Hull Ionians Hawks  10 Otley A 38

What a difference a day makes; from a frozen pitch impenetrable to a garden fork dropped from the dizzy height of 30 cm to a quagmire; from having a full team plus a couple of replacements to calling upon the Ramblers to shore up the front row and mixing and matching the players to fill 15 shirts. Who would be a second XV manager? The peerless Dave Wilson, that’s who, (he even filled in as the replacement.) Not that Otley were any better, turning up with a bare 15.
Those players who did turn out produced an entertaining match. The weather was against it being a festival of running rugby, which was just as well as both teams were top heavy with forwards, but an absorbing encounter ensued that a spluttering Otley side won with a flattering margin 38 – 10.
Otley made their intentions plain from the outset, driving the ball up the field through the forwards, re-cycling and driving again. They were frustrated by an outstanding Ionians defence, who countered with some sterling work from the back row and scrum half Rob Owen. Otley were the first to score, for once moving the ball down the backs to stretch the Ionians defence and utilising quickly delivered second phase possession to score an unconverted try. Back came the Hawks with the forwards matching their opponents, Rich McKay gaining reward for some bullocking runs with a try. A further Otley try brought the half to a close, and the sparse crowd witnessed the extraordinary spectacle of the Otley team running off to the changing rooms! Where do they get these ideas from!
Otleys’ quest for warmth did them little immediate good as Ionians laid siege to the Otley line and they levelled the scores with my MOM, Tim Wilson, capitalising on confusion in the opposition defence to touch down for a try. From the kick off Ionians went straight back into the Otley 22 but an attempted drop goal was charged down and Otley harried the ball up to the Ionians line to score. That was the seminal moment of the game. The deflated Ionians side could not raise their game and a rejuvenated opposition created another couple of good scoring chances to take the game away from the Hawks.
There was much to admire in the game. For Ionians the forwards strove manfully all afternoon and the back row quartet of debutant Will Smyth, Tim Wilson, Phil Stockton and Rich McKay, worked themselves to a standstill. Rob Owen marshalled the forwards well and sniped and harried relentlessly, Danny Bates enjoyed demonstrating his tackling technique, and youngsters Mike Meluish and James Baron acquitted themselves well. The intensity, commitment and sportsmanship from both sides was impressive. What the organisation and skill levels on display says about National 1 and 3 is another matter entirely.

PS. Otley team dress although unusual was quite beguiling!