Bramley Buffaloes brush aside Seacroft Shark’s rugged style to claim local bragging rights
Reported by Andy and Devon Johnson
The opening exchanges set the tone for the following 80 minutes. Seacroft arrived with a large, physical pack clearly intent on disrupting the home side’s stride, but the Buffaloes were having none of it. With Sam Neave returning from his stint at West Leeds together with Omar Alrawi making his first appearance of the season, the Buffaloes had too much guile and craft to be rattled by the Sharks’ aggressive tackling.
The breakthrough came just five minutes in, following a surging run from Jacob Oldroyd. A lovely, sharp pass from Sam Neave found Tom Langton at pace, and he powered over the line for the opening try. Keiran McFarlane’s conversion attempt drifted wide, giving the Buffaloes a 4 – 0 lead.
Just five minutes later, the Buffaloes struck again, following great yardage by the Buffaloes forwards with Charlie McMurray this time prominent. The ball was swept across the field into the hands of right wingman James Clark, who romped over in the corner. Jake Doyle couldn’t quite convert, but the Buffaloes had doubled their lead to 8 – 0.
The pressure continued to mount. In the 15th minute, debutant Jack Iceton announced himself in style, bulldozing his way over from 15 metres out with a powerful solo effort. Marcus White stepped up to land the conversion, pushing the score to 14 – 0.
Iceton was at it again five minutes later, crashing through the Seacroft defence for his second try of the night. Marcus made no mistake with the extras, extending the Buffaloes’ lead to 20 – 0.
The next passage of play saw the Buffaloes take their foot of the gas as they were penalised for a series of ball steals and head high tackles. However, the Sharks couldn’t make much of an impression nor capitalise on the possession they’d be handed as the Buffaloes tackling was simply faultless.
In the 35th minute, back-to-back penalties gave the Buffaloes another attacking platform. The ball was worked smartly down the left edge, and Omar Alrawi delivered a slick pass to Marcus White, who raced in at the corner. White couldn’t convert his own try, but the scoreboard ticked up to 24 – 0.
There was still time for one more moment of magic before the half time whistle. Keiran McFarlane danced his way through the defensive line with a dazzling sidestep to score out wide. White’s conversion attempt narrowly missed, but the Buffaloes ended the half firmly in control at 28 – 0.
Half time score: Bramley Buffaloes 28 – 0 Seacroft Sharks
Any hopes Seacroft may have had for a comeback were quickly dashed in the 45th minute, as the Buffaloes picked up right where they left off. A series of powerful forward drives pushed the Buffs up field before Tom Langton crashed over from close range following a sharp pass. The Sharks didn’t take kindly to the try, sparking tension throughout the pitch, but the referee—who managed the game superbly throughout—quickly restored order. Marcus White added the extras, taking the score to 34 – 0.
Just five minutes later, the Buffaloes notched their eighth try of the night. This time it was Sam Marshall who powered through the defensive line with a determined run to score near the posts. Unfortunately, White couldn’t convert, but the lead stretched to 38 – 0.
The Buffaloes were in again only two minutes later. Zane Ballantyne broke through the tiring Seacroft defence to dot down the ninth and final try of the evening, with White successfully converting to make it 44 – 0.
The Buffaloes came agonisingly close to adding two more tries in the final quarter. Ethan McFarlane intercepted a loose pass and sprinted 70 metres, only to be hauled down just short of the line. Sadly, he broke his femur in the process, bringing his season to a premature end. Not long after, Omar Alrawi rolled back the years with a dazzling 40-metre run, dancing past defenders before finally succumbing to a tackle.
With injuries mounting on the bench, the Buffaloes began to lose control of possession in the closing stages. Seacroft, aided by a series of penalties, finally broke through for a late consolation try, bringing the final score to 44 – 6.
Overall, it was an extremely satisfying performance from the Buffaloes. Sam Neave was instrumental, pulling the strings around the scrum, while the forward pack consistently outmuscled their opponents. There were several standout performers, but it was Charlie McMurray who claimed man of the match honours for his relentless work rate and tireless running throughout the game.
Final score: Bramley Buffaloes 44 – 6 Seacroft Sharks 6
Buffaloes: 1) Ethan McFarlane, 2) James Clark, 3) Samuel Marshall, 4) Omar Alrawi, 5) Marcus White, 6) Sam Neave, 7) Kieran McFarlane, 8) Jacob Oldroyd, 9) Jack Boot, 10) Charlie McMurray, 11) Jack Iceton, 12) Jake Doyle, 13) Thomas Langton, Subs (All Used); 14) Ben Wilkinson, 15) Ben Blanchard, 16) Kieran Foster-Matthews, 17) Elliot Carter.
Tries: Langton x 2, Clarke, Iceton x 2, K. McFarlane, Marshall, Foster-Matthews.
Goals: White x 4
Seacroft: 1) Jake Reed, 2) Daniel Cook, 3) Kyle Smith, 4) Max Field, 5) Simon Stephenson, 6) Robbie Lumb, 7) Connor Raw, 8) George Holroyd, 9) Samuel Ramsden-Varley, 10) Dale Stones, 11) Ben Field, 12) Jack Fitzgerald, 13) Sheldon McGinley, Subs (All Used); 14) Aaron Naylor, 15) Kyle OReilly, 16) Bradley Roberts, 17) Liam Smith
