Beavers Get Back To Fine Form In Fine Style

 

This was more like it from Beverley. After a fairly dismal performance the previous week Beverley RUFC got back to form here and cruised home in fine style. There was nothing at stake for either of these sides but they both went for the win in adventurous fashion. In the end Beverley won the day with as good an afternoon’s running rugby as has been seen at Beaver Park for some time.

They got off to the perfect start. Burnage conceded a penalty for obstruction direct from the kick-off and Phil Duboulay kicked the goal. Beverley were clearly eager to make amends for their previous week’s display and quickly went 17-0 up. Junior Tupai made a clever break in midfield to send Tonci Buzov over and three minutes later some delightful interchanges ended with Joe Pickets touching down. Duboulay added both conversions and after only ten minutes Burnage were already up against it.

For twenty minutes the game slipped slightly into the doldrums. Beverley went off the boil and Burnage started to up their tempo. Several times they threatened the home line with James Hodder proving a particular handful on the wing. But in midfield Burnage could never quite match the finesse or cutting edge of Tupai and Tomasi Tanumi in the Beverley centre and the visitors’ attacks were comfortably dealt with. With time running out in the first half Burnage did at last get going with a try in the corner from Hodder who rounded off a threequarter move going left.

Burnage started the second half briskly but a fly-hack out of defence by Beverley immediately put them on the back foot. Beverley were quickly onto the loose ball and a smart cross kick to Tom Steadman on the Beverley right wing set Tanumi up for Beverley’s third try. After that Beverley more or less cruised along. Tries by Hodder and substitute Andy Ashcroft briefly got Burnage back into the game at 22-15 but Burnage had no sooner got to within a converted try than Duboulay slotted another penalty. After that there was no way back for the visitors.

Beverley were increasingly dominating the forward exchanges. The second row of Paul Steadman and man of the match Aaron Carroll were enormously impressive. Veteran clubman Mark Hatfield coming off the bench put in a spirited stint in the front row where Beverley more than held their own against experienced opponents. The Beverley pack were winning the breakdowns with ease and producing plenty of turnover ball for the backs. James Munro and Duboulay hardly put a foot wrong at halfback as one attack after another swept down on the Burnage line. A half break and looping pass by Duboulay sent Goran Jelencic in at the corner and Munro went over under the posts from a quickly taken James Holland penalty.

Burnage went a man down through a yellow card for flanker Alex Bowen but it made little difference. Beverley continued to press on with some sparkling handling and running which stirred the blood on an increasingly chilly afternoon. It was perhaps fitting that Tanumi should round off the Beverley scoring with the best individual try of the day. Tanumi is a class act when he is on form and he was on form today. He sent one defender after another hopelessly flapping at thin air as he shimmied through the Burnage defence for his second try.

With Duboulay’s two second half conversions Beverley were home and dry at 44-15. Burnage number six Chris Quick did touch down when the ball squirted out of the back of a Beverley scrum near the home line and Hodder converted but by then it was purely academic. This was a good win for Beverley and an enjoyable encounter played in a good spirit throughout by two entertaining sides. Sadly it was the last appearance of the season for Buzov who has been a pillar of strength in the Beverley back row and who now returns to Croatia to play in their forthcoming international.

Final Score: Beverley RUFC 44 Burnage 22 | Reported by John Nursey

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