Hornsea and Holderness RUFC U15s secured their third consecutive win with an excellent performance against seaside rivals Scarborough.
It was a perfect day for rugby on the cliff edge at Scarborough, with blue skies and sunshine setting the stage for what was always going to be a tough contest. These fixtures have traditionally been intense battles, with Hornsea often finishing second best, but today was a different story.
The first 20 minutes saw the game move from end to end, with both teams showing strong handling and solid defence. However, it was Scarborough who struck first, breaking down the right wing to cross the whitewash. Hornsea’s front row of Ben T, Logan P and Oliver K put in some big tackles, helping to keep the Scarborough pack under control.
From the restart, Hornsea applied pressure, forcing a deep kick into their own half. Fullback Max T collected the ball on their 22 and reset play before the backs worked it wide. Jacob, Cohen T and Cohen K provided great cover over the rucks, securing possession and allowing the team to recycle the ball. Spotting a gap out wide, William H backed himself to outpace the defenders and sprinted 70 metres to score. He then added the conversion to give Hornsea a 7-5 lead at half-time.
Hornsea continued to press after the restart and managed to pin Scarborough deep in their own 22. The sustained pressure paid off when Jacob W powered through several defenders to score near the posts, extending the lead to 12-5.
With Hornsea’s backs starting to dominate, their speed, agility and handling tested the Scarborough defence repeatedly.
However, an infringement at halfway gave Scarborough the opportunity to kick for touch, putting them 15 yards from the Hornsea line. A clean catch led to a well-formed maul, and Scarborough’s heavier forwards capitalised, driving over for a try to reduce the deficit to 12-10.
Hornsea’s forwards continued to carry the ball well, with Dexter E, Will B and Logan K making strong runs and recycling possession effectively.
With just eight minutes left, Hornsea won a penalty and gained 40 yards from a well-placed kick by William H. The resulting lineout was well thrown by Logan P, secured by Jayden N, and quickly moved to the backs, who advanced to the Scarborough 22. A scrum gave Hornsea the platform for a set play, and Harry B cut back against the grain to score between the posts. William H added the conversion, extending the lead to 19-10.
The final two minutes saw both teams pushing forward, with Max T, Jayden N and Oliver K making significant yards. Harvey W and Cohen K also kept the opposition under pressure with strong carries. However, Scarborough had the last say, scoring in the final moments in the right-hand corner. The successful conversion brought the final score to 19-17 in Hornsea’s favour.
Man of the Match went to Jacob W for an outstanding performance. He covered more ground than anyone, made countless tackles, secured possession at the rucks, won turnovers, and scored a great try.
Special mention also goes to Harry H and Tom L, who stepped up at scrum-half and provided quality ball to the fly-half and running forwards throughout the game.
A fantastic performance from the whole squad, showing just how much the team has progressed. Well done to all!