Under 16s Match Report: Yarm/Catterick vs Chester-le-Street United

Last week Yarm/Catterick took on Chester-le-Street United at Yarm in very warm conditions. With a squad of 20 players compared to Chester-le-Street's 12, we worked together to make sure everyone got a game. Before kick-off, Chester-le-Street awarded us the league win due to their low numbers, but both teams were keen to get a good game played.

To help balance the teams, we lent Chester-le-Street a player from the start so the match could be played 13-a-side. Early in the game, Chester-le-Street knocked on from receiving the ball and shortly afterwards suffered an injury. Samuel was asked to switch teams for a period and put in a fantastic shift for them.

Yarm/Catterick opened the scoring after a strong run from Mackenzie ended with him being tipped in the tackle, earning a penalty. We made the most of the opportunity and crossed for our first try. The heat played a big part throughout the game, with players taking every chance to get water during breaks in play.

Chester-le-Street enjoyed some possession but after another knock-on, we won the ball from the scrum and excellent teamwork saw us run in another try. Later in the half, Chester-le-Street stole the ball on the fourth tackle and created a two-on-one opportunity, but Harrison showed great awareness to score for Yarm/Catterick.

Just before half-time, Chester-le-Street were forced into touch close to their own try line and a tiring defence allowed us to add another score. At the break, Yarm/Catterick led 46-0.

The second half saw more of our players switch teams to help even things up. With the result already decided, the players asked the coaches if they could have some "pizza time" playing with a bit more freedom and focusing on enjoying themselves. The game became much more competitive, with Chester-le-Street getting a couple of well-deserved tries, including one from Mackenzie while playing for them.

The final score finished 66-20 to Yarm/Catterick, but the second half ended 20-20, showing how evenly matched the teams were once the numbers were balanced. A huge credit goes to all the players, especially those who switched teams throughout the game to make sure everyone got plenty of rugby and enjoyed the afternoon.