Buffaloes thrash Wyke in a 14-try romp in the West Leeds sun
Andy & Devon Johnson
On a sunny afternoon at West Leeds, Bramley faced Wyke, a team they hadn’t played against since 2021. Wyke had suffered a heavy defeat to York Acorns the previous Saturday, as many of their players were absent due to a stag do. Eager to match or surpass that score, Bramley’s coaches had selected a strong lineup for the match.
The Buffaloes’ dominance was evident within the first two minutes when Jacob Oldroyd danced his way through the flat-footed Wyke defence to score the opening try, which was expertly converted by Connor McGill. Score: Buffaloes 6 – 0.
Further tries followed regularly thereafter as Wyke simply had no answer to the Buffaloes’ powerful attacking play. The Buffaloes’ forwards frequently burst through moving us further and further up the field, with Louie Morrison and Jacob Olroyd particularly prominent, backed by strong probing runs from Jack Boot and Cameron McLachlan. This relentless forward momentum gave the Buffaloes’ backs the perfect platform to exploit the huge gaps in Wyke’s defence.
The floodgates opened with tries in the 6th, 9th, 13th, 15th, and 19th minutes. Connor McGill scored the second try, followed by Colin Cobley, Kasper Mroz, Jack Boot, and a second for Colin Cobley. After Connor missed converting his own try due to his boots breaking, Lewis Gaunt took over the kicking duties and proved to be a revelation, successfully converting his first four attempts. By the 19th minute, the scoreline read Buffaloes 34 – 0.
It took the Buffaloes 15 minutes to score their seventh try, mainly due to a succession of penalties that allowed Wyke to share possession. However, Wyke’s attacks were snuffed out by fine defensive efforts across the entire Buffaloes team. Determined to stop Wyke at all costs, Tom Langton and Lewis Gaunt were particularly effective in halting their advances.
Two more tries followed for the Buffaloes before halftime. In the 34th minute, Taz McLachlan powered through the Wyke defence to score under the posts, with Lewis Gaunt adding the conversion. The final try of the half was scored by Bailey Harmon, who finished a wonderful flowing move. Lewis Gaunt again stepped up to add the extras, solidifying the Buffaloes’ commanding lead as the half ended.
Half-time score: Buffaloes 46 – 0.
The second half was simply outstanding, showcasing the strength and abilities of the Buffaloes squad from 1 to 17, leaving Wyke with no options. The first score of the half came as early as the 44th minute when Ethan McFarlane calmly finished off a 50-meter break. Lewis Gaunt stepped up to slot over his seventh conversion, bringing the score to Buffaloes 52 – 0.
Almost straight from the kick-off, the Buffaloes struck again in the 49th minute. Sam Marshall, displaying his pace and eye for a gap, went in under the posts, with Lewis Gaunt adding the conversion to make it Buffaloes 58 – 0.
In the 52nd minute, Cameron McLachlan scored his second try of the match, finding the Wyke defence unable to cope with his strong running. Lewis Gaunt converted, bringing the score to Buffaloes 64 – 0. Ethan McFarlane notched his second try in the 55th minute, slicing through the Wyke defence after latching onto a pass. Lewis Gaunt’s conversion made it Buffaloes 70 – 0.
By now, Wyke looked well beaten, and if this had been a boxing match, they would have thrown in the towel. However, the referee let the game continue, and three more tries followed before the final whistle. In the 57th minute, Louie Morrison burst through the Wyke cover to score under the posts, with Lewis Gaunt again adding the extras to make it Buffaloes 76 – 0.
The Buffaloes’ penultimate try came in the 62nd minute when Zane Ballantyne went on a darting run, outpacing the tired Wyke defenders. Lewis Gaunt added the conversion, bringing the score to Buffaloes 82 – 0.
The final Buffaloes try came in the 70th minute when Charlie McMurray blasted his way through to score. Lewis Gaunt stepped up to convert his 13th try, making the score Buffaloes 88 – 0.
At this point, the referee called the match to an end ten minutes early, much to Wyke’s relief, although spectators were hoping for a magic 100 points. The Buffaloes scored 15 tries throughout the afternoon, with Lewis Gaunt’s personal point haul reaching 26 points with a perfect record of 13 goals from 13 attempts. The Buffaloes coaches were very pleased with the overall performance, which bodes well for the cup semi-final at Moldgreen in a week’s time.
Final score: Buffaloes 88 – 0
Buffaloes: 1) Ethan McFarlane 2) Jamie Donnelly) 3) Colin Cobley 4) Sam Marshall 5) Kasper Mroz 6) Connor McGill 7) Sam Neave 8) Jacob Olroyd 9) Jack Boot 10) Louie Morrison 11) Tom Langton 12) Cameron McLachlan 13) Lewis Gaunt 14) Bailey Harmon 15) Charlie McMurray 16) Zane Ballantyne 17) Ben Wilkinson
Tries: Oldroyd (2), McGill (6), Cobley (9 & 19), Mroz (13), Boot (15), McLachlan (34 & 52), Harman (37), McFarlane (44 & 55), Marshall (49), Morrison (57), Ballantyne (62) & McMurray (70)
Goals: McGill, Gaunt x 13