Wearing their school caps this Keswick team is undefeated this season and on Sunday carried their good form into this, their first club fixture. Keswick just happen to be a bit stronger than average at this age group and have a lot of good players competing for inclusion in a winning team. Wigton’s predicament at under-14 appears to be a complete mirror of this situation, but like all good clubs they still try to play fixtures at all age groups to encourage participation across the board. Wigton and other small town rugby clubs including Keswick are aware that some teams that come up the hard way grow stronger with age and bond as well through hardship as they do as a result of repeated success. When the scores started to arrive thick and fast Keswick lent some of their best players namely Alvin Tsoi, Stephen Green and Louis Cornforth to the opposition and the game became more evenly contested. Keswick’s tries were scored by Alvin Tsoi, Robbie Bland 2, Louis Cornforth, Dan Stephenson 3, Jim Creighton, Oliver MacPherson 2 and Matty Atkinson. Bland kicked 3 conversions.
This match was as close as the scoreline suggests and was in the balance right up to the end. A contrast of styles created an unclear picture whereby some of the Workington players and officials believed Keswick were the better side and deserved to win and there were Keswickians who thought the opposite. Workington scored three tries, one of which was a penalty try to Keswick’s two. Keswick created more try scoring chances and should have been at least two tries ahead before Workington ever created a meaningful attack. Once the game slowed to the pace Workington dictated, and were comfortable with, Keswick had to apply graft to underpin their attacking flair. The set scrums were even but the Workington pack edged the lineout. Around the pitch also the forwards worked tirelessly for no discernible advantage. Workington had more muscle but Keswick were fitter.Β Any edges were marginal, and in the end John Hine kept his nerve, and from a tricky last minute penalty kicked Keswick ahead for the fourth and final time. Workington were awarded a penalty after this, but a difficult chance was missed. It was another hard fought win for Keswick who now occupy second place in the league.
One of the highlights of a very busy rugby term was the visit to School last Friday of Robert Miller an ex-School Rugby Captain now an England under-20 International playing professional rugby for Newcastle Falcons. Robert was having a rare day off from training between Falcons’ games in the European Challenge Cup Competition. Robert’s ‘day off’ was very busy and involved playing, coaching, answering questions in an A-Level PE class and signing autographs.
Keswick have made a satisfactory start to the season and some aspects of their early performances have been encouraging. 26 players have been used, but the side has been reasonably settled with little week to week variation and not many injuries. In order to win at Kirkby Lonsdale a merely ’satisfactory’ performance would not be good enough, the strongest team had to be selected, only good aspects could be present and it was essential they should be present for 80 minutes.
The mission was made tougher when three first choice players, all forwards – and all big, became unavailable during the week. There was widespread acceptance that this could have considerable implications particularly in respect of the lineout and the ruck but the presence of proven, reliable stand-ins and replacements was comforting. The most welcome boost occurred when one ‘unavailable’, Josh Terry, became re- available on Friday night.
Kirkby are a very accomplished side who along with Wigton are joint favorites to win the League this season. Their game is big on pace, power and invention and they are particularly difficult to beat on their own patch where they enjoy considerable support. In Kirkby’s last home match they beat Burnley 76 points β 0, and before last weekend at least were the league’s top scorers.
It came as no surprise to anybody that the game began at lightening quick pace. The willingness of both sides to impose a fast and upright approach was predictable but such aspiration was immediately compromised by blanket defence advancing quickly and supplemented by hammer tackles. From the start over-ambitious runners paid the price for venturing a metre too far and, more often than not, stopped dead, or decked, became the eye of the stormiest rucks and mauls seen so far this season. Visiting supporters who prefer their glass half full were encouraged within minutes that Keswick had an edge at the ruck. This optimism was based firstly on the speed to the breakdown of the Keswick breakaway forwards but was soon followed by a realization that the referee preferred Keswick’s approach to the early ruck to that of the home side. Although Keswick’s seizure of a 3-0 lead came as a result of Hine’s penalty for an open field obstruction the flow of penalties for ruck offences swung in Keswick’s favour as early as the 5th minute and remained there for the whole of the match.
During such fast and intense passages the intuitive application of skill under pressure can be the most reliable pathway to opportunity and so it proved with the try that gave Kirkby an 8th minute lead. A speculative but superbly weighted chip ahead by the Kirkby stand off was fielded by Keswick fullback Andy Wallace but with no where to go, and Kirkby’s rush of forwards quick to arrive, the possession was instantly turned over. A Kirkby prop forward nearly scored but a wider opportunity was successful after crisp and typically well executed left to right passing. For Keswick there was now the challenge of competing against a lifted side who had just discovered a way to score.
