Ryton XV 29, Blaydon Bricks 24

Our last game of the season ended in a narrow defeat to a Ryton XV that ended up with more and more of their 2s on the field as the game went on. Ryton bench was loaded and they intended to make sure the won, but the herculean performance from the Bricks nearly won the game against the odds, everybody on the field played that well. In the end it was injuries and lack of subs that lost it, with a bunch of walking wounded who stayed on the pitch to support their team, once we had played the two subs we had.

Sorry the game was so engaging there is only 20 photos this week:

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

Thanks first:

Bum Bum played his 5th game of the season and after 4 years playing for us finally got his Bricks shirt for his 5th game

Surrey guested for us as did Sean Pyle as a week on from having 13 subs at the final we only had 14 players available.

Everyone else in a Bricks shirt on the day, to a man everyone put in 100% and as said many stayed on when injured as they didn’t want to leave the team short.

Scorers:
Trys: Coatsey, ??
Conv. Sean 2

Highs and Lows:

Take a look at the photo of Thack’s boots, he said Mrs Thacks went to the shops and came back with those, update, she was on the side line and had a picture of them that Thacks had sent her, to make sure she got those ones….. tut tut!

Game started well with a good handling move from the backs and Coatsey looped round outside on the wing to run in the fist try.
Sean caused Ryton scrumhalfs trouble all day
Bum Bum and Surrey were making big yards
New second row (Keith & Windy) partnership gave us a dominant scrum and made good yards around the park
Big lad played his first full game of the season and showed what we have been missing
Harry was having a stormer, only coming off after a dead leg stop the use of one leg and calf strain took away the other.
Coatsey played well above his weight again, he even got penalised for not rolling away, while holding up a Ryton forward, the referee on the day was atrocious
Savs tackling was immense again
Hopey and Thacks provided a strong centre partnership, with the much bigger Ryton players making little ground against them and showing some good handling for our trys.
Keith and Paul Winter were taking kick offs, not dropping anything or breaking any fingers, Keith even making big yards off a kick off and the pair of them generally making it a very hard day for Rton all game..
Keith ripped a ball out of a maul and took off from our 22, with the bench shouting ‘Gas-It’ Keiths face was a picture
Front row of Big Lad, Paul and Ian Bennie gave Ryton loads of trouble, even after they put fresh players on.
Wings Paul, Damien and Goggle knocked down players time and time again
An award to Chester for saving Ryton embarrassment, as him and Bum Bum looked free to score, he was brought down, so he pulled Bum Bum down, as he ran over the top of him.

I was proud of the team we put on the pitch against Berwick when they loaded the team, this was another great game from a Bricks team who matched Ryton 2s for ability just as we had Berwick and only faltered at the end due to lack of players on the bench to provide fresh legs and replacements for the wounded.

Funny thing was the Ryton bench were wining about Surrey and Bum Bum (5th game for us this season) playing for us, as they put more and more of their 2s on, they have lost the plot on what is right to field in this Blyth League and have adopted win at any cost, they justify it, saying well its a 2/3 squad, its not, its a 3s they are loading with their 2s.

Next week we are at Doncaster for the wekeend and playing Wheatley Hills XV followed by Horse’s 40th birthday game on the 9th May, then a few weeks off before the start of next season.

1. Paul Winter
2. Bum Bum
3. Big Lad
4. Keith Winter
5. Windy
6. Ian Bennie
7. Surrey
8. Harry (Chester)
9. Sean Pyle
10. Coatsey
11. Craig Barlow
12. Thacks
13. Hopey
14. Paul Dingley (Damien)
15. Savs.