1st XV
Matches
Sat 22 Jan 2022  ·  North One West
Kendal R.U.F.C.
1st XV
Tries: L Kincart, D Shorrock, K Bratton, G Weightman, S Nelson, B DixonConversions: C Park (3), G Weightman
38
25
Firwood Waterloo
Another Quality Performance

Another Quality Performance

Mark Hodgkiss22 Jan 2022 - 18:10
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Excellent play in attack

Second versus third, with the visitors being one of only two teams to have defeated Kendal this season.

Two changes from the starting line up against Penrith last weekend. Matt Houghton was injured and had been unable to get treatment due to a positive COVID test. Fortunately Greg Wrathall had made a quicker than expected return, to replace Houghton. Ben Leacock was preferred to Liam Hayton, who was with the second team.

The early exchanges were even.

In a repeat of the away game, a Kendal maul was stopped over the line, to give their opponent a chance to clear their lines.

The Kendal defence was stopping Waterloo make progress, with Robbie Collinson putting in a string of big tackles, to slow their progress.

After twenty minutes, Dan Reid was forced off, with Hugh Davies coming on, but Reid returned ten minutes later.

The opening score came after twenty three minutes. It was started with a break from Kris Bratton, Ben Dixon took the move on, with Lewis Kincart in support to go over for the try. 5v0

Kendal were giving away a string of penalties, and after half an hour Reece Tomlinson was the one who offended once too often, and was yellow carded.

Four minutes later Waterloo had the lead, with a converted try 5v7.

In added time things got better for them. A few missed tackles allowed the Waterloo left wing to get some speed up, and he finished from inside his own half, to excellently weave through Kendal for a try, which was converted with the last action of the half for a 5v14 half time lead.

Dane Blenkharn came off the bench to replace Greg Wrathall at the start of the second half.

Kendal made a good start to the half, and the lead was down to two points within two minutes of the restart. Chris Park did well to collect a long pass, and got the ball away to Ben Dixon who again did the hard work, before get the ball away to Dan Shorrock, who finished weaving through the Waterloo defence for the try, which Chris Park converted 12v14.

All the good work was immediately undone as the forwards failed to deal with the restart, which put Waterloo on the attack. When Kendal were penalised for killing the ball, Waterloo went for goal and extended their lead. 12v17.

The quick round of scoring continued. Glen Weightman made an excellent hanging restart kick. Balls had fallen favourably for Waterloo in the first half, but this time when Dan Shorrock jumped to tap it back, it was gathered by Dan Greenwood. Ben Dixon made a break for the line, but was stopped short. A Waterloo player dived in to try to kill the ball, and with the referee playing advantage, the ball was moved right. Instead of looking for contact, Reece Tomlinson did well to get a pass away to Kris Bratton, who went over to tie the scores. Chris Park converted off the post to give Kendal back the lead. 19v17 after nine minutes of the half.

It looked as if Kendal had added another magnificent try. After doing excellent work to tidy up ball in his own twenty two, it looked as if Lewis Kincart’s kick had gone loose. Whether deliberated or accidentally it was fielded by Ben Dixon who set off on another run. There was excellent interplay and offloading of passes between players, which ended with the referee awarding a try. The Waterloo players however pointed to the touchline, and their touch judge had his flag up in the Kendal half. (too far away for me to see, but there did not seem to be any dispute from the crowd on that side).

The fear was this may spur on Waterloo, but instead it was Kendal who scored next to push their lead over a single score. From a scrum, in what appeared a planned move, Lewis Kincart passed to Danny Barker instead of Glen Weightman. Barker made a lot of ground, before releasing Ben Dixon, and this time it was Weightman on hand to take the scoring pass, with Chris Park adding the conversion. 26v17.

Kendal made a further change with Dan Lowther coming on at fullback for Chris Park.

After twenty minutes Kendal were again down to fourteen, when a clumsy rather than malicious tackle around the neck, saw replacement Dane Blenkharn yellow carded.

