Yorkshire RFU

FULL TIME
Yorkshire U20 Men 37–29 Northumberland U20 Men

Yorkshire U20 defeat Northumberland 37–29 in their County Championship opener, scoring six tries in a hard-fought win at Bradford Salem.

A huge opening win for Yorkshire in tough conditions
After a slow start, Yorkshire showed real character to battle back with six tries and take control in the closing stages.

Yorkshire Scorers
Tries:

• Dylan Brown (2) - Leeds Beckett University
• Tom Papworth - Pontefract RUFC
• Maine Bunting - Dinnington RUFC
• Harry Snow - Sheffield Tigers RUFC
• Rufus Pollard - Scarborough RUFC

A great game was played in windy but dry conditions at Bradford Salem, where the team there had done a remarkable job to get the pitch in such good condition, considering the recent weather.

Northumberland kicked off with the wind behind and immediately put Yorkshire under pressure in their own half, which Yorkshire struggled to relieve due to some unnecessary penalties being conceded. This led to a try to Northumberland after just 7 minutes, with the added pressure of a yellow card for the Yorkshire hooker, which was really a team yellow for numerous infringements.
Northumberland really had the best of the first 20 minutes, putting the home side under sustained pressure, and it was Yorkshire’s only visit to the Northumberland 22 that gained them a try through back row Dylan Brown.

Yorkshire then failed to deal with the kick-off, and within 2 minutes Northumberland had scored again to make the score 12–5 in their favour.
Continued good use of the conditions from the visitors meant that Yorkshire were under sustained pressure and having to defend close to their own line for extended periods. They weathered the storm, but Northumberland capitalised again when a loose ball was run in from their own 22, making it 19–5.

Further good use of the conditions saw Northumberland cross again on 30 minutes to extend the lead to 24–5 and secure an early bonus point. Momentum finally began to swing, with Yorkshire gaining territory and forward dominance. This led to a second try for Dylan Brown, converted by Bradford Salem’s Alfie Abbott.

Straight from the restart, Yorkshire broke down the left touchline, with Tom Papworth finishing well in the corner. The conversion was successful, and the half closed at 24–19, a score the coaching staff were pleased with, given the difficult opening and strong wind.
Both sides came out looking to play in the second half, and strong defence was the standout feature early on. After 8 minutes of sustained pressure, Maine Bunting crossed to continue Yorkshire’s comeback.

A fortuitous bounce on 53 minutes, then saw Harry Snow race clear to score the try that put Yorkshire into the lead for the first time.
The next 20 minutes were fiercely contested, with both defences holding firm. Northumberland received two yellow cards in quick succession but showed resilience, even managing to score and level the game at 29–29 with 8 minutes remaining.

Yorkshire dominated possession and territory in the closing stages and eventually broke through, with Rufus Pollard spotting a gap and finishing well.

With time almost up, Yorkshire opted to take a kickable penalty to move two scores clear and effectively seal the game.

A final score of 37–29 reflected an excellent contest played in great spirit by two sides committed to playing expansive rugby in tough conditions.

Competition
County Championship U20m

Venue
Bradford Salem RFC