Young bloods make the difference

Heath 2nd XV got their league season underway with a home game against Ossett 2nd XV on a lovely, warm, sunny afternoon. Heath had 24 players available to play. Heath started on the front foot and took the game to the opposition. Ossett were under pressure and gave away 3 kick-able penalties in or around their own ‘22’ within the first 8 minutes. However, Heath were unable to convert any of the kicks and the score remained 0 – 0. Young second row Jack RABY was making some good, powerful runs and Heath eventually opened the scoring in the 12th minute with centre, Eddie CARTWRIGHT converting from in front of the posts. 3 – 0 Ossett came back into the game and took the option of an attacking 5 metres scrum from a penalty awarded by referee, Richard LEACH. They won the ball but the outside half dropped the ball as he crossed the line under pressure from the Heath defence. Heath won the resulting scrum and cleared their lines. After 20 minutes, Peter BIRKETT increased the lead to 6 – 0 with another straightforward penalty. There then followed a number of changes to the home sides’ personnel to allow all players to have game time. Heath seemed to lose their shape slightly and the Ossett forwards then started to get the upper hand over the home ‘8’ and Heath were starting to struggle at set pieces. Heath continued to ring the changes. Ossett gained a foothold in the Heath ‘22’ and pressure built considerably for quite some time. Eventually the Heath defence was breached and Ossett scored an unconverted try. 6 – 5 after 39 minutes. The half time followed shortly afterwards. Half time: Heath 6 v 5 Ossett. The second half started with Ossett continuing where they had left off at the end of the first period, they were awarded a penalty some 25 metres out and the kicker made no mistake. 6 – 8. Ossett continued to dictate matters and increased their lead after 65 minutes with another penalty. 6 – 11. Young scrum half, Michael REYNOLDS was sin-binned as a result of the penalty. Again Heath were continually making changes in the second half and they were unable to get any attacking momentum going at all being on the back foot during the second half. Ossett further increased their lead with another penalty after 70 minutes. 6 – 14 After 79 minutes, Heath were reduced to 14 men when second row, Michael STEAD, was sent off for an offence when entering a ruck. In injury time, Ossett scored their second try which was converted just before the referee brought the game to an end. Final score: Heath 6 v 21 Ossett The Heath squad included 6 players from last seasons Under 17’s, all of whom acquitted themselves well against a bigger, much more experienced Ossett side. The Heath defence was under almost constant pressure for the last 55 minutes of the game and it is testament to their defensive qualities that the opposition only scored 2 tries. The returning Kristian GARLAND had an excellent game in the back row both in attack initially and then in defence but Man of the Match awards go to a couple of the youngsters. In the forwards, Jack RABY, who played with his father Karl during the game, never took a backward step and got stuck in throughout. In the backs, Michael REYNOLDS was under pressure at both set pieces and in the loose but dealt with the situation well for someone of tender age in only his second senior game.