Blackadder’s Come Home with the Silverware!!
On Saturday 30th October, Blackadder’s attended the England Touch Roadshow being hosted by Northallerton Rugby Club and only went and won it!
Blackadder’s had two players making their debut and also a player returning to play after a five year break. It was a great competition, letting players try different positions and put everything from practice into a game situation. The team managed to score a massive 43 tries across the day and only conceded 9! Brilliant defence by everyone.
BA vs Stockton Steelers (6 -3)
First up was Stockton Steelers. It was an unsteady start to the day as the team were finding their feet and getting used to their new playing positions.
MVP: Adam Graham – for his phenomenal work ethic on the game and scoring 2 tremendous tries.
BA vs Durham University (10 -0)
Blackadder’s knew they had to up their game after their first match, especially against a well drilled and pacey team like Durham. This resulted in the moves practiced at training being pulling off in the game and great defence to hold them to a clear sheet. A fantastic performance by all.
MVP: Carl Cockburn – for his non stop running and chat which kept the teams defence and attack flowing.
BA vs Harrogate (5 – 1)
Harrogate, a newly formed touch team started the game strong and had us under pressure from the whistle. This unsettled the team after conceding a try soon after scoring their first, due to a break in our defence. After a firm pep talk at half time Blackadder’s came out and started linking moves and running different lines resulting in some excellent finishes on the wings.
MVP: Cat Palgrave – hard work in defence and constantly shutting the door that Harrogate were banging on to score.
Quarter Finals: BA vs Newcastle Ravens (12 – 0)
Next up was Ravens, in this game the sun was shining and helping dry everyone out after the downpour in the earlier games. This game saw some great lines and pace by Carl and Stu both scoring 4 tries each. The best memory of the game was Mel telling the ref it was a try for sure.
MVP: Stu Armstrong
Semi Finals: BA vs Durham University (3 -2)
Very close game, with Durham increasing the pressure with their dynamic running which was constantly testing the teams defence. There were a lot of penalties by both teams for overstepping the mark when the tiredness was kicking in. Blackadder’s kept their game plan and maintained good chat throughout the game to stop any breakaway tries. Well done guys!
MVP: Aisling Jobson – performance in both attack and defence where she played her socks off. So much for not playing in years!
Cup Final: BA vs Percy Park Pirates (7 -3)
Facing pirates in the final was never going to be an easy fixture, their line attack is very dangerous. Thankfully Blackadder’s defence stood strong as it had all day and only conceded 3 tries to a very well drilled team. 2 intercept tries from Gareth and Stu took the teams tally up to 7-3.
MVP: Lloyd Jones and Mel Castanares – non stop work in defence which kept pirates out
Awards
Captain’s Player: Aisling Jobson – Making her return after 5 year break when you would think she has never been away. Her defence and chat on the pitch was an asset to the team and helped keep everyone right.
Player’s Player: Stuart Armstrong – Had a brilliant day from start to finish totting up 15 tries over the 6 games. The pace and evasive skills were on form today! Well done.
All in all a successful competition with lots of positives and a few things to work on before the next one. 43 tries scored. 9 tries conceded (5 of which were in the last 2 games!). 5 Referee badges. Not a bad day’s work! Thank you and well done to everyone who played.
