Rugby Union: Crusaders put their shirts on victory

WHOEVER won this game would have been wearing Keighley shirts as the visiting team arrived without any kit and had to borrow the Crusaders' change strip.

Before the game started a minutes silence was held by the players and supporters for Gilbert Swift (a much respected man who will be much missed by all the members and players).

The Crusaders, again due to illness of various players, had to use one of their forwards in the backs. Darren Ideson (normally a backrow forward) stepped into the stand off position. It was this player in the first five minutes who gave a good pass out which helped to open up the way for Duncan Grant to feed Michael Philips on the left wing to force his way over for a good try. The conversion was missed by Simon Atkin.

Keighley looked a much stronger side than last week with the experienced forward Simon Atkin returned to the fray. Also Martin Uren was back at scrum half chivvying his forwards. It looked as if the Crusaders were going to have the game sewn up in the first quarter, but poor finishing was often their downfall.

Crossleyans came back into the game with some fine kicking by one of their centres and fullback who pegged the Crusaders back in their own 22 area. To their credit the Crusaders managed to win at least seven lineouts on the trot, but weak kicking out of defence gained little or no ground. At last the forwards took it upon themselves to carry the ball out of defence.

Snipping runs by Uren were creating chances for Keighley and telling runs by Atkin and Inman made it look as if the Crusaders would score again. To Crossleyans' credit they defended well holding prop Steve Hargreaves up short of the line. The ball was then released to Uren who fed Andi McGill playing on the right wing who, despite his slight stature, managed to break through three tacklers to touch down for a try. Again the conversion was missed.

For the last five minutes of this half the Crusaders were pressing for a try and had three attempts from set scrums to drive the Crossleyans' pack back over the try line, but the control was poor and Crossleyans relieved their line when they were awarded a penalty.

After half-time Crossleyans played their trump card by convincing the referee that he should make the scrums un-contested as they said that one of their props did not normally play in that position. This was only five minutes after holding three scrums back on their own line. This now gave their young back line, who were obviously their strength, free balls from their own put in at scrums. The Crusaders decided to keep the ball as much as possible to the forwards, and Atkin, Inman and Scott kept driving the ball forward at all opportunities. Leigh Sugden, playing in the back row, was enjoying playing with these experienced players, and they were also happy to give the lad with the younger legs a chance to run into the heart of the opposition. Simon Atkin, on one of his powerful runs, had the ball knocked from his hands as he was about to dot the ball down for a try, but he was not to be denied when he scored a try wide out only minutes later. He was unable to convert his own try.

From one of the static set scrums the Crossleyans' stand off broke and fed the right wing who looked as if he would score, but the covering defence pulled him down short of the line. The Crusaders looked as if they had quelled the attack but a poor clearance kick gave the Crossleyan's stand off who had followed up chance to gather the ball. He caught the back tracking defence flat footed and crossed for a try under the posts. This try was easily converted. It looked as if the game was about to take a change for the worse for the Crusaders as the Crossleyans' backs were obviously looking to run the ball at every opportunity against the tiring Keighley side, but a try saving tackle by Simon Shiner lifted the rest of his team's efforts to continue for the last few minutes of the game in a positive and attacking mood.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.