BARLA TOUR MATCH REPORTS

[Honor James]

CENTURIONS COMPLETE GRAND SLAM

*BARLA Great Britain Emerging Lions (4).8

Central Coast Centurions .(10) 28

Central Coast Centurions made it a Grand Slam of victories over BARLA sides after this win over the BARLA Great Britain Emerging Lions who, after leading the game at half time, clinched the game with three converted tries in the final quarter after Lions had got within two points of the tourists.

After victories over the Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire this was expected to be the toughest test for the Centurions and that’s how it turned out with both sides putting in some bell ringing hits in game which simmered and threatened to reach boiling point on numerous occasions.

The Lions will asked themselves what might have been had they had more composure with the ball in hand in great scoring positions but lost crucial possession early those tackle counts, and their discipline which the Centurions no shrinking violets themselves, took advantage of scoring four of their five tries as a result.

Played in warm sunny conditions a rarity for the visitors on this tour the Lions took the game to them and were camped in the Centurions for the opening ten minutes apart from sporadic Centurions attacks and the tourists defence held firm especially on their own line.

Against run of play the Centurions took the lead after the Lions lost the ball following a scrum and scampered downfield. On the second tackle Dylan Thorne collected the ball and drove at the heart of the defence and spun and appeared to be held but his strength saw him to continue and drive forward and force himself over the line by the side of the posts and Jay Kissik converted the first of four from five.

But the Lions came storming back and continued to attack and were rewarded 15 minutes with a superb try. Brandon Moore (Ellenborough Rangers) found Joe Prior (Wigan St Patricks) who flicked a pass out to Kieran Sherritt (Wigan St Patricks), who audaciously back flipped the ball back to Prior who found centre Sean Brown (Orrell St James) to score out wide to cut the lead to two points.

It was beginning to get tough and fractious by both sides and the home side went further behind after being judged to have dragged a Centurions player into touch when they themselves thought they would get the scrum on 23 minutes. From a play the ball on the second tackle standoff Ryan Doherty got the ball and following an angled run saw a gap and went through it score in the corner.

They began to take control of the game and Doherty Todd Lewis, Daniel Langbridge and Josh Whitelam putting some superb cut out passes in. The Lions countered with defence from Joe Hudson (Oulton Raiders), Tom Wilkinson (Ulverston), Connor Wilson (Flimby Vikings), Simon Welch (Wigan St Patricks) and Josh Hattle (West Bowling) who smiled every time he drove forward and tackled.

It was Hattle who saved a certain try just before the interval after Doherty and Lewis had combined to send Jake O’Brian through a gap 50 metres out. With runners on either side Hattle put in a great hit to put O’Brian to the ground.

The Lions took the game to the visitors in the opening minutes and only a super tackle from Nathan Lane on Liam Marshall (Wigan St Patricks) stopped them narrowing the deficit. He wasn’t to be denied though on 54 minutes following three shuddering hits which saw Welch go down for several minutes. From the initial tackle on him though the Lions went down the short side and Curtis Edwards-Hampson offloaded to Marshall to score in the corner to cut the lead to two as Rob Hamon (Blackbrook) missed the conversion.

Welch came off not to return and the Lions missed his power and go forward. On 64 minutes they went further behind after conceding a penalty in a good position. The Centurion marched downfield and Whitelam drove forward, he looked to have been stopped but continued going under the posts for an eight point lead.

The tourists now had now wrestled control of the game and made sure there was no comeback with a brace of tries in four minutes. From a penalty on 72 minutes O’Brian took Lewis’s cut out pass to go under the posts and from the play the ball, following another penalty Curtis Clifford scooted through a gap and one on one went around Hattle to go under the posts to complete a four from four tour success.

BARLA GREAT BRITAIN EMERGING LIONS: 1. Josh Hattle (West Bowling), 2. Liam Marshall (Wigan St Patricks), 3. Sean Brown (Orrell St James, 4. Joe Hambley (Ulverston), 5. Connor Ballinger (Castleord Lock lane), 6. Brandon Moore (Ellenborough Rangers), 7. Joe Prior (Wigan St Patricks), 8. Joe Hudson (Oulton Raiders), 9. Tom Wilkinson (Ulverston), 10. Connor Wilson (Flimby Vikings), 11. Callum Farrer (Wath Brow Hornets), 12. Sam Welch (Wigan St Patricks), 13. Kieran Sherritt (Wigan St Patricks). Subs: 14. Rob Hamon (Blackbrook Royals), 15. Tom Richardson (Dewsbury Moor), 16. Luke Robinson (West Bowling), Curtis Edwards-Hampson (Wigan St Patricks).

Tries: Brown 15, Marshall 54,

Goals: Prior 0/1, Hamon 0/1

CENTRAL COAST CENTURIONS: 1. Luke Sharpe, 2. Nathan Lane, 3. Jake O’Brian, 4. Mitch Riley, 5. Corey Drew, 6. Ryan Doherty, 7. Todd Lewis, 8. Dylan Thorne, 9. Jay Kissik, 10. Noah Easton, 11. Mitch Casson, 12. Myles Taveli, 13. Josh Whitelam. Subs: Sam Tarchichi, 15. Wade Kemplen, 16. Daniel Langbridge, 17. Curtis Clifford.

Tries: Thorne 11, Doherty 23, Whitelam 64, O’Brian 72, Clifford 76,

Goals: Kissik 4/5

Men of the Match:

Connor Wilson (BARLA GB Emerging Lions)

Todd Lewis (Central Coast Centurions)

Steve Manning

BARLA Media Manager

LIONS ROAR AS THEY COME BACK AGAINST SOUTHS

*BARLA Great Britain Lions .(10) 36

South Sydney Juniors .(12) 18

In a game that saw the lead change three times the BARLA Great Britain Lions roared as they came back from 12-10 down at the break to defeat the South Sydney Juniors after the visitors had threatened a second half comeback with the score at 22-18 with twelve minutes remaining.