Keswick regained the lead after 15 minutes when Hine was again successful with a penalty awarded for a ruck offence. This was the end of the scoring until first half injury time when Hine added a third penalty. The boost to morale resulting from this score was critical, firstly because Keswick had weathered a massive Kirkby onslaught just before half time and had played without cost a 10 minute portion of the half minus a prop forward sin binned for a scrum offence. During this time Keswick’s tackling particularly by Carrick Wharmby, Joe Roper and the rest of the forwards was deadly accurate, against repeated Kirkby attacks. Kirkby were driven back and were twice forced into handling errors. As a result of the incident, another obstruction, which led to the third penalty Kirkby had also had a player sent to the sin bin. In a game where there was nothing to choose between the sides Keswick commenced the second half with a four point and one player advantage.
The second half of the match provided Keswick with the opportunity to show what they were made of. In such a powder keg atmosphere it would have been easy to fold and there were occasions when Kirkby’s pressure might have resulted in the critical try which would have given them the lead and the inevitably renewed confidence that this would provide. When the pressure was on Keswick kept their cool and good tackles across the line was augmented by an approximate 40% return of possession from all areas. Dave Ray was Keswick’s star performer in the loose, the front row performed magnificently in the scrum and Aaron Thompson was the most conspicuous of Keswick’s lineout technicians. The possession gained was well used with very little wastage. At scrum half Matthew Roper continued an excellent run of form, Roper was constantly involved in the thick of it and provided Hine with an accurate stream of possession from which effective clearances, and more ambitious counter attacking moves could be launched. Despite Kirkby’s frustration, and their losing battle to please the referee, they never gave up and their constant threat kept Keswick on their toes.
Kirkby missed a tricky penalty, but when Keswick made repeated attacks soon afterwards they were awarded two penalties in the space of five minutes. Although Hine was close to success on both occasions the score remained at an uncomfortable 9-5.
With 17 minutes to play the game took a big turn in Keswick’s favour. From turnover ball acquired at a centre field ruck Thompson and Roper engineered a yard of space for Ray who then blasted 35 metres through an inviting hole in the home defence. Kirkby won the ball when Ray was tackled but immediately knocked it on and Keswick were awarded the put- in at a scrum under the shadow of the Kirkby Lonsdale crossbar. The Keswick scrum was rock solid and the ball was won and controlled by no8 Thompson. The Kirby scrum half advanced early and the referee immediately penalised him for offside. Hine’s easy kick made the score 12-5 and the Kirby half back was sent to the sin bin.
The game became faster still with each tackle, ruck and maul providing hard hitting action and plenty for the fans to shout about. Kirby were consistently dangerous ball in hand but Keswick were ever capable of stealing possession and remained more disciplined in the aftermath of the tackle.
Keswick’s clearances, mostly by Hine and Brian Storey were well chased by wingmen Jamie O’Brien and Jamie McKenzie, and Storey and O’Brien in particular made good tackles when Kirkby ran the ball back. Keswick’s occasional counter attacks were always dangerous, one inspired by Hine should have had a better outcome given the appropriate pass and another led by Thompson, Roper and Ray split the Kirkby defence and made a gain of 60 metres.
Life became tricky for Keswick when 2 players visited the sin bin in quick succession with 12 minutes to play. The spirit in the side was maintained despite this and Phil Smith and McKenzie, both of whom found themselves defending two channels, made critical interventions which saved likely tries. Keswick’s biggest lift occurred when Thompson stole a Kirkby 5 metre lineout throw, a third Kirkby player was sin binned, and when a Kirkby try scoring attempt was penalised for obstruction.
This was a good result away from home against tough opponents. It was good preparation for the visit of Workington on Saturday in the latest ‘most important match of the season.’
Whitehaven ‘A’ 11 β Keswick ‘A’ 18.
Keswick ‘A’ had 19 players available for this match which was good; Whitehaven provided the opposition when Carlisle ‘A’ withdrew from the fixture. The Keswick side was a classic blend of youth and experience with ages varying from 17 to 50. Joe Barrow made a successful senior debut and veterans Wayne Cartmell, David Hindmarch, Simon Grisdale Snr and John Clark, like youngster Tim Ashbridge, made welcome first appearances of the season. Keswick’s tries were scored by Will Greenwell and skipper and man of the match Ben Bentham. Andrew Fell kicked a conversion and 2 penalties.
