Harrogate 12 Loughborough Students 25

Harrogate did have a much changed team with only 2 players in the same starting positions as last week. However, the overall performance was something they would like to forget.

Harrogate started by efficiently driving and recycling good ball but, in the 2nd minute, a loose pass was intercepted by Loughborough winger, Phil Burgess who cantered over to score. Ryan Peacey then broke strongly from a scrum and set up a promising Harrogate attacking move. Loughborough went offside and Mike Aspinall kicked a penalty to make it 3-5 after 5 minutes.

Loughborough stretched their lead further when No8, Mike Macfarlane pounced on a loose ball from another Harrogate defensive handling error. He waltzed through the non-existent blind side defence to score their 2nd try. An even period of play followed in spite of Harrogate continually surrendering possession. Player after player made a mess of dealing with Loughborough kicks.

The students’ scrum half, Henry Prygos had an impressive game and was the next to score from a penalty although Aspinall quickly replied in kind to make it 6-13. Harrogate badly fumbled the resulting Loughborough restart and flanker, Jamie Cullen restored their 12 point lead. A 3rd Aspinall penalty made the half time score 9-18 and, with the breeze and the slope to look forward to in the second half, all did not seem lost.

Harrogate did marginally improve after the break. Loughborough were subjected to some 20 minutes of Harrogate pressure but their only reward was another Aspinall penalty. There was an element of luck in Loughborough’s final try as it came from loose ball created by an unseen high tackle. Winger, Kristain Cook picked up and sprinted 50 metres to score the bonus point winning try, converted by George Drake.

Harrogate
McGee, Ellis, Bottomley, Dench, Broadley, Aspinall, Robinson, Browne (Metcalfe 56), Yorke, McMillan (Wilson 66), Burns (Heaton 56), Lewis, Beck, Spence, Peacey

Loughborough Students
Weir, Burgess, Lambden, Munro, Cook, Drake, Pyrgos, Steadman, Sweeney, Berry Wardon, Aston, Hughes, Cullen, Macfarlane.

Referee
Mick Reid (RFU)