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The game turned just before half-time when Crossleyans scored two tries while West's Brett Cullinane was sin-binned and then added a third shortly after the interval. But West fought bravely back and their never-say-die attitude was certainly one positive thing to come out of the game.
Broomfield is not a place many sides will enjoy visiting this season and few will come away with any points if today's performance is anything to go by. The defence was outstanding for the majority of the game and flavoured with some Pacific Island tough tackling it will take more attacking flair than West had on offer to break it down. The small pitch offers little opportunity to exploit pace out wide so teams with big packs who like the rolling maul will probably stand the best chance.
Unfortunately for West they couldn't match their hosts in the defensive department with too many missed tackles but the forwards, in particular, must be commended for working tremendously hard in the loose and clearing the rucks very effectively all day. Sadly handling errors and mistakes out wide failed meant this work could not be built upon.
Crossleyans were on the offensive right from the kick-off and West's defence was called into early action. After 6 minutes of pressure they seemed to have finally cleared and moved forward on half-way with a good maul. But when the ball was moved along the backs it went to ground and the sharp home three-quarters pounced on the ball with winger Dan Bancroft racing clear and popping up to to scrum-half James Mallard who got over for the first try of the day converted by Tony Waite.
The hosts were looking really dangerous and West did well not to concede more points early on. The visitors best weapon was attacking around the fringes with the forwards and when it used it was proving potent. On two occasions, after several phases of possession overlaps were created out wide but both times the ball was intercepted along the line and with tackles being missed the mistakes were being capitalised on. Paul Moss was successful with a 29th minute penalty from 40 metres out and although West had come back into the game well they had made few, if any, clear scoring opportunities.
Then followed the key passage of play before half-time. Cullinane was sin-binned for apparent obstruction which was certainly harsh given contact was minimal and the chip ahead was way too long for anyone to catch on to. Crocs capitalised on the man advantage immediately with a pushover try finished by number eight Nafetalai Fusitua and added another 5 minutes later when Luke Bartle crashed in after two scrums were turned over inside the 22.
The second half didn't start much better either with another try coming just 7 minutes in. Again it came from a West mistake with this time Waite intercepting a pass and running 70 metres before delivering a scoring pass to James Wainwright. The made the score 24-3 and the visiting fans began to look at each other with worried expressions!
But West bounced back and launched an all out attack on the Crocs line. Phase after phase was knocked back or struggled to get over the gain line but they didn't give in. Twice they were up to the line and came away with nothing before eventually Martin Todd darted through a gap and stretched to the line. Moss made no mistake with the conversion and West were back in the game. Just before the try the referee had despatched Fusitua to the sin-bin for twice kicking the ball away from the base of the ruck with play less than 5 metres from the try line. He was soon joined by Bartle as he lowered a shoulder and delivered a late hit on Hodgson right under the officials nose.
West needed to capitalise on the 2 man advantage but failed to do so with the only scoring opportunity being a Crossleyans penalty shot which fell well short. With Fusitua restored to the action West finally got within a score thanks to a Jon Boatman try. It came after the forwards made good ground with a rolling maul and several phases of pick and go which was clearly tiring out the Corssleyans pack who had got through a serious amount of tackling. Wallis, on for Moss, made an excellent wide conversion and with just over 5 minutes left to go the game really seemed on.
But Crossleyans played out the time wisely, kicking deep into West territory and besides one threatening break ended by another intercepted pass it didn't ever looked like West would complete the comeback. It had been a valiant effort and if the first try had come 5 or 10 minutes earlier it might have been a different story. There are positives for Stubbs and Co to take from the game though as at a time when the team could easily have given up they fought back strongly and kept the result in doubt right until the final whistle. Well done to Old Crossleyans though who were deserving of victory and hopefully West can avenge the result with the return meeting in March at Brinkburn.
One worrying area were further injuries to add to that of Danny Weegram. Anth Carr suffered a blow to the face and required lengthy treatment on the sideline and Aaron Myers limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury. Hopefully neither injury is too serious and both will be fit for next week's visit of Durham City.
West: Todd, Lambert, Edwards, Hodgson, Hare, Moss (Wallis), Tighe, Carr (Norris), Sawyer, Cullinane, Rudd, Davies, D Boatman (Tones), Myers, J Boatman
Tries: Todd, J Boatman
Cons: Moss, Wallis
Pen: Moss
Sin-bin: Cullinane
Old Crossleyans: Seymour, Wainwright, Bartle, Maitatonga, Bancroft, Waite, Mallard, Seeto, Wheale, Day, Hill, Wood, Riaz, Thomas, Fusitua
Tries: Mallard, Fusitua, Bartle, Wainwright
Cons: Waite 2
Sin-bin: Fusitua, Bartle
Referee: Richard Whelan [Yorkshire Society]
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Author: El Pedro
Date: 17-09-06 09:37
ironically the only instance of fighting wasn't penalised either way or anyone yellow-carded....
of the 3 yellow cards 2 were pretty unlucky...the third for the late tackle left the ref no option
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Author: Dave Picken
Date: 17-09-06 15:04
Once again El Pedro has summed it up very well. We'd have been happy with a draw and will rue not taking the run down the flank by their big No 10 too seriously until it was too late. Even he didnt expect to get as far as he did.
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Author: west girl
Date: 18-09-06 09:26
aaron's Hamstring has a slight tear in it and he will be missing for a couple of weeks.
Everyone else is ok - all a bit stiff and sore yesterday - but it was a very physical game.
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Author: west girl
Date: 18-09-06 12:40
Postage Stamp! - It was short too -In the first 10 mins of the game their stand odd kicked the ball within his own 22 and it landed 10m away from the try line!