Waterloo again took advantage, and from a quickly taken penalty, they added a third try 26v22,

It looked as if Waterloo had another try to give them the lead, but this time Kendal stopped them grounding the ball, to be given a relieving restart kick.

When award another penalty for a high tackle, Waterloo decided to take the points, despite this leaving them still a point behind. 26v25.

Greg Wrathall returned in place of Dan Greenwood.

Kendal upped the pace, and Waterloo conceded a string of penalties, and finally the referee patience with them ran out, and a replacement was yellow carded.

The Kendal lineout drive from the penalty was stopped, but this time crucially it was short of the line, so Kendal retained the ball with a scrum. With lots of options on, Steven Nelson at No.8 picked up quickly, and there was no stopping him as he powered over for the try. With Chris Park off the field, Glen Weightman took the kick, and repeated Park’s earlier conversion off the post, to give Kendal a two score lead with five minutes to play. 33v25

Steven Nelson had been injured, and came off to be replaced by Dan Reid. When Waterloo were awarded a scrum, Reid went to hooker and Robbie Collinson became an stand-in flanker. The changed made a big impression on the Waterloo pack, as a massive Kendal drive saw then driven backwards to conceded a penalty.

The game ended with Ben Dixon finally getting a try of his own. Nothing seemed to be on, when he kicked a loose ball down the line, but he gathered the ball, and did well to stay infield, and whilst tackled this time was able to touchdown in the corner for a very well deserved try. 38v25.


In attack the team are really coming together with options everywhere, with Dan Shorrock playing better every game, and Ben Dixon looking a threat every time he had the ball. The defence was mixed with some periods of excellent tackling, in the first half in particular Robbie Collinson put in a string of solid tackles that stopped Waterloo moves, but at other times the team seemed to lose concentration.

A need to maintain discipline was shown by only three of Waterloo’s points coming against a full strength team, and at times penalties were conceded when Waterloo appeared to offer little threat.

However yet another team go home pointless, and if there is still room for improvement, there was some excellent rugby played, with again the value of support play shown with many tries coming from players getting in position for the scoring pass – just a pity the best one of the lot didn’t count.

Next week an “away game” (can hardly remember the last one), with the team travelling to Broughton Park in the Manchester area, who beat Penrith this weekend. So the team needs to be at its best again.

Kendal Man of the Match : Ben Dixon

OTHER RESULTS

Altrincham Kersal1719Wilmslow
Bowden1036Vale of Lune
Broughton Park2422Penrith
Carlisle2034Birkenhead Park
Douglas (IoM)2534Manchester
Glossop316Stockport

TABLE

#TeamPWPts
1Stockport161676
2Kendal161466
3Manchester161157
4Firwood Waterloo161155
5Penrith16949
6Birkenhead Park141045
7Glossop15843
8Vale of Lune17740
9Wilmslow15631
10Altrincham Kersal16230
11Broughton Park15426
12Douglas (I.O.M.)13317
13Bowdon16316
14Carlisle1523

I was too late for a programme last week, so am not sure what the statement about the Bowden game said BUT on the RFUs own website and RFU North, we still have the points for that game (as shown above) so we may be 5 points poorer than shown

Match details

Match date

Sat 22 Jan 2022

Kickoff

14:15

Location

Competition

North One West

League position

2
Kendal
4
Firwood Waterloo
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Club Sponsor - Kentdale  Jaguar Land Rover
Match Ball Sponsor - Rathbones Investment Management
Shirt & Shorts Sponsor - Kendalife
Club Sponsor - Lakeland
Club Sponsor - Saint & Co
Club Sponsor - MTP Media
Casual Shirt Sponsor - Bainbridge Electrical Ltd
Shirt & Position Sponsor - Steve Selby Building Contractors
Next Door Neighbours - Camping & Caravanning Club: Kendal
Shirt Sponsor - MGD Commercial and Motor Services
Club Sponsor - Crema Catering Supplies Ltd.