Sat 16 Mar 2024
Whitchurch v WPRFC
16th March 2024 – Park lose out in second half
Whitchurch 33 – 5 WPRFC
This week Park travelled away to Whitchurch in the return fixture which we narrowly won at home. With Whitchurch sitting 7th in the league this was going to be a tough game away from home. The conditions were good, and the rain looked like holding off for the game. Park needed a good win to secure our position in the league with only two home games left in the league against Douglas and Altrincham Kersal.
With the game underway Park got the early possession but got held up in the tackle which forced a scrum and Whitchurch showed their power and drove Park back, but Park stayed strong defensively and cleared their lines in their first defensive test. Park launched their own attack from a Benny Elliot kick chase, but Whitchurch won the ruck with a good jackal. Park continued to attack and had a good amount of territory and possession in the first quarter, but Whitchurch defended well and Charlie Hyde making a dominant tackle and isolating the player on 15 minutes gave Park an opportunity to kick for the corner with the penalty. Park won the lineout and set up a good driving maul 8 metres out, but Whitchurch indiscipline gave Park another opportunity. Park went for the corner again and won the lineout and set up a maul, but the maul went to ground and Park recycled and unfortunately the pass from Benny Elliot to Cameron Flanagan was judged to be forward and scores stayed at 0-0. Whitchurch won the scrum and recycled the ball but threw a long pass out wide which James Weeks intercepted and touched down, but the Referee was playing advantage and Whitchurch cleared their lines from the penalty. This was a real battle of attrition with both sides having good possession, but unforced errors were stunting attacking opportunities, but Park did have more territory but again could not quite get over the try line. Park continued to fight in every area of the game and both the forwards and backs taking in strong carries, but the Whitchurch cover defence held strong and held out Park even though we had some good spells in their 22. With the first half coming to an end, Whitchurch indiscipline gave away another 10 metres following a penalty and Park went for the corner, but Whitchurch defended well, and half ended in a stalemate on the scoreboard.
Half time score 0 - 0
Park restarted the second half and Whitchurch took the ball into contact and recycled the ball quickly and immediately went wide only for Charlie Hyde to strip the ball in contact to turn defence into attack. With a few good caries we were in the Whitchurch 22 and took a forwards carry in through Ben Cann and James Weeks called for the ball out a wide and Benny Elliot kicked a lovely Crossfield kick for James Weeks to collect in the in-goal area and score the first points of the game on 43 minutes (0-5). Park continued to pressure Whitchurch with good running lines and Whitchurch indiscipline gave Park more territory in first few minutes following the try but following a few decent phases of play in the Whitchurch 22 we were held up over the line and the pressure was released by Whitchurch by Park being offside at the goal line drop out. Whitchurch attacked Park but unfortunately, they went to go wide but kicked for territory and misjudged the kick which went out on the full and gave Park a lineout back on the half way line. The line out was won with Joe Hickey who made yards and tried to keep the ball alive but passed directly to the Whitchurch flanker who turned and broke three tackles to score in the corner (7-5) on 48 minutes. From the restart park gave away a penalty which gave Whitchurch a line out on the Park 10 metre line, the line out was won by the Whitchurch flanker who made a run into the Park 22 and Whitchurch recycled quickly and scored their second try in quick succession (14-5). Whitchurch now had their tails up and scored their third try on 56 minutes with a try following a Park forward pass on the Park 10 metre line and winning the scrum and taking four forward phases they passed out to the centre who ran through the defensive line to score (21-5). Park were now struggling to maintain continuity and errors in decision making were not helping to try and get on the front foot and Whitchurch were taking full advantage of any mistake and on 63 minutes they were in again for a bonus point try following a great run down the wing from a line out with good support to score in the corner (26-5). Park continued to press forward and came close on 70 minutes with a long-floated pass for Charlie Hyde to James Weeks who kicked through but the ball went dead in goal. Whitchurch had one more try on 72 minutes following a forward pass on the Whitchurch 10 metre line by Park, the scrum was won by Whitchurch and the fly half took the ball chipped over the Park defence, regathered the ball and kicked through again and regathered and scored a very good individual try to close out the game (33-5). Whitchurch had one last kick at goal from a penalty but the kick was wide and the game was over.
This was definitely a game of two halves and unfortunately Whitchurch had the better second half feeding off some Park errors but ultimately out scoring Park 5 tries to one.
Final score Whitchurch 33 – 5 WPRFC
Team: Chris Twigg, Benny Elliot, Charlie Hyde, Lewis Pickering, James Weeks, Cameron Flanagan, Richard Hart, Ben Cann, Matt Treacy, Luke Westgate, Joe Hickey, Jarred Lange, Bruce McGrogan, Jake Cornwell, Ross Morrin, Jack Bailie, Frank Gibbons and Frankie Davenport