They're well adapted and using the space - or lack of it. Unfortunately we didn't adapt as quickly.
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Author: west girl
Date: 18-09-06 12:42
SCH wait til your lads see the changing rooms too - they'll have to get changed in shifts like we did!
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Author: Old Croc
Date: 18-09-06 17:17
Our pitch is not the widest but its not that bad.
Dont thonk you backs would do much on a wider pitch. They kept dropping the ball or passing to our players!
Some of your forwards were pretty useful apart from the stamper!
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Author: El Pedro
Date: 18-09-06 18:05
fair point we threw loads of interceptions....
people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones....did you see the late shoulder charge on our 12???
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Author: Front Row Leg-end
Date: 18-09-06 18:33
Old Croc,
Who do you mean by The Stamper? Would anyone like to take a bet on who he means?
Westgirl, I am arranging for us to take some portable changing facilities to Old Crocs.
From the sounds of it my ambition of a drop goal from half way may not be out of the question.
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Author: Freddie Y
Date: 19-09-06 13:01
Whats that about people in glass houses, small pitch? poor facilities?
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Author: The Emperor
Date: 19-09-06 13:59
What about the Gouger as well? Is that in the true spirit of the game?Not only a person who does not play by the laws of the game but doesn't have the guts to own up to it as well. I think William Webb Ellis would turn in his grave after those efforts. Is the tent for yourself or some of your more rotund rugby support staff.
Even if you did play on a bigger field did you think it would've done you any better. You couldn't even catch the number 10 who is over 16 stone, balding and can't even run. Your bigger forwards would've not been able to get around the field as well on a bigger pitch.
You did have a good scrum though. Except it went in the opposite direction
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Author: west girl
Date: 19-09-06 14:03
There was no gouging - your prop came of with a mark near his eye - when asked if it had been done by a finger he said it must have been - he never saw it!
One of our players said after the game that he had caught him with his boot - not a stamp or a rake - just an accident that occured during the game.
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Author: MikeyBoy
Date: 19-09-06 14:17
i don't think anyone has said "west lost because old crocs have a narrow pitch"
a lot of comments have mentioned the fact that Crocs played well
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Author: The Observer12321
Date: 19-09-06 14:33
What do you mean the gouger. I dont supose you seen your kiwi No.8 try to drop jonny because he couldnt get the ball off him in a 1-on-1 tackle, so he sucker punched him in the ribs. And the 6 was doing it all day punching anth carr causing him to be treated for a gash under the left eye!
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Author: El Pedro
Date: 19-09-06 14:58
blah blah blah...
crocs - don't see what you have to be moaning about....you won...and that's that
this board is all about opinions but in the end all that counts is the result and that goes in your favour this time....
looking forward to the re-match....
time to forget about this game and move on...
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Author: uncle chufty
Date: 19-09-06 15:34
its fairly clear that the west hartlepool backs are on a pie diet if they cant catch a 16 stoner forward on a narrow field - they wouldnt have had a chance if the field was wider - they would have had further to go to get to him on a wider field!!!
come on people do the maths... on a smaller field you dont have to go as far to make [or miss] your tackle.
narrower field makes a denser defence so your defence would have been woefully inadequate if the field had been any wider - you should be thankfull if was a narrow field :oD
and WPA - id probably take the negatives from it if i was you.... safer bet that way
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Author: The Umpa Lumpa
Date: 19-09-06 17:08
"Oh well he done this to such and such"
"Yeah but he done this to him"
"Yeah that was only because that fella done that"
Bla bla bla bla bla, this, that and the other. Shut up whinging. You sound like a couple of children in a headteachers office after a fight :-|
Down on paper Westies, Old Crocs 24 West 17
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Post Edited (19-09-06 17:11)
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Author: Bud the Croc
Date: 19-09-06 19:22
Thanks to El Pedro for an excellent match report (more than Crocs site can offer at moment!).
Sounded like a cracking game and looking forward to re match..
Was working away so missed it.
16 stone is nowhere near big enough for a Crocs number 10 ( we used to number the "proper" way round with 8,9,10 being the front row). Used to work a treat on visiting fly halves before a game to see me or Thomo senior run out, slowly in my case.
As a prop I always appreciated the modest but beautifully manicured acreage of Broomfield.
All the best for the season guys and looking forward to visting your place.
Will be nice to have some good stoppers- we might even start singing after the game and by your opposite number a few beers.
Ahh! The good old days........
Yours in Sport,
THE BUDMEISTER.
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Author: MikeyBoy
Date: 20-09-06 08:47
uncle chufty - "its fairly clear that the west hartlepool backs are on a pie diet if they cant catch a 16 stoner forward on a narrow field - they wouldnt have had a chance if the field was wider - they would have had further to go to get to him on a wider field!!!"
general rule for cracking jokes... if you have to explain it, its not funny.
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Author: west girl
Date: 20-09-06 09:56
Take the positives too:-
1) Coming back from 24-3 down - not long ago we'd have given up.
2) Forwards were superb - definately the better on the day.
3) Discipline - there we're some cheap shots but we mainly kept our heads.
4) Depth of squad - Wallis for Moss, Tones for Myers, Norris for Carr - it's
not worrying anymore.
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Author: Supercodhead
Date: 20-09-06 12:08
id be worried if some big fat bloke can run the length of the touchline and score>>we are not exactlky at our best [yet] but cant see our lads letting that happen
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NEXT FIXTURE
Durham City
VENUE
Away ko 2.15
DATE
November 22nd
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