In what turned out to be an exhilarating game of rugby, full of challenging and skilful playing by highly charged individuals, had an unfortunate ending for the Alligators, losing by only two trys. They warmed up well and beamed with excitement for their encounter with Selby, a side known to be ruthless and well organised.
Their enthusiastic start quickly gave the Alligators the chance to gain ground and begin playing in Selby territory. Some impressive and accurate kicking sent the ball flying up field, quickly chased up by the Alligators. An unfortunate near try escaped them as the ball fell into touch and deprived the Alligators of claiming try number one. Selby hit back with several ‘forward looking’ passes that eventually gave the Alligators a chance to take possession and bolt for the try line. Once again, they came very close and was stopped just a yard or two from the line by the extra vigilant Selby.
Selby gained the first try of the day after a sneaky ball pass to a fast sprinter waiting out on the wing. The Alligators very nearly caught up and if the pitch had been a couple of yards longer, would have brought the Selby player tumbling down for sure.
The Alligators did a great job at keeping the ball in Selby’s half and retaining possession, but could only hold off Selby for so long before they barged though a lapsed opening and over the try line for a second time. By now, the Alligators were once again suffering with injuries and the temporary loss of two key players didn’t help. Despite the casualty count, the Alligators kept driving forward with immense stamina, winning scrums with perfectly executed balls and accurate passing.
Emotions were running high for the Alligators, going into half time. They were desperate for a turn round and knew they were going to have to work even harder for any chance of getting one. After much perseverance and some pretty cool passing, their chance came with a brilliant pass to the wing and a sudden scurry across the try line.
The Alligators were now working harder than ever, stealing balls at every opportunity, utilising great intercepting techniques and making good ground with excellent mauling and rucking. Yet again, the Alligators found themselves only a yard or so from the try line, desperately fighting to cross the white wash and notch up the trys. Unfortunately, a penalty awarded against them for not releasing prevented what would have been a brave and well earned try.
Possession during this half rested mostly with the Alligators and their ability to turn things round most certainly prevented Selby from walking away with the score line. The final try of the day came from Selby and was perfectly passed out to the wing for a quick short blast over the try line in the top corner, narrowly missing being forced into touch by a dynamic and avenging Alligator in hot pursuit. The Alligators came close to scoring for a third time, just shy of full time, but a knocked-on ball gave the referee no option but to declare a no try.
An eventful and thoroughly enjoyable game could well sum up today’s match. The Alligators’ performance was a remarkable step up from last week’s dreadful onslaught by Driffield. A well focused, better prepared and eagerly enthusiastic team very nearly gave the Alligators victory over Selbly, and if they had, it would have been thoroughly deserved. This was a good result for the Alligators, even though they didn’t win.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Michael Walker for his enthused commitment during today’s game. Despite his six week absence from the squad, Michael showed no mercy and got stuck in to all aspects of the game. His tackling, Michaels’ biggest attribute, was second to none and he was always on the spot to bring his opponent crashing down or high-flying into touch. His superb try and double conversion clearly confirmed his valuable position in the squad.
MATCH SUMMARY:
Try Scorers:
Michael Walker 1
Oscar Cavill 1
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