Newton-taylor leaves it late to secure home win
................... ....................... JACK Newton-taylor scored a try right at the end of Leek Rugby Club’s home game on Saturday to secure victory over visitors Camp Hill.
This game had all the makings of a close encounter, if the earlier game at Camp Hill was any guide, and it lived up to expectations as Leek welcomed back a number of players to first-team duty.
The pitch was in great condition as the match kicked off with the weather playing no part in the game and Leek were quickly on the scoreboard. Winning a penalty for offside in the third minute, Sam Hunt kicked for the lineout on Camp Hill’s five-metre line on the right. A catch by George Hunt in the line and then a forwards drive to the line allowed Ed Cheadle to touch down. Sam Hunt kicked the conversion and Leek led 7-0.
Camp Hill were level on 12 minutes after winning a penalty for offside on their right. The lineout on the Leek 22 led to a couple of rucks and then the ball sped left along the backs and with the full-back in the line, the wing rounded Leek’s last defender to score in the left corner. The fly half converted superbly to level at seven all.
Camp Hill started to dominate now and on 21 minutes the flanker made a strong run through some poor tackling to the Leek 22. With Leek chasing back, another couple of rucks had the defence sucked in and then the fly half kicked a delightful chip over the line to touch down under the posts. His conversion was good and Camp Hill led 7-14.
From the kick-off, Jack Newton Taylor caught the ball on the left and weaved his way to within five metres of the Camp Hill line. Joe Newton Taylor was then held up over the line for a Leek scrum. This led to scrum dominance for Leek and Camp Hill were penalised twice but as Leek pressed in the ruck, Camp Hill’s defence held and they won a penalty for holding on to clear.
The game was intense as the forwards butted up against each other with Camps backs looking dangerous and Leek’s defence holding, but gradually Leek were finding holes and on 38 minutes Leek were again deep in the Camp Hill 22 when the clearance kick to about half way on the Leek left was fielded by Tom Scragg. He combined with Jack Newton Taylor who then fed Will Graham. The young centre then sprinted past and through tackles on the left to near the Camp Hill line. He set the ball up in the ruck and then Joel Booth and Bill Kidd combined to set up a ruck nearer the posts from which Joel Booth fed Joe Newton Taylor and the big prop crashed over the line for Leek’s second try. Sam Hunt converted and it was 14 all on 40 minutes.
From the kick-off, Camp Hill retained the ball and poor tackling again led to a penalty on Leek’s 22. The quickly taken kick had Leek scrambling to cover but the Camp Hill backs were sharp and the centre scored the visitor’s third try. The conversion missed, but Camp Hill took the lead at 1419 as the game entered added time at the end of the first half.
Touché from the kick off as Leek retained possession this time on their right. The ball was quickly fed through hands left and Jack Newton Taylor was on hand to sprint past the last two defenders and touch down in the left corner. Sam Hunt’s conversion just failed as the half-time whistle blew with the teams locked at 19 all and three tries all.
Three minutes into the second half and Camp Hill had their fourth and bonus point try. Leek conceded a penalty for not releasing in the tackle and Camp Hill worked an overlap again and the wing scored his second try. The conversion missed but Camp Hill led for the third time at 19-24.
Leek came back strongly and may have scored in the 47th minute but poor passing and then offside led to Camp Hill clearing, but Leek won the lineout on half way and the forwards changed tactic and drove a full 15 metres up field, winning a penalty in the process on 49 minutes. Opting to kick for the lineout in the Camp Hill 22 on the left, another good catch and drive led to a strong maul and Leek’s fourth try for their bonus point as young Jake Hartley scored. Sam Hunt’s conversion just missed and the sides were locked at 24 all on 50 minutes.
Camp Hill then came back strongly for the next 15 minutes and they scored two penalties in that time through the boot of the fly half. Will Graham has to be commended for his superb combative skills in defence, ripping ball and tackling the tide of Camp Hill backs coming his way, especially his opposite number and both of them were to be yellow carded later in the game as the intensity grew.
The second penalty for not releasing in the tackle led to Camp Hill leading 24-30 on the 68th minute but Leek weren’t done as they hit back in the 71st minute for their fifth try and Jack Newton Taylor’s second.
Leek won a penalty for a high tackle, but then lost the lineout and Camp Hill cleared for another Leek line. This time successful and then some quick rucking left had allowed Luke Hardern in support on the right. His pass over the top to Jack Newton Taylor allowed the full-back then to cut back inside to score a great try. Sam Hunt converted and Leek led 31-30 with less than 10 minutes of the running clock to play.
Disaster struck for Leek on 76 minutes when Will Graham was yellow carded after an incident with his opposite man after not rolling from the tackle and the Camp Hill fly half elected to kick for goal from wide left on Leek’s 22.
His unerring boot kicked Camp Hill into the lead once more at 31-33 and it looked a tall order now for Leek, down to 14 men.
Already in added time now, Camp Hill were reduced to 14 men as the centre was yellow carded but Leek found themselves on their own five metre line after the visitors kicked the ball rather than run it as the last minute loomed.
The lineout won, Leek knew they had to run the ball out of defence. They then won a penalty as the Camp Hill front row came up at the next scrum on their own 10 metre line. It was the last play as Joel Booth took the quick penalty from behind the scrum. Good retention and Leek was probing on the Camp Hill 22 on the left when the defence forced Isaac Reaney into a hurried pass.
As the ball bounced towards the left touch, Jack Newton Taylor collected it as the defence ran to him.
He quickly ran laterally to avoid those two defenders and then started straightening but still running to the right where his only support was right winger Adam Varley.
As the speeding full-back gathered pace, the defence started to split and Taylor enticed the centre and wing with a dummy to Varley before turning in between them and heading for the line and a quite dramatic ending to a game as he touched down for his third try and the winning score.
Sam Hunt couldn’t quite make the conversion but it didn’t matter as the final whistle blew then and Leek had snatched the win at the death by 36-33.
This weekend, Leek have a Staffordshire Cup clash away at Tamworth and the next Midlands Two West (North) league game at Esterchem Park is on February 2 when the Moorlanders welcome Wolverhampton to Esterchem Park. KO 2.15pm