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AYLESTONE ATHLETIC 2nd XV 17 - 12 RIPLEY RHINOS 1st XV
FRIENDLY
Saturday 19th February 2005
Skipper Carl Whitley took a much-changed side down to Victoria Park in central Leicester to face a strong Aylestone Athletic 2nds. Matters weren't helped with the qualified society referee announcing it was his first-ever match, and proceeding to have a challenging debut. The Ripley pack were under pressure from the off, being pushed back down the slope by the home team and Aylestone opened the scoring with a converted try in the ninth minute. The Rhino lineout functioned well with hooker Dave Arrowsmith hitting his jumping targets of Joe Frew and Gareth Saynor despite the wind Rhinos had in their faces in the first half. Rhino's tackling was too ball-centric, allowing the powerful Leicester runners to mark extra yards before being brought to ground – scrum-half Neil Murcott a notable exception to this with a great defensive performance. Aylestone scored again when they sucked in the Ripley cover defence and then worked the ball out wide to crash over. Rhinos gradually pulled their way back into he game from this point with powerful running from Frew, No. 8 Zeique Robinson and centre David Owen. The revamped front-row of Paul Melhuish, Arrowsmith and Steve Cresswell worked their opposite numbers to ensure better ball for Ripley and Murcott distributed it well. The revival continued with an excellent try on the half hour – Murcott fed fly-half Dave Trubee from a scrum who switched with Owen – his powerful surge took him into the Aylestone defence and excellent rucking work from the pack enabled Robinson to pick up and drive over from 8 metres to reduce the score to 12-5.
Rhinos used the wind to their advantage in the second half but couldn't win enough ball from phase play to see off their opponents. Aylestone were far more versed in the dark arts of killing the ball in rucks and Ripley were too inexperienced to ruck them out the way. The home side were very canny in what they did with subtle pulls and blocks all being missed by the struggling referee whose decision making was mostly swayed by the loudest voice alas. Rhinos conceded a third try after a kick downfield from Trubee almost fell into the arms of the onrushing Gareth Roebuck but then weak tackling allowed the home side to return the ball with interest, and they scored from the subsequent 5-metre scrum. Ripley stepped into hurry-up mode and found a benefit with just under quarter of an hour to go when Robinson was driven over the line by his pack for his 19th try for the club after a series of tap and run penalties, with Trubee converting and reducing the deficit to 19-12. Try as they might in the time left, Rhinos couldn't find the score they needed – winger Keith Harrison just being denied a try in the corner - and the home side ran out winners.
Ripley simply don't have the experience of killing the ball repeatedly, hitting rucks from all angles except from behind and generally milking an inexperienced referee – Aylestone did and therefore won the match – Rhinos must learn from this; not every referee will be as good as the standard provided by their home society and bemoaning it afterwards won't change the result. Neil Murcott took the man of the match vote for his great display at scrum half, though credit should go to first aider Anna West whose running repairs to the Somercotes man, as he took blow after blow throughout the game, were excellent.
Rhinos travel to Leicestershire again this Saturday to play Shepshed 1sts.
Rhinos are still on the lookout for players of any ability who are interested in playing - ring 07816 779018 for more details.