Humble Victors

On first appearances the line up at the kick off looked a total miss match, with Scunthorpe Stags looking huge, mean and confident but they were soon rocked to their core by strong running rugby from their visitors, with Ed Collishaw, the old man of the side, knocking down and through 6 defenders after 2 minutes of play and setting up a scoring chance that sadly came to naught. For ten minutes youthful exuberance, courage and adventurous rugby football pinned the Stags in their own 22 but the pressure failed to produce a score and suddenly the steel-men came to life and using the power of their strong experienced pack to secure turnover ball they launched their first attack out of their 22 which culminated in a smartly taken try after a cleverly placed cross field kick put their lightning fast left wing in to score. A very assured kicker stroked the ball between the posts to put Scunthorpe into a 7 points to nil lead. Newark struck deep into the old enemies territory with hard running from Colishaw, Sibilski and Riley smashing holes in the Stag’s defence but the pressure was soaked up by the Stags and after 15 minutes they worked their way out of their half and should have been rewarded with a score but for a huge try saving tackle executed by Tommy Bridges at full back. However Scunthorpe were now into their stride and although Newark defended valiantly, the home side broke through to score their second and with a second conversion Newark were trailing 14 to nil. Now the Stags had their tails up and Newark were made to look inexperienced, lightweight and ragged and after running the ball left and right the stretched defence was breached again . It started to appear the frail but valiant dam was breached as a further score was notched up taking the home teams tally to 21points to zilch in just 30 minutes of play. Again the Scunthorpe hoard came and camped in Newark’s 22 but smart work from the forwards produced turnover ball and a quick series of passes put the ball into the hands of Lewis Strellis who sped 40 meters down the left wing to score close to the uprights and a conversion from Jake Andrews narrowed the difference to 21 to 7.
Two minutes later after good spoiling work a loose ball was hacked downfield by Strellis, ever the opportunist, he chased and kicked on again and grounded the ball for his, and Newark’s second try.
There was suddenly a loud silence over the previously noisy partisan home support. Their Immortals had met the Newark 300. Although the conversion was missed, suddenly a far more respectable score line of 21 – 12 haunted the previously confident, or was it arrogant ,Scunthorpe Stags. They then threw everything they had at Newark, but they were up against a totally different proposition. Hence at the back of 40 minutes of end to end, touch line to touchline, crunching sweating physicality the score remained at 21-12.
A previously untried and un-envisaged front row of Joe “Superman” Tinsley ,Will Naylor, “No Neck” Hutchinson with a new pairing in second row of Pricey “don’t call me Dan” and Dave Rhodes, a back row combination of Captain Bartch, Aeron Riley and Tommy Coen , baby half backs Dyson and Andrews, who started as boys but came off as Men, a hard tackling impact making mid field of Ed the old Tank ‘ Collishaw, well that’s the four letter word I thought he called himself, and Sam Sibilski, flanked by speedsters Lewis Strellis and James Stark with Rocky ’they will not cross me’ , Bridges had just come through a trial of fire and brimstone that no one would have thought possible of the team that stood assembled at the kick off facing a team at least 2 stone heavier per man and hardly a Scunthorpe man without first team experience .
The second half started like a new dawn, new tactics agreed to lessen the effectiveness of Scunthorpe’s huge scrum and a more assured 15 Men of Newark took to the contest.
Two minutes into the game Newark won a scrum, the quick strike and exit ball was picked up by Riley who charged from the base of the scrum from within his ten meter line, brushing aside tackles he off loaded to Dyson in support who then cut loose our sleek predator, Strellis to outstrip the enemy cover to claim his hat-trick and a jug for his comrades in arms. The conversion under the uprights looked a formality, but inexplicably it failed, a fact the referee failed to record. This would have huge ramifications on the match later, but the score line told a story, Scunthorpe 21 – 19 Newark .
Scunthorpe retaliated but could not find any cohesion being matched man for man tackle for tackle and 11 minutes later from the rear of the scrum Riley charged again, fed Strellis to notch up a forth try and put Newark into the lead for the first time. The conversion failed .
From the restart Newark drove back into enemy territory and were rewarded with a fine try engineered by the backs switching the ball inside to Bridges who broke the defensive line and danced his way under the posts to record Newark’s 5th try of the game for Andrews to add his 3rd conversion.
At 21 -31 and facing defeat Scunthorpe were galvernized into yet another power play, this time a lack of concentration led to Scunthorpe’s 4th try and their unerring kicker slotted the extras to close the gap. A few mistakes slipped into the Newark game and Newark were pinned on their own line for the next ten minutes. However a breakout and a counter attack into Stag’s territority won Newark a penalty and after checking the time and score with the referee the 3 points were taken by Andrews. Unfortunately the referee had the score at 28 – 33 prior to the kick which by his reckoning then made the score 28 – 36 with a couple of minutes to play including time for stoppages.
Scunthorpe then threw caution to the wind and threw themselves at the solid Newark defence and when the ball was finally forced into touch with 45 minutes of the second half played it was with the greatest of surprise that the referee indicated that the line-out 10 meters from Newark’s line should be taken. A further 4 minutes of blood , sweat and finally tears when Scunthorpe crossed for their 5th try. No problem, or so the Newark players thought, and when the sure footed kicker slotted his 5th conversion the referee confirmed Newark had emerged winners by one point 35 – 36. Jubilation tuned to sorrow when, after a stewards enquiry , the referee realised his mistake and overturned his original score to record a 35 – 34 win to Scunthorpe. Although this was the final score it was not a jubilant Scunthorpe who left the field, but a team who were humble in the narrowest of victories. They knew the moral victory was won by the courageous Newark team that had brought the Stags to ground. Nevertheless , the game was an epic test and again showed why Rugby Union is the greatest game on earth, as two rival teams gave their all, exhausted battered and bruised, they each saluted their adversaries in a tremendous show of sporting respect.
Riley sustained a hamstring tear late into the game and was replaced by 17 year old Chandler who again showed his huge potential. Tom Coen came through his second game with no problem and was a huge influence on the game with the rest of the Newark back row. Every player did his part and all deserve a special mention, Joe Tinsley was outstanding in taming the Beast of Scunthorpe in the front row, Sam Hutchinson, stood his own, Tim Naylor is a hooker, Pricey, Rhodes, the half backs, midfield wings and of course Bridges `were nothing less than hero’s who played as a team for each other with pride. Nice one Men. Bring on the Pennant games. Martyn L-S