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Bees v Harrogate Match Report


By Richard Smith
April 25 2014

Despite neither side having any promotion ambitions or relegation concerns, a good crowd at Portway was treated to a highly entertaining game on Easter Saturday as Harrogate got the better of the Bees for the second time this season.

 Birmingham & Solihull were 12-0 to the good after 20 minutes thanks to tries by Jonah Boyce and Rob Connolly. The latter was a trademark strong finish by the Bees’ centre, after a good break from the base of the scrum by No.8 Steve Leach. Jack Jolly added the conversion.

Harrogate responded with two quick tries in three minutes – the first from a break by lively hooker Aurin Yorke and the second - a tap and dart over from a quick penalty by scrum half Phil Wykeham - that could have come straight out of the Danny Care coaching manual. Successful conversions by fly half Callum Irvine gave the visitors a 12-14 lead.

The Bees restored their lead after 33 minutes with the now obligatory try by lock Chris Goddard from a catch and rolling maul from the line out, although Jolly was unable to make the conversion count.

It was Harrogate, however, that finished the half the stronger, with half backs Wykeham and Irvine providing excellent service to the talented young backline. Centre Luke Edwards was on hand to collect a deft chip through by Irvine to give the visitors a 17-21 lead at the break.

With the second half came a change in referee, as Andrew Taylorson was replaced after pulling a muscle in the first half. Good job too, as both sides were now playing a high tempo and free flowing brand of rugby that needed a fully fit official to keep pace with. The replacement ref, to his credit, ensured that the game continued to provide an excellent spectacle for an appreciative crowd.

With Harrogate pressing, Jolly was sin binned after 15 minutes for killing the ball on the Bee’s try line. The visitors eventually used the extra man to their advantage, with winger Audley-Beck scoring under the posts to give them a 17-28 lead and a try bonus point.

The Bees responded with a well-taken try by the tireless Michael Stephens, after another barnstorming run by Rob Connolly. Canning, who had now taken over the kicking duties, slotted a tricky conversion to narrow the gap to 24-28 with 10 minutes to go.

Yet it was the visitors that had seemingly better fitness levels and certainly better precision and decision making in the backs. Despite replacement fly off Joe Rowntree missing two long-range penalties, Harrogate sealed, what was on balance, a deserved victory, with a second try by Luke Edwards on the final whistle.

For the Bees this was a frustrating afternoon, given as this was another game on the “could and probably should have won” pile. They still have a slim chance of snatching fifth spot in the league if they beat Chester by more than 12 points (and deny the visitors a bonus point) in the final home game of the season next Saturday (26th April, kick off 2pm).

The game will be the last in a Bees’ shirt for veteran prop Matt Long – worth the trip to Portway alone to see a Bees’ legend take a final bow on the hallowed Portway turf.
Teams:-

Birmingham & Solihull – Canning(C), Evans, Connolly (T), Mogaji, Elvers, Petty, Jolly (C), Leach, Scriven, Stephens (T), Goddard (T), Lee, Koziot, Radburn ©, Boyce (T). Replacements -Long, Kettle, Onojaife, Spink and Briggs.

Harrogate – Minikin (L), Parrish, Bottomley, Edwards (2T), Audley-Beck (T), Irvine (4C), Wickham (T), Heaton, Smith, Minikin(N), Wilson, Johnson, Browne, Yorke (T), Metcalfe. Replacements – Aspinall, Adair, Dewsnip, Nyemba and Rowntree.

Referee – Andrew Taylorson

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