Saturday 23rd November – Gateshead IIIs 10, Blaydon Bricks 45

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

Scorers;
Trys; Divers 3, Brett 2, Liam & Matty
Conv; Thacks 5

What a difference a week makes, twenty odd players last week for the cup match and 15 this week with a late arranged fixture with Gateshead 3rds. On arriving at Gateshead we are faced with the fact that Gateshead IIIs could only raise 10 players. Shame to see a club like Gateshead struggling in this way, last year their 4s beat us home and away in the league and although they lost to us in the cup, it was very close. Good things was both sides just wanted a game so we gave them 2 players; Damien and Chris Collins to even the sides.

Highlights:
• Game kicks off and everything is back to normal, Keith does a great job of getting to the ball and knocks on
• Although we played last week, we looked rusty, with Savs and Phil playing tipsy uppies with the ball in the oppositions 22
• Tonsey makes a return and plays his first game of the season
• Thacks makes one of his miss passes, the ones that misses everyone with a 2 man overlap available
• From the kick off Gateshead young 4 takes the ball, catches Bricks napping and almost goes all the way. Gateshead do end up scoring and wake up time for the Bricks
• From the kick off Keiths they again, knocks on again, he’s back….. that fantastic take from the kick off last week is behind us
• Damien and Chris Collins both had good games for Gateshead, thanks to them for making the game happen. Damien made some good breaks and thankfully Chris was restrained to running the ball back as us as Gateshead inside centre on the day did not seem to be able to both catch and pass the ball or Chris’s pace could have hurt us.
• Keith and Stu were all over, both knocking Damien down, who after game shared a point we are all grateful for, we don’t have to play against the Bricks forwards
• Liam had a good game at fullback with good positional play and tackling
• Brett made numerous breaks, one put Liam free to round the defence and in at the corner
• Damien almost breaks Stu tackle, Nah, Stu recovers and downs him
• Liam break, Brett takes on and good pass into Matty Bell in support and Matty gets first try for the Bricks, doesn’t make up for spitting out Stella, but its a start
• Liam does Chris, but Chris recovers and takes him down.

Game was a good example of how clubs can help each other get a game played in these times while players are hard to come by. Game was played in good spirit and was very competitive with all parties in the bar afterwards having played a good game of rugby and sharing the experience, good result for local rugby and our best wishes to Gateshead and our hope we are competing with their 4ths again soon.

Next Week Wallsend IIs away, last time Keith got lost trying to find their ground, yes you guessed it, he lives in Wallsend.

1 Grumpy
2. Keith Winter
3. Brett
4. Graham Tomes
5. Marge
6. Matty Bell
7. Stu Bailey
8. Windy
9. Liam Bradley
10. Savs
11. Paul Dingley
12. Divers
13. Thacks
14. Damien
15. Chris Collins