Halifax Irish Rugby League

Latest Match Report

Sunday 9th Dec 2007

Irish 42 West Bowling 32

Irish played host to West Bowling on Sunday with only 8 players & went behind to a try & goal from Bowling due to slack tackling but they responded well with Tom Fryer bursting thro’ & with Josh Stephenson tagging on the extras the scores were locked at 6-6. Bowling scored again with a well worked try, with no conversion they led 10-6. Jack Bruce was causing the Bowling defence all manner of problems & it was fitting he was to score the next Irish try when he powered his way thro’ several would be tacklers. Tom Fryer added the conversion to make the score 12-10 to the Irish. The big Irish forwards were making great inroads into Bowlings half time & time again even though they were playing uphill with Kieran Baxter & Bradley Rhodes leading the way, but it was Bowling who scored next when the Irish thought they had the player tackled but he slipped out to score a good try (concentration boys) the kick at goal was good & Bowling led 16-12 at half time.

Irish now had the advantage of the slope & used it to great effect when Lewis Amos scored a great try & Jack Bruce adding the extras - Irish led 18-12 . Irish were beginning to dictate the game now with the forwards making the hard yards thro’ Adam Knapton & Kieran Baxter proving a handful down the slope & the backs providing the jinking runs. It was Josh Stephenson who scored next outpacing the Bowling defence, the kick at goal was missed as it was with the next 2 tries scored by the Irish thro’ Tom Fryer & another by Josh Stephenson. This pushed the score up to 30-16 to the Irish. Bowling showed they weren’t going to lie down & scored 2 tries of their own & with 1 conversion they cut the deficit to 30-26. Again back came the Irish & with Lewis Amos scoring a great individual try, with Tommy Lovelady kicking the extras the Irish led 36-26.

Again a little lack of concentration let Bowling score again to narrow the gap, but Irish were not to be denied their victory & it was Tom Fryer who got the last try & his hat-trick with another excellently worked team try. With Adam Knapton tagging on the extras in only his 3rd ever game of Rugby the final score was 42-32 to the Irish. A great result for the boys with only 8 players against a good physical West Bowling side who played with 9 players.

Try scorers for the Irish: Tom Fryer-3, Lewis Amos-2, Josh Stephenson-2, Jack Bruce-1

Conversions for the Irish: Josh Stephenson, Tom Fryer, Jack Bruce, Tommy Lovelady, Adam Knapton

Man of the match- Tom Fryer, Coaches award- Jack Bruce, Top tackler- Adam Knapton.

Coaches	Stuart Varley	01422 836466 07786 836069
	Graham Horner	07792 175222
	Daniel Brown	01422 831346 07948 336182
Denotes First Aider