But two John Paul Brocklebank (Egremont Rangers) penalties sandwiched by a South’s sin-binning and two Lions tries saw the home side win in a performance where all the team played their part, with Brocklebank showing his class in a variety of positions throughout the eighty chipping in with a try and six from seven with the boot.

For South’s Ben Lindegaad, Connor Higgins combined well with skipper Troy Bushby leading from the front and the forwards from tackling machine Tim Bennett and big hitters and drivers Braden Thompson, Daryl Brennan, Steve Brown, Haydon O’Donnell and Wara Manita-####.

After a low key start with lack of ball security by both sides the Lions opened the scoring on 13 minutes on the back of two penalties which saw them in the final ten of South’s, and from a cut out pass from the play the ball Shaun Squires (Shaw Cross Sharks) showed his strength to drive over from close range out wide.

The Lions forwards began to get on top with Adam Nicholson (Dalton), Ricky Hough (Myton Warriors), David Lowery (Kells) leading the way ably supported by Tom Radley (West Hull) and Johnny Goulding (Cockermouth Titans). This set the platform for halfbacks Karl Dixon (Wath Brow Hornets) and Danny Lynch (Pilkington Recs) to bring the backs into play.

It was that combination that saw the ball go down the line and from skipper Scott Lofthouse’s (Kells) pass Mike Johnson (Skirlaugh) sped down the wing before cutting inside for the first of his brace to give his side a 10-0 lead.

It looked plain sailing for the Lions but following interchanges by the Lions, South’s hit them with three tries in eight minutes to take a two point half time lead.

On 29 minutes after a try saving tackle by Jamie Fields (Hunslet Old Boys) a quick play the ball saw Bushby go in from close range, five minutes later following another penalty O’Donnell took a short ball to drive over and on 37 minutes the comeback was complete a Bushby break saw White go 30 metres before passing inside for Higgins to score to make it 12-10, the visitors crucially missing all the conversions.

The first choice front row returned after the break and there was more steel, shape and determination about the side and they let their first chance slip after Adam Thomason (Leigh Miners Rangers) knocked on with the line beckoning.

But with Brocklebanks positional change and kicking game the Lions got on top with tries either side of the hour to restore the lead they were never to relinquish.

On 57 minutes following a grubber on the last which richotte off South’s defenders the Lions got a second set and Brocklebank drove and stretched his arm to score and add the extras. Then on 62 minutes little looked on after Gerard Stevens had taken a bomb on the last. As he came forward he took a big hit, lost the ball and Johnson picked up the loose ball, played on and scored another six pointer and they were ahead 22-12.

Six minutes later South reduced the lead to four points O’Donnell got the ball out wide to Robert Tierney who went down the wing before drawing the last man and passing inside to the supporting Brennan who went under the posts and Tierney added the extras.

Then South’s indiscipline let them down, Brocklebank kicked a penalty on 72 minutes, Shaun Longbottom was sin-binned for a high tackle and on 74 minutes a further Brocklebank goal gave the Lions a crucial eight point buffer.

The South’s visibly dropped in their intensity and being a man down the

Lions made them pay with two tries in the final two minutes. A Tommy Harris

(Skirlaugh) ingoal grubber caused confusion and he reacted first to score

and on the last play Brocklebank made a superb break down the middle and

unselfishly passed inside to Lynch who went 30 metres under the sticks and

Brocklebank had the last word with his boot.

BARLA GREAT BRITAIN LIONS: 1. Rhys Davies (Egremont Rangers), 2. Pat Foulstone (Dewsbury Celtic), 3. Shaun Squires (Shaw Cross Sharks), 4. Scott Lofthouse (Kells), 5. Mike Johnson (Skirlaugh), 6. Karl Dixon (Wath Brow Hornets), 7. Danny Lynch (Pilkington Recs), 8. Adam Nicholson (Dalton), 9. Ricky Hough (Myton Warriors), 10. David Lowery (Kells), 11. Tom Radley (West Hull), 12. Adam Thomason (Leigh Miners Rangers), 13. John-Paul Brocklebank (Egremont Rangers). Subs: 14. Tommy Harris (Skirlaugh), 15. Johnny Goulding (Cockermouth Titans), 16. Jamie Fields (Hunslet Old Boys), 17. Richard George (Seaton Rangers).

Tries: Squires 13, Johnson 23, 62, Brocklebank 57, Harris 78, Lynch 80,

Goals: Brocklebank 6/7

SOUTH SYDNEY JUNIOR: 1. Isaac Tautaiolefua, 2. Gerard Stevens, 3.Brad Marks, 4. Troy Bushby (Capt), 5. Dean White, 6. Ben Lindegaad, 7. Connor Higgins, 8. Braden Thompson, 9. Daryl Brennan, 10. Steve Brown, 11. Haydon O’Donnell, 12. Wara Manita-####, 13. Tim Bennett. Subs: 14. Aaron O’Brien, 15. Shaun Longbottom, 16. Rob Tierney, 17. Andrew Tuigamala.

Tries: Bushy 29, O’Donnell, 34, Higgins 37, Brennan 68,

Goals: White 0/1, Tierney 1/2

Men of the Match:

John Paul Brocklebank BARLA Great Britain Lions

Tim Bennett (South Sydney Juniors)

Steve Manning

BARLA Media Manager