National Division One

Wharfedale 28 Lydney 33

There were thrills and spills aplenty at Threshfield as a much-changed Wharfedale side traded points with their West Country visitors, and with the lead changing hands no fewer than seven times there was always going to be an element of luck in determining which side would finish ahead after 80 minutes, writes Keith Lewis.

Lydney certainly had their share as they survived a torrid finale and a succession of six penalties under their posts to leave the Greens still looking for their first win of the season.

The Severnsiders have strengthened their side in the close season by recruiting fly-half Lee Osborne from neighbours Berry Hill and introducing several other local conscripts in their threequarters. However it was their tightly drilled pack which caused the Dalesmen most problems, tipping the balance of the game by adding an extra 10 per cent to their rightful share of possession at set pieces and breakdowns and proving as difficult to stop as a 16-legged armadillo whenever they burrowed upfield.

Make no mistake though this was a vastly improved Wharfedale display and one which perhaps deserved a better final outcome. With ex-Harlequin David Pears in impressive form on his debut the Greens seem to have assembled a back division capable of taking on the best in the league.

The forwards too had their moments, if not quite in the same collective sense as Lydney certainly in terms of individual skill and effort.

Open-side Hedley Verity, a young veteran of 117 league games, made an outstanding contribution -- as did hooker John Lawn and that locomotive lock David Lister who steamed through for the game's most spectacular try. Newcomer Craig Ingram looked a solid inclusion at tight-head and showed why his former college has invited him to take part in the European University Championships in December.

If at times the Greens' effort looked a little disjointed it is perhaps small wonder -- an unprecedented epidemic of injuries and unavailability has meant that no fewer than 31 players have turned out for the 1st XV during September, including three different captains!

In a reshuffled back division Adam Mounsey was the only player to retain his position from the previous week and he went on to achieve the remarkable distinction of scoring in every one of the last 50 Wharfedale league games -- a sequence which started on November 16, 1996, at Havant and which has brought him 467 points. Centre Jonathan Davies returned from injury, Pears and winger Ben Whitfield started their first league games for the Greens and scrum-half Graham Smith continued after coming on as a replacement at Morley. Kiwi Michael Hayes made his home debut at fullback in the absence of Andy Hodgson who had been called up by Bradford Bulls.

With stalwart Wharfedale supporters travelling from as far afield as Halifax, Preston and Bridlington on an afternoon almost perfect for playing and watching rugby there were still fewer present at the kick-off than at the pre-season friendly with Kendal, suggesting that locals are perhaps having difficulty adjusting to their side's uneasy start to the season. The sight of Pears running out in a Green shirt at The Avenue only four years after doing the same for England at the Parc Des Princes was surely worth the admission money alone but it was the choir from the Forest of Dean who made the most noise and eventually stayed the longest.

The Dalesmen got off to a flier when Lister and Verity drove from the first lineout and "Woo" Smith darted over for his first league try in only his second full appearance. Mounsey converted off the upright and for 15 minutes the Greens looked good value for their 7-0 lead with Pears orchestrating events and Hayes looking solid at the back.

Lydney's Osborne then lande pack. One 30-metre rumble took play into the Greens' '22' where firstly Verity and then Pears had to make important tackles. Eventually following a Lydney knock-on it was a strike against the head which allowed Osborne time to scoot around the blind side and send winger Lee Smith over in the corner. The conversion made it 10-7 to the visitors, but Hayes quickly brought appreciation from the stand with his touch finding and a try nearly came when centre Neil Heseltine kicked through for Whitfield to miss by a hair's breadth in the corner.

With five minutes to go before the break Pears, Mounsey and stand-in captain Davies combined on the right before Lister ran on to a pass with such ferocity that he was able to storm 25 metres through a sea of flapping arms to finish behind the posts.

Mounsey converted but then missed the second of two penalty attempts, allowing Osborne to narrow the gap to 14-13. With Pears pushing the pack into the "Lyd" corner Lawn was denied a try when he was mistakenly pulled back for a knock-on with the line at his mercy. Although the referee acknowledged his error play had stopped and the official signalled half-time.

With 20 minutes remaining Wharfedale led 25-21 after a slick try by Mounsey and two penalties by Pears had edged them ahead of a further try by Lydney's Smith and an Osborne penalty. The impressive Osborne then converted a try by his half-back partner Julian Davies after good work by visiting flanker Dwaine Edwards, but the pendulum swung back in Wharfedale's direction as Pears struck his third penalty to make it 28-28.

With four minutes of the roller-coaster ride left Lydney flanker Nick Burnett plunged over from close range as if to justify his first name and so set up a nail-biting finish.

Needing a converted try to win the Greens went for broke in the Lydney '22' and had justifiable claims for a penalty try as the visitors gave away six successive penalties under the posts. They were warned after the first two but there was nothing forthcoming, only the final whistle.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Wharfedale make the short journey to Otley, ko 3pm, for a National Division One local derby. The last game between the sides was a 15-15 draw in January and the -20 against Rosslyn Park and 13-7 against Liverpool St Helens.

The Greens have Andy Hodgson available again but are still without their captain Charlie Vyvyan who has not recovered from the injury sustained against Henley on September 12.

The Wharfedale team is: A Hodgson; A Mounsey, M Harrison, J Davies (capt), N Heseltine; D Pears, G Smith; J Metcalfe, J Lawn, C Ingram, D Lister, D Wood, S Allen, H Verity, P Evans; reps S McManus, M Hayes, M Hancock, N Dickinson, P Peel, R Buckroyd.

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