YATTON R F C  - WESTERN COUNTIES (NORTH) League

Media Contact – Tony Watkins Tel/Fax 01275 – 875944 E-Mail ‘anthonywwatkins @ exchange.uk.com’

 

Saturday 7th January 2006 (League Match)

 

Yatton        vs      Bristol Harlequins

               

      11                            22     

 

Yatton Scorers     - Pen Try. Pens. S Osborne 2

 

The game boiled down to competition between Bristol Harlequins ability in line-outs against Yatton’s edge in the scrum.

 

Around the park the teams were generally evenly matched in both rucks and mauls and  basic errors, but Harlequins finished off more effectively in the first half.

 

At 10 minutes from a line-out within the home sides 22, Barry Stone received the final pass ad touched down under the posts, giving Chris Page an easy conversion.

 

At the end of the first quarter, the defensive error of a knock-on in open play gave Yatton the chance for a pushover try. After repeated infringements a penalty try was eventually awarded but the conversion was missed.

 

With 10 minutes to go before half-time, Harlequins entered their purple patch. Page’s drop-gaol was followed minutes later by a try from the swift feet of Scott Manning after Yatton’s defence had committed the identical error of Harlequins 20 minutes earlier.

 

Page converted, and in the dying seconds of first half stoppage time, Mark Ralph finished off an overlap, with Yatton’s defence committed against another Manning breakthrough making the half-time score 5-22.

 

Yatton changed two players at half-time and within minutes Sam Osborne slotted a penalty.

 

As the game’s tempo increased, Harlequins were forced to defend heavily and had a player yellow-carded, with Osborne’s second penalty giving Yatton further hope.

 

At 70 minutes tempers momentarily flared as a ginger rage took over, but Harlequins defence held while Yatton suffered from selecting wrong options and found themselves under pressure at the end.

 

Yatton 1st XV do not have a League Fixture this Saturday.

Saturday 21st January sees them at home against North Bristol.