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Photos: Dave Hughes
Hull University Rugby 2nd held off a spirited late fight back from York’s College Rugby Barbarians to win an enthralling encounter by the smallest of margins.
York Captain for the day, Benji Brummitt, got proceedings underway in what were perfect conditions to play the rugby which their Barbarian nametag suggested.
Early on, Hull made ground through their flanker gathering an inside ball off their fly-half, however he did not have the pace to cause full-back Phil Hammick any trouble.
From a scrum, York made their first play of the game. Marinus Maris fed Ed Kemp in midfield from which the outside centre made a powerful run into the Hull’s 22. However, the BarBars playing in pink could not fashion a chance with the follow up.
Against the run of play, the Humber side came out of their slumber. From a well-positioned kick, Hull won the line-out, and the maul which followed rolled over by James Irwin for a 5-0 lead. The Hull midfield tried to follow up this kicking tactic by putting the ball into the corners.
Hull thought they had scored again but their winger went into touch. Things went from bad to worse as Ed Kemp who’d been breaking tackles all day was sin-binned for a late tackle on his opposite number.
Hull made use of the extra man. From a scrum, their number eight carried it blindside a simple off-load to Tom Mate put the winger in for the visitors. Hull made the conversion for a 12-0 lead at half-time.
The Barbarians, restored to their full numbers, started the stronger after the break. Freddy Harris made wriggling runs in midfield whilst Maris continued to pen Hull back into their 22 with his boot.
However Hull dominated the set-pieces that followed, Barbarians line-out was inaccurate and Hull were able to turn the scrum causing the possession to change to Humberside hands. The Barbarians decided to run with the ball at every opportunity as the fresh legs of Joe Cooper and Alex Muntus breathed life into the side.
With 10 minutes left, the game changed for the side in pink. With a strong scrum within their 22, the new fly-half Oliver Wessely chipped the ball over the Hull backline and gathered it to the delight of the crowd. Alex Cormack in support exchanged passes with the Derwent player, before the ball went wide to Alex Wilson who steam-rolled his way to the line from 40 metres. Barbarians missed the conversion; the score remained 12-5.
The Barbarians were energised from the score, and were unfortunate not to be clean through when Cormack’s final pass to Muntus was adjudged to be forward.
The team in pink though worked the ball up to the Hull tryline, before winning a penalty five metres out. With the York side in need of a try, they tapped it and fed it to Matt Forrest. The giant prop ran through his opponents and showed incredible strength to power through to magnificently score. Wessely with the chance to level the scores tragically pulled his conversion wide, to remain 12-10 behind.
The try set up an exciting finish, the Barbarians managed to keep the ball in hand from the kick-off Alcuin team-mates Sam Asfahani and Cormack making ground. With the clock ticking, the Barbarians earned themselves a penalty from 30 metres out.
The team decided to tap and go; some great phrases pushed their opponents back on to their tryline. But they could not add the finishing touches as they gave away a penalty, which Hull kicked out to end the enthralling game.
Ed Kemp; what a hero.