the home team.

Kirby kick off is marginally further this time but with more height but is cleanly taken by Billingham with Peter Evans looking to clear the lines as he kicks up field. This is returned down the field and into touch from Kirkby. Billingham secure the line out and quickly move the ball out the back up the middle. A pop pass combination releases a runner and the support is snagged by a high tackle on the far side. The kick to touch places Billingham well within the Kirkby 22. Kirby contest and take the line out, move the ball into a more central position and look to punt a clearing kick. Kick doesn’t find touch as Billingham set up on the counter. A Hopley/Joe Evans switch move gives Joe space to set off up the field, quick breakdown gives Ben Walton a gap and giraffe like he opens up the long legs to beat the tacklers and stride in for the try. Peter Evans pops the conversion to more the score line to 12 – 0.
The next period of play is absorbing as Billingham look to release runners from long range with the Kirkby defense holding on, attacks are broken up by a mix of lose passing or holding on but Billingham are asking the questions. Kirkby look to work field position and then control the ball through the phases, building the momentum until a gap or overlap appears. It is two very different game plans and Kirkby are definitely turning the screw set up well into the Billingham half, until Matt Kirby puts in a tackle that drives the carrier back over the gain line. Billingham get the turnover from a loose pass and drive it up into the Kirkby 22. A penalty is awarded but the quick tap is not allowed, luckily as the taker ends up on the floor. Two turning scrums later an offside call gives Kirkby a change to kick for touch; this is cleanly caught in field by Matt Kirby who interchanges with Peter Evans and then sets off up the touch line. A neat grubber through sees Kirby after his own kick, like the M62 round a farmhouse he negotiates the cover moving out and he’s in for the try. Peter adds to his conversion tally for 19 – 0.
Kirkby Look to switch the kick off to mix things up, Billingham catch cleanly but then lose the ball trying to break out and then look to retrieve but are caught on the wrong side of a ruck. Kirkby look to kick for touch but it is kept in within steps of the touch line, a scrambled defense ends in a bit of handbags and a Kirkby scrum in the danger zone, successive attacks see Kirkby held up but its brought back for infringements and Kirkby work a gap right on the outside to break the doughnut, converted for 19 -7.

Billingham Kick off and Kirkby knock on giving Billingham good field position. From the scrum Dan Dixon drives up the middle, good ball gives Peter the option to select the long pass out to the galloping Kirby who bangs his brace and Peter converts for 26 -7.
Just when you thought the half would drift away Kirkby get a shot at a penalty which goes wide, Billingham dropout and kick to touch to end the half. Texts are exchanged as people are updated as I pass the Billingham luminaries on Harry’s hill and go to catch up on the 3rd team who are engaged in a tussle with Bishop Auckland on grass. Interpreting the content both 3rd teams half time talks happy campers are in short supply and at this point one player jacks in and walks to the changing room. So I chose my next vantage point on the hard standing with my back to the club house, this has its advantages with the sun but I am within earshot of the balcony. What an experience to have this in your ears as you play, it raised the senses and the pressure. I dropped a pen top at one point.

Which team will start the second half better, Kirkby needed to get points on the board and from the Billingham kick off they moved the ball well and were soon making ground. They looked to employ the kick to pin Billingham back and in one of those sometimes it goes for you moments a long kick strikes the corner flag to go into touch rather than out. Kirkby take the line out and camp on the line using the forwards to move the ball ending in a try right in the corner which is converted well. 26-14.

Billingham kick off and chase swiftly to try and regain the ball, a double knock on results in a Kirkby scrum. Kirkby kick up the middle allowing a clean catch as Elliot Husband puts up the bomb to chase. Kirkby look to protect the ball back in their 22 with a kick to clear rushed under Dan Burns pressure, Billingham secure the line out and unleash Luke Wilson on a tight line, with support. It’s heating up in the middle as Kirkby attempt to target the 10 which provokes reactions, the view from the club house is Calm down and play rugby (T-shirts available???). The man in the middle after having words earlier takes the next infringement as one too far and Kirkby go a man down. The penalty kick is long and caught with one toe in touch within sight of the balcony who confirm in full voice and the flag is raised. The line out is good and Billingham forwards apply the pressure with successive carries. Pinned to the line Kirkby fail to roll away and from the scrum Dan Dixon breaks the line over the top of a covering player with Peter going wide. 31-14

As the sun slips down under the horizon a warming orange envelops the sky, but hold on there’s a match on so all eyes to the pitch. Kirkby look to get back on track and despite a clean catch from Billingham a knock on provides Kirkby with the platform to run the phases. Kirkby line out operates very well usually towards the back, a couple of times it looks like some sort of synchronized dancing as players swap in and out, but it provides a good platform. Kirkby build the phases and are patent to wait for that gap, which appears when they switch from close round the corner to out wide for another try. The conversion rings the post and out so the score stands at 31-19.
Billingham kick off and secure the ball with a good chase, this is quickly recycled as Luke Wilson looks for that chink. Although Billingham are continually making the breaks the game changer is the support play, so as Luke makes another break on the shoulder is Sean Richardson to power over the line, Peter sweeps home another for 36 – 19.

There’s still time for much more so Kirkby kick off but Billingham counter and work the ball forward as the runners hit the gain line hard. Billingham get a scrum for a high tackle and several attempts are made to bag the try with the Kirkby defense snubbing out as the cover the line. Billingham are content to apply the pressure at this end of the field, the ball goes to Joe Spoors who with a twist, turn and long arm grounds the ball. Unconverted 43-19.

Kirkby retrieve the kick off and set the phases going, the gaps are starting to open and Kirkby move the ball around to release the runners. It all at the far end and it looks like it’s pretty much staying there. Several attacks later they get a try and conversion for 43 -26.
Billingham kick off, which Kirkby catch cleanly, working it up the field and they look for another score. The attack and momentum is lost as the ball is not released and Billingham kick well of field position. Dan Burns picks off the top and Joe Evans looks for the gap, a quick ruck and the ball goes to Luke with the back line eager to show a final flourish. Luke does the show and go (shake and bake or shake and vac, you choose) to deceive the defense to tie up the scoring. A drop goal right in front of the posts is attempted but we all hear the ring of the post so we don’t talk about it.
Final whistle sounds as 48 -26 and the teams line up for the customary shaking of hands. So from a blank piece of paper there are lots of notes written without my glasses so this has been quite hard to decipher. The buzz continues as the players chat with supporters following a very entertaining game from both sides. Another great day for the Billingham club as the strength and depth built from young foundations continues to shine brightly across the senior sides.

No time this week to discuss the ever thinning curly wurly, lifestyles of the rice and famous, I bet Kirby thought they were shouting his name all match, is this blow by blow?, where’s me press pass?, a warm scotch egg, keep clam and keep writing, what the excuse for next week then, don’t worry there won’t be much to write and 17-18 Snr Colts reunion?

It all starts again next time, from a blank page, all to play for.

The beginning is the most important part of the work. – Plato.

Report by “An Innocent bystander”

Match details

Match date

Sat 17 Nov 2018

Kickoff

14:15

Competition

North Premier

League position

2
Billingham
8
Kirkby Lonsdale
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Shirt Sponsor - ColourScreen Teesside
Main Club Sponsor - Billingham Windows
Club Sponsor - Sandmartin Financial Advisers
Shirt Sponsor - Unitel Direct