Saturday 19th November – Blaydon Bricks 25, Westend 26

 

Every now and again the Bricks implode and lose a game they never should, the last time it put us out the cup last season, this time we lost a league game, our third loss so far which sees us in the bottom half of the table when we should be competing in the top 3.

We started the day with 26 people named and with cry offs and no shows entered the field with only 19 players and no recognised props, so Steve, Keith W, Craig McB and Grumpy all stepped up to make the game contested scrums, thanks guys. Even Finnas was a no show, so we have very few photos again…… https://www.flickr.com/photos/26086313%40N08/collections/

We were well in control at the start, scored two good trys, but with twice going down to 13 players it was a step too far and we lost out to a team we should have beaten comfortably. Nothing against Westend they turned up with a decent squad and some good young talent, but I doubt they though they would win this game, certainly not 30 mins in.
Scores:
Trys: Divers, Damien A and Liam
Conv: Hopey, Divers
Pen: Divers
Drop goal: Lowsey

Highs & Lows:
• Game started really well with forwards making big yards and backs interplay having Westend on the back foot and us scoring 2 good trys and looking comfortable.
• Game was kept tight with Divers and Chester switching off Damien at flyhalf and coming back to the forwards, making yards each time.
• Steve went down 30mins in, with what appeared to be a broken leg, so we stopped a promising attack 10yds out, he was screaming like……, it was cramp, he’s going to get some stick next weekend…..
• We were on top at this time and nothing pointed to what would happen next, then it went to crap, leaving names off, but they know who they are, the first two cards shouldn’t have happened and the team agree both were deserved and decisions challenged by the players.
• So for what turned out to be the first of two occasions, we went down to 13 players and we defended well but lost our rhythm and with limited subs it took too much out of us.
• We let Westend drive us 40 yards to score a try
• Our kicking form hand was really poor in the second half, gifting a try and missing touch on a number of occasions
• We let a couple of players from Westend infringe and get in our heads, instead of clearing them out and sending them home knowing they had been in a game with the Bricks forwards, we complained about them and entered into war of words with them, which took the concentration off the game.
• The game ended with us on the attack, even with 13 players, Divers went through, stoped 15m from the line, forwards piled in recycled the ball moved across the pitch and then a bizarre celebration from Lowsey after scoring a drop goal and losing us the game by 1 point….. We were 4 points behind,
• Bit of a lapse of concentration from me, who walked in front of Divers who was lining up to take a conversion from wide out, he just missed.
• We were still up with 10 mins to go and then we lost two more players, one for a line out infringement and the other for a try saving tackle but judge to not be with arms.
• All cards were justified, but Westend only getting one was harsh, both sides strayed from the rules, they should have had 3 cards.

I tried to remember more positives, but nothing more came to mind, sorry.

So next week we are back in league action against South Shields, let’s just put it down to a bad day and hope we can get back on track and put this behind us.

Team:
1. Keith Winter
2. Craig McBurnie (Grumpy)
3. Steve Palmer.
4. Windy.
5. Keith Oliver. (Derek Turnbull)
6. Strachs
7. Lowsey
8. Stu Bailey.
9. Stu Reay (Hopey)
10. Daniel A
11. Damien S. (Paul Dingley)
12. Chester.
13. Divers
14. Liam.
15. Hopey. (Craig Barlow)