Saturday 28th January – Cup Match – Sedgefield IIs 7 v Blaydon Bricks 20

 

End result just what we needed, great outcome, but what a journey to get there, with a total of 19 injured or not available, it looked like we would struggle to get a squad, but thankfully we took the field with 26 players. We have a number of people to thank for getting the squad out and having cover for all positions:
• Richard Pike agreeing to travel over from Cumbria, unfortunately he had a car accident on way across =, thankfully family and him all ok
• Owen for agreeing to cover bench
• Simon D for coming out of semi-retirement as we were really short on backrows
• We had a new player join us Alex but unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to see him play

. Cookie made himself available for his first game of the season
• Brett returned after being absent for a while moving house
• Rodders and Tom got a shift of work
• Brian P played for the Vets on Friday and covered the bench for us

 

The score, size of squad and the socialising afterwards were the highlights, the game was one to forget. What is it about Cup matches and the Bricks, having won the Shield so many times, you’d think we’d be used to it, but emotions are just on edge with management and players seem to forget things; like laws, (our penalty count was horrendous and not just Keith W) game plan and even how to score trys, with both Damien A and Simon D running out the back of the deadball area with American Football expectations, sorry gents you still need to actually put the ball down in the deadball area.

Scorers:
Trys: Liam 2, Stracks 1
Conv: Rodders 1
Penalty: Rodders 1

Photos thanks to Finnas: https://www.flickr.com/photos/26086313%40N08/collections/
Highs/Lows: ( I didn’t make notes, so tried to recall from memory)
• We had the advantage in the backs and we scored quickly within a couple of minutes with some real good interplay
• So we stopped passing out to the back line and took them on up front as they could compete there
• Next we gave away countless penalties and had 3 yellow cards which stopped any continuity being developed
• With a combination of how easy the first score was, ignoring the game plan while running from our 22, number of yellow cards and the number of penalties we gave away, Sedgefield got their heads up and it became obvious if we continued to implode, they had a chance of stealing the result.
• Good chip and collect from Divers
• Rodders went off with a yellow card and Hopey stepped in to flyhalf and actually followed the game plan for his first possession in our half, kicked and made good yards.
• Scrummage was a good battle with both sides in the main securing their own ball
• Steve Sewell who was having a good game, went down with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Simon Drennan coming out of semi-retirement again to help out and played 100%, as always
• Have to mention Simon’s knock on, from the kick off, it was spectacular
• Forwards made some good yards with driving mauls and and interplay
• Good covering tackle by Rodders on their fast lad to save a score when we were 10-7 ahead.
• Paul W did well as Captain trying to keep thing calm, also talking his way out of what would have been a fourth yellow card
• Owen came on and made some big hits and and good yards.
• Last 10 minutes or so we played the game plan used our back to good effect and stayed in Sedgefield’s half to protect against a run away try as it was still 10-7
• Stracks scored off a back row move at the scrum after resting 10mins on a yellow card
• Good kick from Owen and Liam outpaced the defence to touchdown in the corner
• Owen got a yellow, but it wasn’t his, but had to go anyway.
• Final score 20-7 and a lot of relief from players, a large Blaydon injured sideline and management.
• Sorry to all the guys who didn’t’ get on, games was so close it was hard to make more changes.

Day ended well with loads of people staying out to celebrate the result, which was as we wanted. Also big positive, our 1s beat Blackheath at Blaydon, by 28-11, taking a max 5 point, well done guys.

So a wins a win and Bricks move into the semi’s, with next round will be either against Sunderland 3s or Chester Le Street IIs on the 4th March. Next week we’re back to league duty against Medicals IIIs.

1. Paul
2. Keith W
3. Tom, Brett, Keith Winter, Phil Partington,
4. Keith O. (Cliff)
5. James Knox
6. Steve S. (Simon D)
7. Ian Bennie. (Cookie)
8. Stracks
9. Stu R (Owen)
10. Rodders
11. Liam B,
12. Divers
13. Steve Davidson
14. Hopey. (Damien A)
15. Craig B
Bench: Brett, Brian P, Phil P, Damien S, Paul Dingley, Alex,