Sat 13 Jan 2024
WPRFC v Birkenhead Park
13th January 2024 – Battle of Parks 15 try thriller
WPRFC 43 – 51 Birkenhead Park
This week Park welcomed Birkenhead Park (BP) to Stade de Burrows Hill who are sitting at the top of the table with twelve wins out of thirteen and needed a top performance following the disappointing game last week. The conditions were fine and dry, and it was all set up for a great game of rugby with a reshuffled side and a home debut for 18-year-old Freddie Kenyon.
The game got underway with Park kicking off and BP having the early opportunity, but last pass was dropped 5 metres out from our try line. Both sides wanted to play rugby and it was going to be a very physical game and Nathan Taylor was the first to come off through injury a couple of minutes into the game. On 5 minutes BP had the opportunity and their second row went through to score under the sticks for a converted try (0-7) but injured his shoulder in the process. Park regrouped from this early set back and immediately launched an attack and with quick hands through the backs Charlie Hyde scored an unconverted try with neat line at short range (5-7). BP were on the score board again on 12 minutes with quick hands through the backs to score in the corner for an unconverted try but Ross Morrin had to leave the field through injury (5-12). From the restart, BP launched another attack and again had try number three with a carbon copy of the previous try (5-17). Unfortunately, Lewis Pickering had to leave the field through a blood injury, so our bench was empty in the first quarter of the game. Park needed to regroup again and from the restart we pressured BP in their half and James Weeks read their play like a book and intercepted a pass to the wing and scored under the sticks for a great try (12-17). This was a tough encounter so far and on 20 minutes we were under pressure inside our 22 but indiscipline at the breakdown gave us a penalty to relieve the pressure but Charlie Hyde took a quick tap and off loaded to Dan Williams in the tackle and who passed to Benny Elliot on our 40 metre line and Benny showed his pace to score a great try to take the lead (19-17) which he converted. We extended our lead on 23 minutes with a penalty for BP indiscipline at the ruck from the boot of Benny Elliot (22-17). Park were taking every opportunity and pressured BP to make mistakes and a clearance kick out of our 22 was chased by Charlie Hyde and forced the winger to drop the ball which Charlie quickly gathered only to tackled 5 metres out and off loaded to Sam Blears who was also tackled but the ball was knocked on. BP won the scrum but did not clear to touch and Chris Twigg gathered the ball and saw a gap and put in a great crossfield kick for James Weeks to pick up a score a well-executed bonus point try (29-17). BP showed their resolve and on 36 minutes scored their bonus point try in the corner with quick hands through the backs (29-22). BP finished the half strongly with another try just before half time to level the score (29-29).
Half time score 29 - 29
If the first half was anything to go by then we were in for a thrilling second half! BP restarted the game and immediately got a penalty for Park holding on at the ruck and BP kicked for the corner. Park defended well for a number of phases, but BP scored in the corner when they went on the short side to take the lead (29-34). From the restart BP indiscipline gave Park a penalty and we kicked to the corner, the lineout was won, and the forwards took the ball in for a couple of phases and Frank Gibbons saw an opportunity from close range and scored a converted try to take the lead (36-34). This was certainly a battle with both sides working hard to win this game. BP took the lead again on 46 minutes with another try after pressuring Park in our 22 and with quick hands out through the backs the winger scored and unconverted try (36-39). Park quickly regrouped and launched an attack through Tom King and Dan Williams from the restart which BP did not gather the ball and with quick hands we stretched the BP defence by going wide but they defended well at first then we switched direction and a great pass to Charlie Hyde who split the defence and scored a converted try (43-39). BP continued to pressure Park, but we defended well and there was a 10-minute spell in the game where both sides had possession and territory but just could not finish the game off. On 63 minutes BP took back the lead with another unconverted try (43-44) following a missed tackle in defence. Park worked really hard in defence and attack, but a few errors thwarted scoring opportunities, but this was a tough encounter with neither side backing down. Unfortunately, with just under 10 minutes to go and no bench left an injury to Cameron Flanagan meant we had to finish the game with 14 players and BP pressured Park and scored in the dying minutes from close range (43-51).
This was a tough encounter, but Park stepped up their performance from last week with probably the best performance of the season so far. This was a real team effort and all players put on a great performance for the home crowd and was a thrilling game of rugby.
Final score WPRFC 43 – 51 Birkenhead Park
Team: Chris Twigg, James Weeks, Charlie Hyde, Lewis Pickering, Nathan Taylor, Benny Elliot, Cameron Flanagan, Dan Williams, Matt Treacy, Frank Gibbons, Jarred Lange, Joe Hickey, Ross Morrin, Evan Retief, Tom King, Sam Blears, Bruce McGrogan and Freddie Kenyon
