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RIPLEY RHINOS 1st XV 29 - 39 HOPE VALLEY 1st XV
FRIENDLY
Saturday 18th January 2003
Ripley hosted Hope Valley in a friendly for Rhino’s first home game for three months. Ripley had a much-changed side and let that unfamiliarity affect them from the kick off. Inside ten minutes there were 12-0 behind and second best at everything. Slowly they clawed their way back into offering the impressive Hope Valley team some competition - the lineout functioning effectively with Carl Whitley’s throwing ensuring his side won the majority of their ball, and Craig Culshaw and Andy Ryan’s aggression stealing some of the visitors. Scrum half Matt Jones began to click with his fly half Roger Morgan in their third game together on the trot, and offer opportunities for full back Steve Harrison to show his pace and stretch Hope Valley. Ripley’s improvement continued with skipper Dave Trubee notching a penalty from 20 metres to reduce the deficit. Hope Valley still had fluidity in attack and scored another try to increase their lead to 17-3 after twenty-five minutes. Rhinos then improved their defence until half time and used their attacking guile, prompted by Morgan, to pressure the Hope Valley line. The hosts got their first try when Trubee’s astute chip was chased down by Harrison whose physical presence put off his opposite number, causing him to spill the ball inches from his own line, leaving Trubee following-up to pick up and score under the posts, which he converted. Hope Valley hit back with another well-worked try but Ripley scored their best try of the afternoon on the stroke of half time - lineout ball won on the Hope Valley ten metre line was driven twenty metres - then Morgan drew the defence onto him before releasing his pass to the onrushing Gareth Roebuck whose pace and straight angle of running saw him scythe through the visitors to score under the posts, which he converted.
This left the score 22-17 to the visitors at half time. Ripley upped their game more in the third quarter of the match, being camped in the Hope Valley half for almost all of it. Pressure from a scrum saw the Castleton based side gift Trubee his 11th try of the season as he picked up and scored from three metres, with Morgan converting, putting Ripley 24-22 ahead. Rhinos monumental effort in taking the advantage in the game began to tell on their tiring legs and Hope Valley broke through to score another converted try. Ripley had to chase the game and a quick drop out led to another visitor try - leaving them 36-24 ahead. Ripley weren’t quite finished as an attack that saw the ball through six sets of hands put Roebuck away for his 4th try of the season but it was too late to change the outcome of the game. Hope Valley kicked a penalty just before the end to leave themselves 39-29 winners but knowing they had been pressed all the way.
Ripley played
appallingly for the first 15 minutes, were always a man short and yet almost conjured
a win from this game through spirit and no little quality rugby. The opposition
side, and referee, must be applauded for their attitude throughout and making
such an exciting match. Rhinos hope to repeat the effort but change the outcome
when AEI Rugby travel from Warwickshire this Saturday for a 2pm kick off at Mill
Hill.
Ripley are still on the lookout for players of any ability, of either sex, who are interested in playing - ring 07816 779018 for more details.