Yardley & District R.F.C. 25 O.Y.R.F.C 14
This was the first away game of the season and it started very promisingly for a new look Old Yardleians team. Rob was moved from flanker to centre and Jaimie from centre to flanker. James was moved from the front row to flanker and Dan was moved from flanker to front row. Matt made his debut for the club in the second row. In the first few minutes Steff's long kick found touch right in the corner. Old Yardleians won the lineout and moved the ball quickly to Darren in the centre who powered over for a try. Steff kicked the conversion to make it 7-0.
Yardley & District won a penalty almost immediately and elected to kick for goal. Controversially the touch judges could not agree whether or not the ball had gone through the posts and so the points were not awarded.Yardley & District maintained the pressure on Old Yardleians with a series of penalty awards for too many players in the line outs. Eventually a try was scored but the conversion was narrowly missed.
Another long kick from Steff briefly relieved the pressure and found touch in the corner again but no try was to result this time. Another period of pressure from Yardley & District resulted in an offside decision and a penalty in front of the posts.
The most bizarre moment of the first half came when Yardley & District lifted one of their jumpers in a lineout only to let go of him at the top of his leap. After the dazed jumper was helped to his feet the referee awarded a penalty against Yarley & District for dangerous play - against their own player!
Half time Yardley & District 8 O.Y.R.F.C 7
An injury to Andy W at the end of the first half led to a reshuffle with Steff moving to fly half and Chris coming on at full back. The positional changes made at the start of the game were reversed. Maybe this would confuse the opposition!
Unfortunately the changes did not have the desired effect and Yardley & District started the second half well with their enormous prop forward crashing through the Old Yardleians defence to score in the corner despite an attempt to bring him down with a rather high tackle. The referee decided to award a penalty try in front of the posts which was easily converted. More pressure from Yardley & District brought another penalty award and a narrowly missed kick at goal.
Disaster then struck the Old Yardleians with Matt being injured in a tackle following a short penalty awarded to Yardley & District. Matt was helped off the field with a knee injury and Lee was brought on as a substitute only to be taken off again once Old Yardleians realised that Matt had also been "yellow carded" by the referee - apparently for persistently failing to retreat ten metres on the award of a penalty. In the confusion Yardley & District scored their third try to lead 20-7.
Lee came on again once the yellow card offence had been timed out and Andy W returned to replace Danny who had come off with an injury. Old Yardleians finished the game on a high. The hard working forwards won a scrum against the head. Joe moved the ball quickly to Andy who skipped over for a well deserved try. That is six tries in the first three games for Old Yardleians but the first win of the season is proving elusive.
Full time Yardley & District 25 O.Y.R.F.C 14
Team: Steff, Danny, Darren, Rob, Tom H, Andy W, Joe, Dan T, Adam, Will, Andy R, Matt, James, Jaimie, Nick. Replacements: Chris (for Andy W) Lee (for Matt) Andy W (for Danny)
Scorers: Tries - Darren and Andy W. Conversions - Steff (2)
HAVE YOU SEEN THE GALLERY? THERE'S A GREAT PHOTO OF ANDY R BEING LIFTED IN THE LINEOUT!