On a chilly damp Saturday afternoon, the Buffaloes travelled the short distance to Upton for the Buffaloes second Yorkshire Mens league game of 2018.
There were a few enforced changes for the Buffaloes as Prop Ben Maynard-Worrincy, and Standoff Connor McGill was unavailable. As a result, Steve Langton and his Coaching team reshuffled the pack, moving Curtis Sidebottom up to Prop, bringing Dan Baranyi off the bench into the second row and switching Loose Forward from last week, Aiden Baranyi with Centre Nathan Hammond.
Upton has just come off the back of their Pennine League season, playing their final game last weekend. Where the referee, who also covered this weeks game, issues six red cards but seemed to have left them at home this week.
The game started poorly for the Buffaloes when they sent the Kick off out on the full, giving the home team the early advantage.
The first quarter of the game, neither team had the advantage on the other side, with both teams testing the other out, with the game littered with mistakes and the referee’s whistle.
In the 17th Minutes, Upton opened the scoring when, after a glut of possession, they were gifted several penalties in a row, with the second one, in front of the uprights, which Stand Off, Steven Beal, coolly slotted between the posts to give them the lead 2-0.
On 29 Minutes, Upton loose forward, Jack Arnold, went on a jinking run, beating what seemed like half the Buffaloes defenders, before slipping the ball to scrum-half Jimmy Mercer, who scored next to the posts. Beal, added the extras, giving the home side the lead 8-0.
Five minutes later, the Buffaloes won a scrum against the head, 20 metres out from the Upton line. Hammond, when on a surging charge, sucking in several defenders. On the next play, winger Rob Brown took advantage of the overlap and scored by the corner flag. Winger, Kieran Foster-Matthews was unsuccessful with the conversion, narrowing the lead to 8-4.
Upton went into the halftime break, 8-4 ahead.
Eleven minutes into the second half debutant, Jake Barnett, put up a bomb, which Brown chased, but the bounce evaded him.
In the 66th minute, Upton was awarded another penalty, out wide, they decided to go for goal, which went sailing across the front of the posts. The Buffaloes regained possession, only to drop the ball in the first tackle, gifted Upton possession.
On 73 minutes, Upton was awarded another penalty in front of the posts, which Beal kicked, extending the lead to 10-4.
From the Kickoff, Upton was on the attack and skipped through some weak defence to score a converted try under the posts, putting the game beyond the reach of the Buffaloes. The score now 16-4.
Upton was awarded another penalty in front of the posts and with the last kick of the game, kicked the goal, to make the final score Upton 18 Bramley Buffaloes 4.
Not a great afternoon at the office for the Buffaloes, but things will improve, we are only two games into the season, and were up against a team that has been playing together all winter.
We return to Yorkshire Mens league action next Saturday with our first home game of the year, against our old friends Nottingham Outlaws.
Upton: 1) Kyle Nix, 2) Callum Arnold, 3) Brendan Roostan, 4) Andrew Iveson, 5) Joel Swain, 6) Steven Beal, 7) Jimmy Mercer, 8) Stuart James, 9) Liam Hamell, 10) Ross Burrows, 11) Zak Cook, 12) Alex Copcutt, 13) Jack Arnold, Subs (all used); 14) Declan Burrows, 15) Aaron Cartwright, 16) Ben Jackson, 17) Samuel Burrows.
Buffaloes: 1) Peter Croft, 2) Robert Brown, 3) Adien Baranyi, 4) Kieran Hudson, 5) Kieran Foster-Matthews, 6) Jake Barnett, 7) Brad Wilson, 8) Curtis Sidebottom, 9) Craig Boot, 10) Charlie McMurray, 11) Tom Langton, 12) Dan Baranyi, 13) Nathan Hammond, Subs (all used); 14) Garry Butterfield, 15) Craig Brown, 16) Cameron McLachlan, 17) Ben Blanchard.
Tries: Brown, R (34)
Goals:
Man of the Match:
Brad Wilson.