Billingham Lions
Matches
Sun 10 Feb 2013
Consett
0
55
Billingham Rugby Club
Billingham Lions
Lions roar again

Lions roar again

Barry Woodhouse10 Feb 2013 - 09:27
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.billinghamrugby.co

A mixture of experience and youth see the Lions put in a great team performance

CONSETT V BILLINGHAM LIONS

Thanks must go to Consett RFC who offered us a much needed a game at short notice. This was a game which saw seven different try scorers but was as much about the players who did not score. Rarely have we seen a demonstration of fifteen man rugby better than this with every player putting their bodies on the line to enable scoring chances. Consett were a very physical side who obviously relied heavily on scrummaging and ruck work. Angus and Anderson had different ideas and dominated breakdowns driving players back with venom. After only seven minutes Tennant who dominated in the line-out made a great dummy run pulling the home defence left, the ball went right from the ruck and Dan Westall was stopped just short. His back row partner Raey picked and drove over from close range to open the scoring. The Lions play flowed side to side and Consett were stretched Dan Westall again found a gap and broke through. It was great to see Hammond, returning after a long injury make ground to take the ball and bundle his way over to double the score. One scorer and two different tries came next with a driving maul getting to the home five metre line and setting up a ruck an indication from Woodhouse who controlled the rucks and mauls from the base and Armstrong went blind, a pop ball and Josh went over untouched. Armstrong added his second with a kick through, a TV bounce and take and sprinting from distance. Two different tries ten point added. On the half hour changes were made to the pack with Scott who had carried well from eight and the returning Hammond were replaced by McCabe and Davies who were called to action immediately with Cider driving into rucks and John having to make open field tackles as Consett pressed hard. The changes were seamless with Davies going to blind side and Westall switching to eight.
Half time CONSETT 0 V BILLINGHAM LIONS 24
The second half started and the Lions were not giving up the ball phase after phase as Billingham moved up the park with Wildridge leading the heavies pulling in their forwards and Kirby and Matt Westall making good yards linking with Keenan and Watkins out wide. With the try line beckoning it looked likely that Consett had held out but Westall, Angus and Woodhouse drove in as a pod and cleared out the defenders. Anderson followed in with Tennant and Wildridge to drive them further back and Raey snatched the ball out and touched down a very good example of the pod system in action. Another of our young guns showed his quality as Bragham filling in at full back came into the line at pace, running a great angle to go over under the posts. Hammond returned to the fray with “Jacko” replacing Raey who had picked up a jug injury after scoring two tries and Scott returning to eight. Once again the play flowed across the park and back with the Lions putting together phase after phase and at last Watkins saw some space on the outside and sprinted in when Kirby showing excellent skills passing out of the tackle. Kirby got one of his own shortly after with a blistering run through. Keenan took a nasty charge in the chest and had to be replaced by Armstrong (Senior). With the final whistle beckoning Billingham pressed hard on the home twenty and Matt Westall took a great line to go over to finish the game.
A great performance from the entire team with a mixture of youth and experience showing that maybe we have more strength in depth than was thought. Maybe the meeting last week motivated players to renew or press their claim for a first team shirt. Some certainly put a marker down, some renewed old markers and some are ones to watch for the future.
FULL TIME CONSETT 0 V BILLINGHAM LIONS 55
Scorers
Tries. Raey 2, Armstrong 2, Hammond 1, Bragham 1, Watkins 1, M.Kirby 1, M. Westall 1
Kicks Armstrong Conversions 5
Well done the First Team who also achieved a shut out to win 32 – 0 and a bonus point With some outstanding performances we are told.

Match details

Match date

Sun 10 Feb 2013

Kickoff

TBC
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Main Club Sponsor - Billingham Windows
Club Sponsor - Sandmartin Financial Advisers