Dalesmen beaten but not down-hearted

The final warm-up match ahead of the new league season ended in a 28 points to 12 defeat at the hands of North league One outfit, Cleckheaton. The big disappointment of the day was the cancellation of the second XV’s league fixture at Cleckheaton with the “two’s” raring to go into their new league season.

Cleck came to Ilkley wanting a victory to propel themselves confidently into their league One campaign, having had a disappointing season last year. They came to Stacks field with an array of experienced players throughout the side, many having seen league rugby much higher up the echelons over the years. The variety of senior club socks on show was testimony to that.

Ilkley are rebuilding a side shorn of the highly talented trio of Liam Frost, Jim McBirnie and Jack Shaylor, all of whom are exploring new levels of rugby. The already solid pack is strengthened by the arrival of Duncan Sayers and Gavin Reddern up front. Last season’s ever-present prop John Cooksey and full-back Stuart Vincent, are recovering from hernia repairs. So it was a relatively new look Ilkley side versus the grizzled and experienced Cleckheaton.

Referee Mr Les Foulger is no stranger to Stacks Field. He has always applied the laws precisely without being pedantic, so it would be interesting to assess his interpretation the new ELV’s which have caused so much controversy in the RFU clubs. A current poll on the club’s website is coming out against them. Certainly the pile of bodies at the bottom of mauls pulled down was not pretty and the 5 metres behind the back foot law was difficult to police. The jury is out on this one!

The game itself had lots of good qualities, and certainly the Dalesmen were right in the mix until mid way through the last quarter, when Ryan Duckett added a solo try from inside his own half to take the score to 28 – 12.

Ilkley were under pressure early on but held out until Cleck engineered a big gap in midfield after several phases following a penalty conceded on the 22. 7 - 0 down the Dalesmen might have wilted but they regrouped and took the game back to Cleck. However a spate of uncommon missed tackles put more pressure on the home side, Mr Foulger saving the day in correctly refereeing over robust use the leading arm on two occasions.

There were plenty of good things too. The aggression of Dan Wright and his second row partner Reiner Botha helped make good ground and Jonny Shanks, making the most of his elevation to first team duties, was asking questions of the Cleck defence. Andy Cromack made one superb tackle to give confidence in his defensive abilities.

With 5 minutes of the half to go, Jonny Shanks (cut eye) and new scrum half Adam Faulkner gave way to Charlie Cudworth and another new scrum half, Jimmy Lee.

The Dalesmen finished the half strongly with Simon Smith making one tremendous break which produced a Cleck scrum right on their line. The ball came back untidily and the Cleck scrum half fumbled to allow Jimmy Lee to score to level the match at the interval.

Coach Pratt has reverted to the changing rooms for his half time talk and it seemed like an age before the home side reappeared for the second half.

Things started badly for the Dalesmen. Lee’s clearance kick was returned with a delicate chip into the box, and with no one at home the Cleck winger was able to gather and sprint in for a try to make it 7 – 14.

Ilkley’s woes continued as they lost the irrepressible Stuart Brewer to a shoulder knock. The ageless BJ Fowler replaced Botha. Cleck also rang the changes.

Cleck’s replacement centre, a big Samoan with National league experience battered his way over to extend the score to 21 – 7.

To their credit the Dalesmen battled back and, after a hack through they had a 5 metre scrum. From the second phase Lee battled his way over for a consolation try to make it 12 – 21.

Then Duckett added his try to give the visitors a victory they both deserved and, probably, were entitled to expect.

The prognostication for new campaign is cautiously optimistic, particularly and unusually as Peter Shanks couldn’t get his boots working in the kicking department, 4 shots at goal going wide of the posts, but this week’s trip to Sandal for the first league match of the season will ask questions. Let’s hope the Dalesmen and their coaching team have the answers.

Supporters should note that the first big away trip of the season is to Carlisle on 27^th September. The supporters’ bus will depart at 11.15 a.m. Anyone wanting to travel should contact either John Hope or Ken Bernard.

The players too face longer journeys to away games and, in the majority of cases, the coach will return to get the players back so not to disrupt family and social life beyond that experienced in their Yorkshire league campaigns. The harbingers of doom make much of the travel problem, but the club do not think it will be disruptive to the players’ Saturdays and stress that the opponents also have to come to Ilkley by the same distances!

