https://www.flickr.com/photos/26086313%40N08/collections/

Bricks’s numbers were boosted for visit of West End – league leaders. With Bricks still in an injury and availability crisis it was good to see a number of new and returning faces swelling the ranks yesterday:

  • Matt Goodall made his first appearance of the season and with U18s now playing midweek, as coach he brought some of them along to play:
    • Matty Johnson – 2nd row
    • Callum Gascoigne –  back row
    • Jak Tuck – 9
    • Cameron James Coates – 10
    • Max Nellie – Centre
    • Mitchel Smails got called into work and missed the game
  • James Murray guested from the 2s who had no game
  • Peter Bath made a return to rugby in centre after a number of years out and scored a good try on his debut for the Bricks
  • Rodders made a return after his ankle injury at the end of last season
  • We had Anth. back, on the side line (always his best position, some would say!) this time not with water bottles, but pushing a buggy, he is threatening to play next week!
  • Vinnie, had been threatening for some time made an appearance and ouch! did a West End guys know he was back….

 

For context the players not available yesterday included; Savs, Chester, Divers, Damien A, Coatsey, Stu B, Arran, Finnaz, Harry, Horse, Matt P, Steve S, Oliver (late withdraw – referred to court assessment) Brett, Craig McB, Derek T, Will D & Tom E

 

West End also showed up with a squad of around 22, good to see the club starting to stabilise after struggling some seasons to field a team, they’ve managed to run 2 teams on a couple of occasions this season. They have built a good squad and it’s hard to see anyone stopping them from winning the Blyth League, good luck to them!

We noticed they decided to play Matt Allmond in the centre, we took the micky out of him after the game, saying he never had any hands, (expected, I’m sure as he left Blaydon) but he had a good game there, his partner at 13 was rapid and did all the damage on the day with West End’s chip and chase game.

 

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/26086313%40N08/collections/

Sorry yet again, I spend too much time watching the game to take photos, so hardly any photos, mainly set pieces etc! We desperately need someone who will take photos….

Scores:

  • Trys: Matt G, Jak & Peter
  • Lewis, James

 

It was great to have a sizable squad, we’ve had many games with few or no subs this season. We again followed the principle of everyone plays (thanks to West End for agreeing to more than 7 subs) so we made 11 changes for the 2nd half and having nearly 2 teams with lots of players who hadn’t played together recently or before meant a settling in period. Unfortunately West End with a more settle squad took early advantage with a chip and chase game and we were two try’s down in minutes, but we recovered as time went on and were unlucky not to have more trys as we started to dominate more towards the end of the first half with a number of push over try’s being prevented (cant understand why it wasn’t a penalty try, but hey, referee had a good game all round)  and Hopey being tackled before he had hold of the ball, only a few yards out.

 

We had a similar settling period in the second half with almost a new team out there and came very strong at the end with a Vinnie try not awarded as the referee was unsighted and even some of the West End lads said we could have won if the game had been a few minutes longer.

 

As it was, West End tackled well and took their chances on the day, scored more points, which in any rugby game is the key aspect.

 

Highs and Lows of the game:

  • Blaydon scrummage worked very well
  • Matty and Callum played well in the Bricks forwards
  • Matt Goodall took a good line in the 22 and ran in a good try
  • Max Nellie had a very strong debut in the centre
  • Good mauling by the forwards to make good yards
  • Alex’s kicking kept us going forward
  • James picked up a long ball in his 22 and just got stopped in West’s 22.
  • Vinnie bouncing West End players out the way
  • Jak was a live wire on his debut at 9 in the second half.
  • Cameron was kicking the ball around 60 yards from penalty kicks
  • Rodders just got caught going into the 22 or would have been away
  • Goggle made a good break into the 22

 

Next week was designated as a Vet’s weekend, so no Bricks game, there is a development game against Gosforth so anyone U35 will be involved in that squad

 

  1. Paul Winter
  2. Keith Winter
  3. Tom Hirst.     (Steven Palmer)
  4. James Knox.   (Keith Oliver)
  5. Matty Johnson.
  6. Justin Clarke.      (Cameron Richardson)
  7. Callum Gascoigne
  8. Paul Strachan     (Paul Vinnicombe)
  9. Liam Bradley.  (Jak Tuck)
  10. Alex Twinn.    (Cameron James Coates)
  11. Mark Hopewell.   (Craig Barlow)
  12. Matt Goodall  (Robert Pyle)
  13. Max Nellie.  (Peter Andrew)
  14. Damien Shaw.  (Paul Dingley) Â
  15. Lewis Hill.   (James Murray)