Cleck 10-62 Bees
By Elliott Josypenko
November 7 2005
By the luck of the draw I managed to make only my third Bees match this season on Saturday when they took on Cleckheaton (near Bradford).
By Elliott Josypenko
November 7 2005
By the luck of the draw I managed to make only my third Bees match this season on Saturday when they took on Cleckheaton (near Bradford).
After a two and a quarter hour bus journey from Sheffield (yes, there is no mistake there!), I arrived at 1.30 and sat down to do some revision for my exam on the Monday.
By half time I was probably wondering whether the long journey was worth it as Bees were less than impressive. The first play of the ball yielded a try for the travelling team and to be honest, it should have been a cricket score. Whilst in the forwards Cleck were deceptively strong and going forward in the backs they were impressive, their central defence was woeful at best. Gaping holes were numerous and it would only have taken a different line to unlock the gap and take on the full back. Bees instead decided they would play the hard way. Admittedly we had put out a quite weak side due to countless injuries but it was still a massive cut above the opposition. Bees’ injury crisis doesn’t look to be improving as a number of key players were withdrawn through injury, hopefully just as a precaution.
As I said, the Bees decided they would play it the hard way. After the first try they pretty much fell asleep and lay back as the Yorkshiremen attacked quickly out wide. Some missed tackles and poor rucking allowed Cleck to go 10-8 up at half time after a Tim Walsh three pointer, not exactly from down-town to use a basketball analogy. Going forward in the first half, the Bees were shoddy. Dropped passes and poor kicking meant that few attacks were mounted and a serious desire to horribly over complicate it meant that a few players looked a bit red-faced at times. The “pick of the bunch” being three dreadful short dropouts”.
Alex Davidson looked to have made a few more friends on his travels. Regular brawls seemed to start up in the first half, most with the big man at the core. Some quite vicious rucking appeared to annoy the local fans.
The second half indicated much change. Phil, looking quite angry gave the lads a good talking to and the rugby played seemed to be so much simpler. In the second half, the back division in particular played some stunning attacking rugby with Ryan Lamb at the centre of proceedings and in defence they managed to keep Cleck out for the 40 minutes. Admittedly the locals had tired significantly due to the huge effort put in, in the first half. Second half tries followed for Nick Baxter (two), Tim Walsh (two) , prop Reuben Leilau - his first points for the Bees - Adam Billig, Lamb and Paul Knight, back in the side after completing a six match suspension, with Walsh adding three conversions and Lamb one.
At the very end of the match, Davidson once again upset one of the Cleck players, an amateur boxer. Alex, realising the seriousness of a red card stood there and pretty much took about three or four hits to the face showing wonderful willpower. Stitches were required and some how their player escaped with just a yellow card.
All in all, lots of points scored, some sexy rugby in the second half but still lots for the side to work on.
I’ll hopefully see you all in a fortnight up at Otley who coincidently Bees have drawn in the next round at home.
By half time I was probably wondering whether the long journey was worth it as Bees were less than impressive. The first play of the ball yielded a try for the travelling team and to be honest, it should have been a cricket score. Whilst in the forwards Cleck were deceptively strong and going forward in the backs they were impressive, their central defence was woeful at best. Gaping holes were numerous and it would only have taken a different line to unlock the gap and take on the full back. Bees instead decided they would play the hard way. Admittedly we had put out a quite weak side due to countless injuries but it was still a massive cut above the opposition. Bees’ injury crisis doesn’t look to be improving as a number of key players were withdrawn through injury, hopefully just as a precaution.
As I said, the Bees decided they would play it the hard way. After the first try they pretty much fell asleep and lay back as the Yorkshiremen attacked quickly out wide. Some missed tackles and poor rucking allowed Cleck to go 10-8 up at half time after a Tim Walsh three pointer, not exactly from down-town to use a basketball analogy. Going forward in the first half, the Bees were shoddy. Dropped passes and poor kicking meant that few attacks were mounted and a serious desire to horribly over complicate it meant that a few players looked a bit red-faced at times. The “pick of the bunch” being three dreadful short dropouts”.
Alex Davidson looked to have made a few more friends on his travels. Regular brawls seemed to start up in the first half, most with the big man at the core. Some quite vicious rucking appeared to annoy the local fans.
The second half indicated much change. Phil, looking quite angry gave the lads a good talking to and the rugby played seemed to be so much simpler. In the second half, the back division in particular played some stunning attacking rugby with Ryan Lamb at the centre of proceedings and in defence they managed to keep Cleck out for the 40 minutes. Admittedly the locals had tired significantly due to the huge effort put in, in the first half. Second half tries followed for Nick Baxter (two), Tim Walsh (two) , prop Reuben Leilau - his first points for the Bees - Adam Billig, Lamb and Paul Knight, back in the side after completing a six match suspension, with Walsh adding three conversions and Lamb one.
At the very end of the match, Davidson once again upset one of the Cleck players, an amateur boxer. Alex, realising the seriousness of a red card stood there and pretty much took about three or four hits to the face showing wonderful willpower. Stitches were required and some how their player escaped with just a yellow card.
All in all, lots of points scored, some sexy rugby in the second half but still lots for the side to work on.
I’ll hopefully see you all in a fortnight up at Otley who coincidently Bees have drawn in the next round at home.
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