Saturday 23rd September, Blaydon Bricks 33, South Shields Mariners 36
First half was some of the best play from a Bricks side in a long time and we blew them away, the second half, it’s all been said, except to say they scored more points in the second half than we did in both halves and took the win, which never looked likely in the first half. Every now and again a team has a game like this, thank goodness we got rid of it at the start of the season and in a friendly……
Scorers:
Trys: Keith W 2, Divers 2, Damien S
Conv: Divers 4
The day started really well, we had 4 subs, most players playing in the right positions, a home game, playing at home with the One’s, (which doesn’t happen very often) we had a nice day and a good crowd (even Cliff showed himself…)
Mariners announced just as we were about to kick off that it was uncontested scrums, it was good they turned up to fulfil the fixture, bit anyone who has played in such a game knows it ruins the whole thing for all teams, most of all for the Bricks who have always been naturally strong in the scrummage department. The other problem it causes is the forwards don’t have to put as much effort into the set pieces and they have excess energy and start to get mischievous and try new things with the additional energy, like kicking……. GB, Aaron of note
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/26086313%40N08/collections/
You’ll note given I did them, not Finnaz, there is no-where near the amount from the Blyth game, which can be found under the 2017/18 collection!
The game highs and lows:
First half:
- Great interplay with forwards and back interlinking and making sizable yards
- Good lines of running from Chester, Divers and Damien A
- 3 hookers on the pitch and non could consistently throw the ball straight, so normal Saturday there then!
- Damien A chipped the ball into Divers arms, pure fluke, but we took it…
- Paul, Keith W, Aaron, Stracks, Brett made good yards in the forwards
- Steve Sewell, Savs, Stu B were all over the park
- Stu B again played scrumhalf for us and did a good job, ignoring the couple times he forgot he was scrumhalf and played open-side, very well….. I’m sure he’d say his team mates should cover 9 when he goes hunting….
Second half – forgotten….. we lost and retired to the bar to drink Moretti which we did very well, right through to last ones in Sun/Maids and Pizza in Swalwell around closing time…
The squad could have been larger, but we had two cry offs from the guys who had targeted this game for a first game together for the Brick’s:
- Ian Kelly – tweaked something in training……….
- Tony Horsfall – you’ll hear more about this one, but fair to say for someone to get on the ‘Court Session’ list, even before he has ever put on a Brick’s playing shirt, is some achievement – GB has the evidence, it will be a short hearing.
Next week sees us return to League rugby, up the hill to Winlaton Saxons and we both need a win and points.
- Paul W
- Ian Bennie
- Brett Hanratty (Steve Palmer)
- Keith Winter
- Steve Sewell (Keith Oliver)
- Aaron Poad
- Cameron (Craig McBernie)
- Stracks
- Stu Bailey
- Savs
- Damien S (Steve Sewell)
- Chester
- Damien A
- Paul Dingley (Damien A)
- Divers (Hopey)
