Doncaster Rugby Club

Yorkshire Shield

Doncaster Phoenix 17 Redcar 15

Saturday saw Phoenix win a notable scalp in the inaugural incursion to the Yorkshire Shield against Yorkshire 1 outfit Redcar with a victory secured on the death in an thrilling encounter with the underdogs emerging triumphant.

Due to the Xmas break the side was much changed than per usual and saw the inclusion of youngsters such as Veal and Scholey in the back row and newcomer (rather than youngster!) Cleggy at full back with Greenslade coming in at scrum half and Jon Stuart at fly half on his return from Hong Kong – I believe his Dad was recollecting on times past when he was popular with Pans People whilst the pair enjoyed the ways of the rising sun with a couple of geisha girls!

With the slope (I’m back Burton!) and the gale force wind in their favour Phoenix started off strongly and certainly matched their higher placed opponents matching them around the park and they almost opened the visiting defence early doors when a gap was vacant mid-field if the normally safe hands of Lowcock had not let him down he surely would have been through.

Scholey at number 8 was a threat with the ball in hand and was a handful for the Redcar defence ably supported by his back row compardres Veal and Morris (although he was a bit out of sorts to start with, having numerous rubs and sprays to his ankle and wasn’t until the threat of substitution from Coach Farley that he seemed to reach his full match potential).

Maintaining the impetus the forwards pressured the line with the resulting gap allowing the bulky frame of Shang-hai Jonny-San Stuart to high kick and judo-chop his way through the gap to open the Phoenix account and increase it in the way of an honourable conversion.

Not to be outdone Redcar came back at the home side and reduced the deficit courtesy of some reciprocal treatment form the Redcar pack and the inability to properly defend their maul that allowed their veteran prop to barge over and reduce the deficit to two points which is how it stayed until the break.

On the turn round Redcar did what Phoenix didn’t and used the legendary slope and strong wind to gain field position and enabled them to take the lead when the home side infringed at the loose allowing the fly half and easy three points and an 8-7 lead.

Phoenix then rose to the challenge with Greenslade leading the way and attacking the blind, the home side advanced into Redcar territory and with forwards now in the ascendancy they maintained the pressure on the right with Greenslade picking and slipping to the blind to put in a sublime back flip to the on coming bulky frame of Morris who like a Turkey running from the farmer (it is Xmas!) scampered in ten yards to score.

However there were still twists and turns in this game which saw Redcar recapture the lead when they kicked and chased downfield with ball popping just right to pursing fly half who popped inside to his centre to dampen Phoenix spirits.

The dying minutes were a tense affair with Phoenix throwing everything they had at the visitors and pressuring the line. The visiting defence was doing everything legally (and at times illegally) to stop the winning score, but on the death Fielding picked and dived over from centimetres to secure progression to the second round and record a notable victory over opposition playing two divisions higher.

The next round will prove significantly harder where Phoenix now have to play second placed Yorkshire 1 side Ilkley at home – a test indeed! The tie is due to be played on 12 January but our continued presence in the EDF competition takes precedence. A date will be agreed later.