Edged Out (24v19)

With two teams, with seven wins out of seven, both with five bonus points, and just single point difference separating them, meeting in a top of the table clash, something had to give.

The injury to Duncan Green at Broughton Park, saw Glen Chesher make a return to Kendal colours for the first time in over eighteen months. The back division was re-organised again, with James Gough back at scrum half, Danny Barker at centre, and Zane Butler moving to fullback. Nathan Wooff retained the outside half spot, with Glenn Weightman starting on the bench.

Kirkby Lonsdale made the better start, with a Kendal handling error from the kick off, putting Kirkby on the attack. From the resulting scrum, Kendal were forced to defend a number of waves of Kirkby attacks, before scrum half Kirkby Ben Walker found himself isolated, and Jack Lashley managed to steal the ball from him, allowing Kendal to clear the danger.

After the early defensive work, Kendal came back into the game, and Kirkby were forced into conceding a string of penalties.

With ten minutes played Kendal opened the scoring with a penalty. With usual kickers Glenn Weightman and Chris Park starting on the bench, Nathan Wooff stepped up to put the kick over. 0v3.

Kirkby almost immediately were back on level terms. Kendal had a second poor re-start, and following a Kirkby lineout, were caught offside, with Kirkby centre Tom Pickthall putting the penalty over. 3v3.

After the forward battles of previous seasons, this time both teams were keen to spread the ball wide, with both sets of backs making ground, but the defences held firm.

Kendal regained the lead after a quarter of an hour of play. Phil Murphy made ground, but seemed isolated, and when the referee blew it appeared he would be penalised, but it was the tackler who was penalised for failing to roll away. Nathan Wooff added a second Kendal penalty. 3v6.

After two poor restarts, the third was much more successful for Kendal. Nathan Wooff gathered the long kick, and returned it with his own, deep into the Kirkby half. Kendal kept Kirkby on defence, and from a scrum in midfield set up the opening try of the game. The ball was moved left, and Damian Armstrong made ground, before passing to Danny Barker, who committed the Kirkby defence, then passed to Dini Noyo, who powered over in the corner. Nathan Wooff continued his successful streak of kicks, with a conversion from close to the touchline. 3v13

Kirkby were immediately back in defence, as the referee caught players offside at the kick off.

The Kendal pack was disrupting Kirkby line out throws, which cut off quick ball to their backline. Also the Kendal scrum, which had been a major concern before the game, was more than holding its own, with Glenn Chesher fitting in well.

After half an hour Kirkby narrowed the gap with a second penalty from Tom Pickthall, after Kendal had been penalised at a scrum. 6v16.

Kirkby finished the half the stronger, and as the referee was playing advantage for a Kirkby penalty, there was a fracas between a number of players. Josh Chaplow received a yellow card, although it was unclear if this was for his part in the exchange, or for conceding the original penalty.

Shortly afterwards Kendal had a major let off. With players committed to defending on the right, the ball was moved left, and Kirkby had a three to one overlap, only for the first player to go for glory himself, and then lose the ball when tackled, to allow Kendal to clear the ball for the half time whistle.

Kendal again started the half poorly, with the kick off going straight into touch. Then from the resulting scrum, a Kirkby player exploited the gap in the Kendal defence to break through, with only a despairing ankle tackle stopping his progress.

Kendal were forced to defend a number of scrums on their own line, but just as it appeared they had weathered the storm, with Josh Chaplow about to return from his ten minutes on the touchline, on their own scrum put in, they lost the ball, and a Kirkby player forced his way over in the corner for a try. 11v13.

Kendal were immediately back in defence, as the forwards were caught in front of the kick at the restart, just as Kirkby had been in the first half.

As Kirkby moved the ball, Kendal gave away a number of penalties for offside, but rather than go for the posts and take the lead, Kirkby continue to look for the try, and were finally rewarded when Ben Walker took a quick penalty, and found Dave Barton in support, to theatrically dive in at the right corner for a try. 16v13.

There was another blow for Kendal, as Chris Downham was forced off with an injury. He was replaced by Chris Park, who went onto the right wing, with Matty Houghton moving into the back row.

Kendal were quickly back on level terms. From a lineout when the ball was moved to Nathan Wooff, he was caught with a high tackle from Kirkby scrum half Ben Walker. He was quickly back on his feet, and put over the long range kick from close to halfway. 16v16.

Three minutes later, Kendal had the lead again. Liam Hayton gathered the kick off and made ground, before the ball came back to Nathan Wooff who put a long kick upfield. Dini Noyo chased the kick, and Kirkby were penalised for failing to release the ball in the tackle. Nathan Wooff again stepped up to put over the kick. 16v19, with twenty minutes play.

There was a further injury blow for Kendal shortly afterwards. Dini Noyo was injured after making a break, and after a long spell of treatment was forced off, to be replaced by Glenn Weightman.

The Kendal lineout was beginning to struggle, and was penalised several times for throws not being straight, which meant they could not gain any momentum, to stretch the Kirkby defence again.

Kendal had another let off, when Kirkby left wing David Bird, made a long run up the touchline, but was finally stopped deep in the Kendal half.

With quarter of an hour to play, Chris Downham, had recovered enough to return to the field, with Chris Park making way.

With the game entering its final ten minutes, Kirkby outside half Dave Barton charged a kick down, and followed the ball up. A Kendal defender got back, but when the ball went behind the try line, Glenn Weightman touched down, clearly thinking it had been kicked through by Barton, to give Kendal the drop out, but the referee had spotted that it had been played last by the Kendal defender, and awarded Kirkby the scrum.

Kendal were the penalised at the scrum, but rather than go for the posts to re-take the lead, Kirkby again looked for the try. When centre Jack Akrigg, had to juggle with a difficult pass, this looked as if it may have backfired, but instead he gathered the ball to go through to score. 21v19.

Kirkby went back on the attack, and another scrumage penalty in injury time was converted by centre Pickthall to increase his side’s lead 24v19.

Kendal tried to attack to look for a match winning score, but could make no impact on the Kirkby defence, and it was Kirkby who finished the game on the attack, looking for a fourth try to give them a bonus point, and deprive Kendal of theirs, but the Kendal defence managed to hold out.

After drab battles in the past two seasons, this was a much more open and entertaining encounter, and whichever team lost would point to the “if only’s” due to errors which turned the game, but with three tries to one, and with the outstanding performer in back row man Lwazi Ngcungama, Kirkby were probably worthy winners.

A week off before a return action against Warrington, and both teams will be tested in the coming month as they encounter the other teams at the top of the table.

Whilst there is no rugby at Mint Bridge on Saturday (due to the World Cup Final), Sunday will see the first home game of the season for the Wasps, who have made their own unbeaten start. So try to get down to Mint Bridge and give them your support.

KENDAL MAN OF THE MATCH : Nathan Wooff