Practice makes permanent

After two really good training sessions Novos went into the game with some momentum. However, this was quickly squashed by several lads deciding to not get ready in time for the warm up and/or wanting to finish their cup of tea ?!

In an error stricken first half we scored a try by Jonny Ward, converted by Dan Bollado who also added two penalties. We should probably have put the game to bed really. However, we dropped the ball when tries were beckoning. Added to this, Nth Shields defended with added vigour that we did not see the last time we played them.

Half time 13-5 after they had trundled over a fat lads try which basically went penalty, penalty, drive over. With the conditions now in Nth Shields favour the game was still in the balance.

We started the second half really well and were rewarded with two tries to Jonny Ward, Dan Bollado adding a conversion to make it 25-5. Just when we should perhaps have kicked on we started to get penalised a lot and Nth Shields were able to march down the pitch. Despite some heroic defence our line was breached again.

Confusion broke out as Novos coach praised the lads for conceeding the try with 1 min to go and being able to go kick off 50m up the field ?!? Tactically it was brillant as we turned the ball over and after several phases Bollado when in under the post for the crucial bonus point try !
Conversion added by Bollado, final whistle sounded - 32-10 to Novos.

The game was close at times but our desire to run the ball and play high tempo won thru in the end. Nth Shields have made a lot of progress since we saw them last and we all agreed their eight was very good. Fingers crossed that they take points of some of the teams around us.

Thanks goes out to the ref who travelled all the way from Leicester ! His decision making was very good and we can have no complaints about the penalties against us in the 2nd half. Ben Walker was rightly carded although he will argue that it was for the benefit of the team !

Everyone in the bar was in fine spirits after the match. The party continued into Jesmond where the Novos boys took over the mosh pit. The Novos coach (always on the recruitment drive) thought he had grabbed another star signing when this big lad said his brother plays... when asked if he would like a run out for Novos, we were turned down as the brother turned out to be Toulon's Nick Kennedy !

Bring on Ashington !