Beverley Braves Earn Famous Victory Over West Hull

With five new players in recent weeks, Beverley Braves under 13s are now starting to gel with those new lad’s fitting into a team that was always competitive but is now capable of testing the best teams at this age group.

Unbeaten West Hull were the visitors to Beverley on an overcast Sunday morning, but they were to go home with their first defeat after a solid display of rugby league in both defence and attack from the Braves.

Things did not look so good from the kick off with a misunderstanding in the Beverley ranks resulting in a dropout, but this was to trigger the first display of great team spirit with a solid wall of blue and gold soaking up everything Wests could throw at them.

Defensively this brought the likes of Will Swainston and George Bennett-Teare to the fore but there was also some chances with the ball in hand, notably Henry Hughes putting Archie Murdoch into space with the Wests cover tackling him into touch. With eleven minutes on the clock, West Hull got the breakthrough and with the conversion, they led 6-0. Marcus Walker restarted the game with a long kick off, and it was Wests turn to mess it up watching the ball bounce out of touch in goal.

From the resulting drop out West Hull decided to go short but this was fielded safely by Will Wallis, who then beat several defenders and managed to somehow stretch out a hand for a fantastic score in the right-hand corner. With Jack Turner stroking over the touchline conversion over it was back at 6all.

The Braves visibly grew in confidence with Dan Tree taking the ball up well and Ethan Rowbotham showing some neat touches at hooker and this confidence led to another try after Wests conceded two quick penalties.

Tree passed out to Wallis, who crashed over in the right-hand corner again to give Beverley the lead for the first time at 10-6. Defences remained on top for the rest of the half despite the introduction of Kai Johnson on the Beverley side, who used all his size and aggression to gain great field position and the hard defensive work of Ollie Gresswell. Full back Ben Hodder chased all the kicks to help close down any potential West Hull attacks, and his was ably assisted in this by wing Harry Vorwerg. With just seconds left in the first half a speculative West Hull kick led to a converted try, and they turned around at the end of the half with a slender 10-12 lead.

The second half brought a few changes in the Beverley ranks with Nathan Dixon dropping into the hooking role allowing Rowbotham a little more freedom to run from second row. Dixon’s handling was such that the change was not noticeable. Matt Brown also came on to the field as part of the forward rotation adding his weight to the defensive effort.

Whoever scored next would be crucial and when it came it was a real forwards try, Johnson knocking defenders out of the way with a huge drive down the middle before Tree picked up in the same vein to score under the sticks, Walker’s conversion, and it was the Braves back in the lead at 16-12.

Confidence was now sky high in the Beverley ranks, and the next set of six provided the killer blow, four drives and then the Braves shifted the ball right. Walker drew his man, and his perfectly timed pass put a rampaging Wallis in acres of space. He passed outside to the supporting speedster Vorwerg, who was dragged down just 10 metres short.

Walker took the ball at first receiver, and his cross field kick found the West Hull defence wanting allowing Murdoch to collect and dive over for another converted score to make it 22-12. West Hull kicked off only to find the secure arms of Adam Ramsden, who had a solid game on the left wing – unfortunaltely for him, all the fun was happening on the right today – and he took the ball up well.

Whilst it was time to consolidate the lead with less than 10 minutes left on the clock Beverley were still going to take their chances if the came along, and it was Vorwerg, who outpaced the West Hull cover, again on the right to race 60 metres to score. Turner, playing well out of position at scrum half after a late withdrawal due to illness added the extras, and it seemed Beverley were home and dry at 28-12.

More hard work in defence was to follow as West Hull tried to get back in the game, and they eventually found a way over the line in the last minute to make the final score 28-18.

A famous victory for Braves with Vorwerg and Wallis named joint men of the match – a difficult decision when all the lads in blue and gold could have won the award such was the quality.

Final Score: Bevelrey Braves 28 West Hull 18