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Dodgy match report - County Championship final

Stalwart of County Rugby
By TonyTaff June 5 2008
On Sunday, Twickenham once again played host to a returning champion, as Devon, County Champions three times in the last four years, once again contested the County Championship final. As with the Cheaters the previous day, the holders were to go home empty-handed.

The scoring was dominated by Otley's South African back three flier Robin Kitching, a man who shows his dislike for the Yorkshire winter by playing in tights; not only had he left his tights in the dressing room for this June match, the kicking boots were also missing, an omission rectified at half-time. A personal tally of 18 points (try, two conversions and three penalties) were handsome reward in his first season for his adopted county. [Players can qualify on the basis of 6 months residency, as well as birth - Devon fielded Fijian international Keni Fisilau on this basis].

Danny Hawkes, the starting fly-half for Devon, opened the scoring with a penalty.  This was cancelled out by Kitching's only first half success before Hawkes restored a three point lead. Yorkshire were playing the more fluent rugby, with the back row of Neil Spence (who has Premiership experience with Rotherham, but now plies his trade with Bradford & Bingley - the sports club rather than the drama-ridden bank), Otley's Dan Hyde (who has played in the Premiership with Leeds) and Man-of-the-Match Max Lewis (on the books of Leeds, but recently playing on loan at Otley) prominent at the breakdown.

The whitewash was breached for the first time following an excellent break by the Wharfedale full back Whaites, the attack being finished by winger Steve Parsons (guess which club he plays for?).  Kitching couldn't add the extras, but he played a big part in the next try, the break having been made by Tom Rock (now of Leeds, but who started with Otley), Kitching took the ball toward the try line, before throwing a misdirected return pass. Rock cleverly hoofed the ball on and touched down. The failed conversion meant that Yorkshire went into half-time leading 6-13, meagre reward for their flair and dominance in all phases other than the scrum.

Whaites was again the provider for Parsons shortly after the break, Kitching added the conversion, and a cricket score looked on the cards.  This was the cue for Graham Dawe to seek to turn things around. Ben Thompson, sporting a girth not often seen on a fly-half, joined the fray, together with several forwards. The champions began to show some of the form that had seen them reach the final with a 100% record in the league stage.

Devon's vaunted pack drove a maul forward which collapsed as it neared the Yorkshire line. Mr Kitt, who had been unwilling to award several of Otley’s (sorry, Yorkshire’s) tries without the advice of the TMO, rediscovered some self-confidence and gave a penalty try. Full back Ben Scott, who had taken over the kicking duties from the departed Hawkes, converted. 

Normal service was resumed as Yorkshire attacked through their excellent backs. Fly half Richard Wainwright took the ball close to the line after Rock had made the break and Kitching flopped over for the type of try more normally associated with a prop. He added the extras and nailed Devon's coffin with two penalties that concluded the scoring. Devon 13, Yorkshire 33.

Talking of props, Yorkshire started with Armitage of Beverley at tight-head. The Yorkshire scrum was in trouble from the start, with the lower-division player resembling a tub of lard. On the hour mark, he departed. The loose-head, Ryan Wederall (of Otley) moved over and Paul Turner (also of Otley) joined on the left side of the scrum (the front row was completed by Scott Plevey, who plays for Doncaster, but has had several runs out on loan at Otley). Evidence of the magnitude of the improvement can be found in Yorkshire opting for a scrum when awarded a penalty five yards out - a decision that would have been unthinkable before the change.

Bob Hood, the Yorkshire coach, who has enjoyed much success with the County's Under 20s, didn't explain the bizarre selection at prop, but did have this to say:  "It was a really good performance and a really professional one.

"We wanted to play with intensity and our belief in what we were doing shone through.

"We weren't patient enough in the first half but once we settled down we scored some good tries.

"It's been eight years since we last came here and beat Devon and 16 of the 22 we had here today had been here and won in previous years with the Under 20 Championship.

"We have that conveyor belt of young players coming through and rugby in Yorkshire's in pretty good shape at the moment."

Graham Dawe gave Rob Andrew an object lesson in post-match honesty which Squeaky failed to grasp:  "We knew they'd be big and physical, good at the set-piece and in the tackle area and we just (sic) gave away too much ball".

"We did well to contain Yorkshire at times because they looked dangerous at times (sic).

"The players can be proud of themselves."

The game had been a pleasure to watch, and even professional Lancastrian, Bill Beaumont, could raise a smile as he handed the Cup named after him to Yorkshire captain, Dan Cook.

The link at the bottom http://www.rugbynetwork.net/main/s104/st129735.htm will take you to a report on the BaaBaas game.

Scoring sequence:

Hawkes p 3-0, Kitching p 3-3, Hawkes p 6-3, Parsons t 6-8, Rock t 6-13 (h-t)Parsons t 6-18, Kitching c 6-20, Penalty try 11-20, Scott c 13-20, Kitching t 13-25, Kitching c 13-27, Kitching p 13-30, Kitching p 13-33

 

Devon: B Scott (unattached); T Bedford (Exeter Chiefs), K Fisilau (Plymouth Albion), P Sykes (Canterbury), L Gibson; D Hawkes, M Newman (all Plymouth Albion); W Reed (Launceston), S Pearl (Unattached), R Hopkins, J Tripcony, E King (all Plymouth Albion), D Thomas (Unattached), J Childs, K Marriott (captain, both Plymouth Albion). Replacements: S Bennett (Unattached), G Evans (Plymouth Albion), D Kimberley (Bridgwater), R Jenkins (Bristol), B Thompson (Unattached), M Dibble (Launceston), J Marlin (Mounts Bay).

Yorkshire: A Whaites (Wharfedale); S Parsons (Otley), T Rock (Leeds Carnegie), K Dench (Otley), R Kitching (Otley); R Wainwright (Manchester), D McCormack (Otley); R Wederell (Otley), S Plevey (Doncaster Knights), J Armitage (Beverley), D Cook (captain, Hull), R Hill (Hull Ionians), D Hyde Otley), N Spence (Bradford & Bingley), M Lewis (Leeds Carnegie). Replacements: P Wright (Middlesbrough), A Baggett (Wharfedale), P Turner (Otley), W Kay (Halifax), M Challinor (Morley), M Stockdale (Otley), D Worrall (Beverley).

Referee: R Kitt (RFU).

 

 

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