For details of home and away matches look out for the ad which will appear every week in the bottom right hand corner of this page.

Dalesmen look good in trial by Brods

Photo’s from Saturdays trial game, Ilkley 1^st XV vs Old Brods 1^st XV have now been uploaded to the Ruggerpix site.To view follow the link and click on rugby.www.image-and-style.co.uk

Ilkley Rugby Club’s first competitive run out in preparation for the new season ended with a satisfying win over last season’s dream destroyers, Old Brodleians. Brods knocked the Dalesmen out of two trophies, the EDF Vase at quarter finals and the Yorkshire Shield at semi finals. They were unbeaten champions of Yorkshire league two and came to Ilkley harbouring high hopes of emulating that feat in Yorkshire league one. They fielded a young side with a few notable absentees from their all-conquering heros. Ilkley were in a similar position, with a few absentees too. One thing was for certain, neither side wanted to lose. Consequently the game was played out with typically uncompromising rugby.

Referee Jason Bryan was the man in charge of applying the new ELV’s (new laws) for the first time in a competitive Ilkley match. They were applied largely unnoticed, although Brods’ penultimate try was created with the space that 5 metres behind the back foot gives the attacking side. Additionally, one of the Dalesmens’ potent attacking weapons of last season, the solid drive and maul off the lineout was pulled down 3 or 4 times to stop what last season may have produced a score. However players seem to have adapted well to the new laws. The jury remains out as to whether they are fixing something that wasn’t broken or whether they are making the game more open and fluid.

The Dalesmens’ starting line up had a somewhat different look to that of last season with the departure of Shaylor, Frost and McBirnie to pastures new, but there were new faces on view too. The starting XV were Ian Moffatt, Pete Turner, Andy Cromack, Peter Shanks, Simon Smith, Phil Howells, Adam Faulkner, Gavin, Jon Hutchinson, Josh Cockerham, Reiner Botha, Dan Wright, Stuart Brewer, Jonny Shanks. Rob Maclennan, Duncan Sayers and Jimmy Lee were second half replacements. Coach Hamish Pratt has clearly worked hard to gel a new look squad into a cohesive unit in the build up and the players themselves have clearly worked hard on their fitness and skill levels.

The game itself was hard, fast and sometimes furious. The Dalesmen powered their way into a 20 – 0 lead before being pegged back to 20 – 7 just before half time.

Perhaps the defining moment came with only 10 minutes gone after both sides had threatened to score. The Brods’ right winger looked to all intents to have scored in the corner but great defensive work by Moffatt and Turner saved the score and Ilkley went on to grab the opener. Cromack found an acre of space in the centre to touch down. Shanks had his metronomic kicking boots on and he added the conversion to that try and further scores from a forward drive from a well worked and driven lineout and 2 penalties.

Play became somewhat ragged after the break with both sides, perhaps feeling the effects of the hot humid afternoon, making unforced errors and conceding unnecessary penalties. The Dalesmen conceded one try forged out of hard work through five Brods’ phases, but only after one of those unforced errors allowed Brods to have the ball.

Shanks added another penalty to make it 23 – 12 before Turner and Jonny Shanks capitalised on great work by Brewer to put the young Cumbrian in for a great try. His brother’s boot let him down for once as the kick floated wide.

Ilkley maintained their dominance but let their guard slip in the final minutes as Brods pressed their line through several good phases. A try was scored after a loose ball was not effectively dealt with. The Dalesmen held on and came out on top of an entertaining prelude to what will be a challenging season. The final score, 28 – 19.

The second XV travelled to Baildon to take on what was to all intents their 1^st XV.

After a stalemate torpid first half the Dalesmen turned on the style in the second half and came out winners by the same score as their 1^st XV colleagues. Notably Callum Gillon making his senior debut scored two tries from the wing with Ollie Coughlan playing a cameo role at fly half. The seconds  too will face a challenging season but with the wise old heads of nick Bell, Sean Gilbert and Stuart Nesbit taking a close interest both on and off the field this team will provide the youngsters of the club and ideal platform to ready themselves for the senior side.

Thoughts now move on to this Saturday when the second XV start their league campaign at Cleckheaton. Cleck’s 1^st team squad will pass them en route as they come to Stacks field for the final trial game before league rugby begins on September 13^th with a formidable trip to last season’s Yorkshire league one champions Sandal.