Novocastrians III Vs Sunderland II - Match Report:
After experiencing a frustrating afternoon the previous week the Might Republic did not only want but needed to prove a point.
Novocastrians III Vs Sunderland II - Match Report:
After experiencing a frustrating afternoon the previous week the Might Republic did not only want but needed to prove a point. Closing the gap amongst the top of the table was a must and a double header clash was the ideal opportunity. The Makems arrived in dribs and drabs, however made it in good numbers before kick-off. Our entrance on the other hand was poor! Warming up like headless chickens forgetting fundamentals; topped off with the usual 13:50 arrival from Shaun O’Connell looking like a bottle of Absinth had gone 12 rounds with him (most likely did to be honest). Heading back to the changing room a team discussion left us knowing what needed to be done (basically do not repeat one bit of the warm up).
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Unfortunately the referee was not so ready being surprisingly ‘ill’ (or something); a level 7 referee not being present despite their wellbeing is unheard off. Being a loyal RFU servant always taking kit on all family holidays and stepping in no matter! All the team were deeply upset not having a ref willing to stay behind after matches to explain the new rules to players who frankly didn’t give a shit after the 80th minute whistle. Luckily we had our own in-house referee, Selkirk, who preferred explaining decisions on the pitch rather than after the match.
An initial big tackle put on Gardiner indicated this was potentially going to be a tough day at the office. As the minutes ticked on our blistering backs were proving too much for Sunderland, breaking tackles and running support lines was the key. David Marshal not afraid to run it from the back proved difficult for the dog-legged Sunderland to cope with, resulting in two tries for himself and two assists. The theme of strong running from the backs was common with Bulfin managing to unusually hold on to the ball for four tries and two assists. The new father had a spring in his step with Colm scoring two and assisting another, additionally providing an impressive kicking percentage of 86% (7:6) success rate.
With the tries racking up quickly my memories of order, scorer and which half is pretty poor. However one forward reached over the line before the half, Ian with a 10 yard dash breaking the Sunderland defence. Just before the half-time whistle the Makems finally broke the strong defensive line to leave the second half with some pride.
Half time score: 47 (Novos) – 7 (Sund)
Five subs were made at half time bringing a different dynamic to the game. Substitutions adding fresh legs but found it difficult to make an immediate effect, Sunderland striking with another try. As the substitutes settled into the game the Mighty Republic found a little rhythm, putting some points on the board with four more tries. The second half saw Sunderland achieve two tries in total, with Novo’s finding their tackling ability later into the second half to stop the Makem momentum achieving more. A series of high tackles collectively left Selkirk with no choice but to sin-bin the most recent offender Shack, you would think in that 10 minutes watching he would have realised which side of a scrum a scrum-half stands. The second half held a few highlights; however my personal favourite would be Glenn’s attempt to head the ball back into the play, leaving the floor an impressive 2 inches with a majestic salmon leap (unfortunately missing the header). The second half was not as glamorous or high scoring as the first but was hard fought, increasing the overall margin of victory.
Full time score: 75 (Novos) – 19 (Sund II)
The Mighty Republic gaining the 9 required points, heading in strong for the Cup’s to come and the final third of the season. Victory was a resilient and clinical team effort with special note to the backs for ripping apart the Sunderland defence with decisive running and nimble offloading.
Both sides were appreciative of Selkirk stepping up and refereeing to a high standard and remaining fair throughout!
Final Score: Novos 3s 75-19 Sunderland 2s
Summary:
Backs Tries:
Jonathan Bulfin x4
Colm O Keeffe x2
Anthony Phillips
Tommy Wilson
David Marshall x2
Forwards Tries:
Ian Pratt
Assists:
Shaun O'Connell
Jack Salt
Colm O'Keeffe
Tommy Wilson
Michael Shackleton x2
David Marshall x2
Jonny Bulfin x2
Joe Ball
Conversion:
Colm O'Keeffe 6 from 7
Awards:
MoM: Jonny Bulfin
H2O: Jonny Bulfin
SS: Jack Salt
DoD: Michael Shackleton
FRD: Glenn Fife
By Joshua Kaufmann