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Where Were We Now ?

Where Were We Now ?

Mark Hodgkiss19 Dec 2020 - 20:34
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https://www.kendalrugby.co.uk/

Week 7

Apart from in the first week, I have normally done quite a bit of research before starting to type something up on the Saturday morning. This week I didn’t even know what the games were. So it was fortunate I was at all four, despite three being away, although I do lack detailed notes of the action in earlier two

17th December 2016
Huddersfield (Away)

Mission improbable. Huddersfield were already ten points clear at the top of the table, and twenty six clear of seventh placed Kendal. After a run of nine wins in a row against Huddersfield between 2006 and 2009, this was to end as a seventh loss in a row.

After making his debut against second bottom Waterloo a week earlier, Will Montgomery was given another start, in a much tougher environment. Matty Houghton was named on the wing in place of Leo Mercer, but he dropped out with his place taken by Damian Armstrong, with Jordan Johnson coming onto the bench, for his first appearance of the season.

After an even start Huddersfield opened the scoring after ten minutes with a penalty. After a good run a back row man had finally been stopped by Dini Noyo, but adjudged illegally, giving a first opportunity for their outside half, who had a near flawless kicking game. 3v0.

Fullback Chris Park was being tested with hanging kicks, but he was equally to the challenge.

Huddersfield added a try after quarter of an hour of play, after their pack punched holes in the centre of the field, and the ball was moved to the wing. Will Montgomery had been testing himself against much older, larger and powerful opponents, and following the try was laid out, but fortunately managed to get back to his feet, to play the rest of the game.

Kendal hit back almost immediately, when several Huddersfield forwards were caught offside chasing a return kick after the kick off, and Chris Park made it 10v3

Huddersfield were well on top, but when they had opportunity Zane Butler and Danny Barker, were making ground, whilst Glen Weightman made a weaving run, only to lose his footing as the defence closed in.

Huddersfield’s scored again when they won a penalty at a scrum. At the resulting lineout the ball was moved into the centre for a solo run, for the second try.

Huddersfield added a third try before half time, when touch was missed from a Kendal penalty and the return kick was put high to Dini Noyo. When the ball went loose, it was swept up for the try for 24v3 at half time

Huddersfield seemed to have gone off the boil at the start of the second half, but Kendal could not add to their score, whilst when Huddersfield had the ball, the Kendal defence had tightened up.

Kendal’s best chance of a score came when Mark Carruthers took the ball on the right wing, to chip over the defence. As he followed his kick he was obstructed earning a penalty, but despite a warning the referee kept his yellow card in his pocket, and Kendal were penalised at the resulting lineout.

As the game came to an end Huddersfield, stepped up a few gears again, After a run from a centre, a second row was driven over for a try. Then at the end of normal time, inter-passing down the right wing led to a try. 38v3

Despite the score line, Kendal did all they could against the eventual run away Champions., who finished the season 25 points clear of the second placed team.

15 Chris Park
14 Mark Carruthers
13 Zane Butler
12 Danny Barker
11 Damian Armstrong
10 Glen Weightman
9 Dini Noyo

1 Glenn Chesher
2 Duncan Green
3 Dom Musetti
4 Liam Hayton
5 Ben Leacock
6 Ross McKay
7 Will Montgomery
8 Garry Holmes

rep James Thompson
rep Josh Coyle
rep Jordan Johnson

17th December 2001
Preston Grasshoppers (Away)

A season that ended in relegation, and this was one of the games we could and maybe should have won, but didn’t. Mark Ireland was out having broken a bone in his hand a fortnight earlier at Harrogate.

Four of the players had at one point played for the opposition. Matt Charters and Alan Holmes started for the Hoppers, Allen Martindale was a replacement, whilst Kendal had ex-Hoppers player Steffan Thomas on the bench.

Preston started well, and just when it looked as if Kendal would hold out, some “poor tackling” saw the No.8 score which was converted. Shortly afterwards fullback Andrew Boardley pulled three points back with a penalty which “just about made the posts”

The Kendal pack was playing well against a “big” set of opponents, and were being helped by Hoppers players taking the wrong decisions and giving away penalties (it was suggested the half time count was 7 to 1)

Hoppers ex rugby league centre again failed to pass after a good break, but the ball was re-cycled for a converted try

Late in the half, Kendal were on the attack when Hoppers conceded another penalty. From a lineout, the forwards set up a rolling maul, but scrum half Simon Davidson caught the opposition, spotting a big gap down the touchline, he took the ball to squeeze in to the corner for a try, but the conversion was not in Andrew Boardley’s range 14v8 at half time.

Kendal started the second half strongly, and another penalty to the corner, saw the drive brought down by a Preston player, who saw yellow. Kendal repeated the move and flanker Garry Holmes came up with the ball. However despite having a man advantage, Kendal then managed to concede two penalties. A third penalty for a late tackle following a long Hoppers kick out of defence, saw Kendal ten points down with twenty minutes to play.

Kendal were not finished and five minutes later dragged the game back to within seven points with another Andrew Boardley penalty 23v16.

When Preston put a penalty into the twenty two, the view on the touchline was not to worry as Allen Martindale, who had come on for Alan Holmes, could not throw in. Sure enough Kendal got a scrum and were able to clear the pressure.

As the game came to an end, Kendal were on the attack, when outside half Chris Park put a kick through, which a Preston player put dead, thinking he would get the drop out. The referee however decided it had touched a Preston player on the way through, and gave Kendal a scrum. A Preston player offended at the scrum and saw yellow, and Kendal went for another scrum. Despite moving the ball about trying to get near the posts for an easier conversion, and getting several more penalties, they could not score the try which would have brought a draw if converted.

