North Wales Crusaders make history at Dewsbury Rams

DEWSBURY RAMS 10 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 20
KEITH McGHIE, FLAIR Stadium, Sunday

PATRICK Ah Van scored a brace of tries as North Wales kicked off their League One campaign with a first ever victory over Dewsbury.

In their four previous meetings, irrespective of the venue, the now Colwyn Bay-based side had failed to come out on the positive side of the score ledger.

But a tough-tackling and hard-grafted display in difficult conditions helped the Welsh club bounce back from disappointing exits in both cup competitions during the previous two weekends.

It was far from the ideal start to the Rams’ bid to make an immediate return to the Championship after last season’s efforts ended in relegation, but they were victims of poor ball control as much as the undoubted enthusiasm of their opponents.

Rams’ coach Paul March named the same 17 that battled past Workington in the 1895 Cup in Cumbria the previous weekend.

Crusaders’ chief Carl Forster was able to add to his playing roster veteran halfback Jamie Dallimore, Jake Spedding, Joe Baldwin and Paddy Jones, who all missed their cup exit at Goole through illness and injuries.

After Jack McShane was held up on the last tackle, North Wales took an early lead through a penalty, after a tip tackle in front of the posts at the other end, which was converted by Dallimore.

Strong defence from the Crusaders was needed to keep the Rams at bay for much of the opening half with desperate cover on their own line twice keeping the hosts’ portion of the scoreboard blank.

Dewsbury savoured the lions’ share of possession and territory, but it was Ah Van who crossed first for the Crusaders in the 21st minute, after a partly missed tackle on Lloyd Roby opened up the chance.

Dallimore was unable to judge the blustery wind with the subsequent kick and a handling error by the otherwise hard-working Spedding helped the Rams gain a position whereby George Senior was able to capitalise on a defender shooting out of the line yet missing his target, to scramble his way across the line near the corner.

Jacob Hookem was no more successful at conquering the difficult breeze with his kick.

Louis Collinson was then held up before a succession of penalties helped North Wales into a position where Sam Wilde twisted his way over from close range to give the Welsh side more breathing space at the interval with a six-point lead.

A fumbled ball from the kick-off gave Cole Oakley two early chances to consolidate the Crusaders’ lead, but he was held up both times.

However, a high tackle within range gave Dallimore, now in his second spell with the Crusaders, an opportunity to open a two-score lead.

Jordan Gibson was magnificently stopped on the line by a last gasp tackle from Craig McShane, but the Crusaders were not to be denied a further try as Josh Eaves spotted Ah Van unmarked and put the former Bradford winger in for his second score in the corner.

Dallimore slotted over his most difficult kick thus far and Crusaders had one hand on victory at 18-4, with barely a quarter of an hour to play, and a small but vociferous following, who were now chanting songs more associated with the other end of their country’s rugby union heritage.

Dallimore took his goal tally to four with a late penalty, which threatened a slightly flattering final scoreline before Jamie Field grabbed a last-minute consolation for Dewsbury, which Hookem converted.

GAMESTAR: Jack Houghton put in a hard-running and tough-tackling display in miserable conditions where finesse was not the key to success.

GAMEBREAKER: Patrick Ah Van’s converted second try was always going to prove a bridge too far for an errant Dewsbury.

MATCHFACTS
RAMS
30 Craig McShane
2 Tommy Brierley
3 Caelum Jordan
4 George Senior
27 Tom Delaney
6 Dan Coates
7 Jacob Hookem
20 Harvey Roberts
31 Jack McShane
13 Declan Tomlinson
15 Keenen Tomlinson
11 Joe Summers
16 Louis Collinson
Subs (all used)
9 Sam Day
18 Jamie Field
19 Jack Biggs
24 Dale Ferguson

Tries: Senior (31), Field (78)
Goals: Hookem 1/2

CRUSADERS
1 Lloyd Roby
5 Patrick Ah Van
3 Kieran Taylor
20 Jake Spedding
21 Oliver Brookes
22 Jamie Dallimore
7 Jordan Gibson
8 Jack Houghton
14 Joe Baldwin
10 Chris Barratt
12 Cole Oakley
11 Sam Wilde
13 Olly Davies
Subs (all used)
15 Shaun Costello
18 Liam Cooper
19 Josh Eaves
23 Paddy Jones