Defending desperately, the Hoppers conceded a large number of penalties in injury time, and some referees would have given a controversial penalty try – but this one didn’t and Kendal lost again.

15 Andrew Boardley
14 Kris Bratton
13 Leo Mercer
12 Dave Barton
11 Jamie Postlethwaite
10 Chris Park
9 Simon Davidson

1 Andries Venter
2 Duncan Green
3 Richard Harryman
4 Gareth Gore
5 Dan Redhead
6 Garry Holmes
7 Joe Mallinson
8 Mark Bowman

rep Glen Chester
rep Matty Houghton
rep Joe Ellis
rep Ben Craghill
rep Steffan Thomas

After this game we won just once before the end of the season.

16 December 2006
Altrincham Kersal (Home)
I don’t have my notes on this game, but a good team sheet record fills in a lot of the gaps

The two teams came into the game in third and fourth, with almost identical record of seven wins from eleven games, with Kendal having scored 19 points more, but having conceded 63 more. So it looked like it should be a close contest, but that was not what the final score suggests, in a season where Kendal were almost unbeatable at home, but equally unable to win on the road (see week 2 for the reverse fixture and fortunes)

Kendal opened the scoring after four minutes. The official statistics and my programme differ quite drastically on the scorer. I gave it to prop Allen Martindale – the statistics said fullback Simon Mullholland. Two players who will rarely will have been mistaken for each other !

It took until the twenty sixth minute for Kendal to double the lead with a try from Nick “Noodles” McKain. Just before half time, centre Patrick Tuhakaraina added a penalty, before in added time his twin brother Massey added a try for a 18v0 half time lead.

Second row Mike Capstick opened the second half with a try after four minutes, before Altrincham opened their scoring after ten minutes with a try from a back row replacement.

Tries from James Gough, a second from Nick McKain, and one from Liam Hayton extended the lead to 38v5, before Altrincham got a second score from a wing in injury time. 38v10

Not an afternoon for the kickers, as nine tries were scored, and none converted, with Patrick Tuhakaraina missing six, and Andrew Boardley one, whilst Altrincham’s kicker missed both of his.

We ended the season two points above Altrincham, and despite this result they finished with a plus 116 points difference, and we had a minus 14.

15 Simon Mulholland (C)
14 Andrew Boardley
13 Nick Michelini
12 Patrick Tuhakaraina
11 Chris Park
10 Massey Tuhakaraina
9 James Gough

1 Billy Coxon
2 Duncan Green
3 Allen Martindale
4 Liam Hayton
5 Mike Capstick
6 Ian Ross
7 Nick McKain
8 Andrew Hudson

rep Richard Harryman (3)
rep Garry Holmes (6)
rep Evans Onyano (13)

22 December 2001
Preston Grasshoppers (Away)

Only my second game away from Mint Bridge (the first had been Aspatria at the end of the previous season) and one of only two I saw away from home that season (the other being Harrogate). Due to the lack of notes I checked if I had more on the previous week’s game at Mint Bridge against Waterloo, but that amounted to “Kendal made heavy weather of defeating the bottom club, who had good backs, but were no match for Kendal up front”.

So I went back to a big away win against the Hoppers.

My memory of this game was we had a “new young” scrum half. Mark Airey was in fact was only four years younger than me, and appears to have made his debut in 1988 (as a teenager on the wing). It was just I had not seen him play there before, with Jimmy Thompson and Casey Mee normally filling the No.9 shirt. Jimmy had gone to Manchester at the start of the season, whilst rumours on the touchline was Casey was also “moving”, and whilst he was on the bench, this was to be the last of his 102 games for the club. Mark playing 9 for most of the rest of the season. We obviously had an equal opportunities policy at No.9, as in the four games Mark did not play, he was replaced by Richard Morris, who made his debut a season before Mark, and Darren Sharpe, whose debut was four seasons further back (he was to step in again the following season).

Kendal came into the game in seventh, six points better than the Hoppers, who were outside the relegation zone only on points difference of one better than Newbury (so this game did that no good).

Kendal built a 0v24 lead with tries from centres Steve Healey and Chris Malherbe, and wing Matt Woodcock (so three backs) and Colin Wolstenholme, two converted by Mike Scott, before Preston opened their scoring with a penalty, then a converted try to pull the score back to 10v24 at half time.

Two more tries, one converted by Paul Dodds (despite Mike Scott being on the field) before Hoppers got a second try, but Kendal added a final try for a 17v46 win

Casey Mee came on for Mark Airey after fifty five minutes, and did sign off with a try. The other tries coming from Keith Robinson and Adrian Bateson (so two forwards).

Mark Bowman was yellow carded after 68 minutes, but the team sheet I have a copy of has in the box marked reason “Reason” was the comment “Good Question?” So whoever completed it was clearly not in agreement with the official.

15 Paul Dodds
14 Jason Balmer
13 Chris Malherbe
12 Steve Healey (C)
11 Matt Woodcock
10 Mike Scott
9 Mark Airey

1 Billy Coxon
2 Ian Gowing
3 Richard Harryman
4 Keith Robinson
5 Mike Capstick
6 Colin Wolstenholme
7 Mark Bowman
8 Adrian Bateson

rep Nigel Pearson
rep Andrew Hudson
rep Mike Burnett
rep Casey Mee

After this game we only won only two of the twelve after Christmas, (one being the return fixture), which was just enough to keep us up for another season.

The good news is next season (another ending in 1) we are not going to be playing the Hoppers – also in 1991/92, we beat them away just after Christmas and had a good end to the season

========================================

As previously mentioned no games in recent seasons in the Christmas break, so next week some “memorable” games from elsewhere from the past. Three of the likely four I was not even at, but have found plenty of detail on.

Further reading