On Saturday the Brods welcomed the highly vaunted visitors from Tyneside, Percy Park, in their third regional match in this year’s Papa Johns tournament. The stakes were high as potentially either side could move forward to the semis should Selby slip up over in Birkenhead Park. A sizeable crowd gathered to watch the game in perfect conditions, with an unseasonably cold breeze blowing up the slope.

Playing up the slope, Park got proceedings underway with a kick into Brods territory, where the Brods, playing in their green change kit, were quick to settle into their stride. In short time, after a ball steal on their 40 metre line, Dom Georgiou broke the Park line and sent young wing, Fyn Hobson, clear on halfway and there was no catching the speedy wing who scored toward the left-hand corner. Against the wind Josh Kelly narrowly missed the conversion. 5-0 after 2 minutes played.

Park responded kicking up hill and their big forwards started going through the phases taking play up to the Brods 22, but the home side were looking lively and Kelly relieved pressure with his usual ‘field gun’ clearance. However, Brods were starting to make mistakes giving Park a period of sustained possession. Georgiou was then, on 8 minutes, unfortunately yellow carded for an accident high tackle. From the penalty Park attacked, with their big pack punching holes in the Brods defence and after 10 minutes drove over for a try. An immaculate conversion from number 10 made the score 5-7 to Park.

From the kick off, the Brods caught directly but proceeded to knock on allowing Park to drive uphill for a couple of phases. Brods returned play only to drop the ball again giving possession once more to Park, the ref playing advantage. With Park making ground to halfway and the home support thinking the advantage was over, the precocious Hobson, ever-alert, intercepted from 40 metres and seemed destined to score again, only to be brought back for the earlier offence. However, after a couple of penalties to the home side for Park being off-side, Kelly put a kick into the left corner some 5 metres out. From the ensuing lineout, Harris caught and the Brods drove against the heavy Park pack and were initially repelled. But on the next drive, Peter Ashton saw his chance and dived over from close range. Conversion narrowly missed, 10-7 to Brods after 15 minutes. At this stage the Brods were having plenty of possession and their backs seemed to have the edge in speed, a Gillgrass/Hobson interchange catching the eye.

However, for the next 20 minutes the Park forwards began to gain the ascendancy, their 2 locks, Reekie and Hedley, not only being the biggest seen at Woodhead for many a year, but very good runners and ball handlers, being particularly prominent. In this period Brods were unable to get their hands on the ball with one penalty after another seemingly being awarded to Park. Brods were manfully defending in this period with Jennings, Craven and Hodkinson making significant contributions. Hodkinson in particular was battling hard against a niggly opposing scrum half. However, play was scrappy and Park frequently dropped the ball in the threequarters, but when Brods tried to break back they produced their own errors. Penalties were building in a favour of Park and Brods were beginning to feel the effect of constant defence plus stoppages for injuries to Kelly and Harris, the latter having to leave the field, being replaced by another Brods teenager, Jobe Knapton.

On 35 minutes the inevitable happened and the dam burst with one of the Park giant locks bullocking his way over the line for a try from close range after a series of phases of forward drives. Another good conversion making the score 10-14 on 35 minutes. From the restart it was all Park pressing up the slope once more with the war-torn Brods continuing to make mistakes and concede penalties. However, the Brods defence was valiant and was holding out despite being stretched.

With 42 minutes on the clock and in overtime, after another sustained stint of pressure close to the Brods line, one of the oversized Park locks powered over again from close in, another immaculate conversion making it a rather flattering 10-21 to visiting Park. For the remaining minutes of the half, it was the Brods turn to attack and press the visitors line without appearing to be too threatening.

Resuming after half time, captain Elliot Craven was withdrawn having played his heart out in the first half, with seasoned heavyweights Stapley and Wroot taking the field. The Brods were driving up hill, but their lineout was beginning to misfire, and the Park locks, constantly a real handful, returned play with good yardage. Benefitting from the dominance of their forwards, the Park three-quarter line were now playing more expansively and making inroads down the slope. Following another line break from the big Park forwards, the ball was sweetly distributed to the right where a try was scored by the speedy visitors’ wingman. Another excellent conversion made the score 10-28 to Park, and a bonus point bagged after 48 minutes. From the kick off a direct Brods’ catch saw young flanker Louis Inman burst 20 metres up field. Another dropped pass, however, gave Park possession and they pinned Brods back to their own half. But Brods were now showing steel and drove up field once more with Wroot on the rampage. Penalties were now coming Brods’ way and Park seemed to be tiring, but the Brods’ line out, with new thrower and prime catchers, failing to function effectively, thus enabling the Park back row to steal possession. Brods however continued to make ground with Kelly punishing Park with kicks deep into the visitors 22.

On 55 minutes Brods lost their "flying" Fyn Hobson after the winger was flattened, immediately after putting a grubber through. You could argue that the Park lock had time to pull out of the tackle, after the ball has left Fyn's boot, but we don't think the big North East 20-stoner will be known for his quick reactions. There was a delay in proceedings until the injured player was led from the field to applause from both sides, thankfully with no serious injury.

This galvanised the Brods players, and from the resulting penalty Kelly put the Brods on the attack with an excellent kick to within 5 metres of the Park line. From the line out Jobe Knapton caught well from Inman’s throw and set up a determined drive by the Brods forward pushing back the visitors’ heavier pack. There was to be no stopping the well drilled Brods forwards this time, and a try was scored to the right of the posts with 60 minutes on the clock. Once more Kelly narrowly missed the conversion but with the score now at 15-28 Brods had their tails up.

From the resulting kick off, Brods gained possession and replacement Chris Georgiou raced 25 metres into the visitors 22 and the ball was passed to the right across the three-quarter line with Brods looking threatening. However, once more the Brods knocked on at a crucial time and a scrum to Park was awarded.

Brods were now in full flow and from the scrum, the visitors’ scrum half was scragged and driven back towards the Park line. A Park penalty was awarded but Barron fielded the kick and raced 30 metres up field into the Park 22 once more and a high tackle saw a Park forward carded. The pattern of play was now Brods constantly on the attack with Park defending at full stretch and relieving pressure with kicks down field.

The valiant Jennings was replaced but mistakes were creeping in to the Brods game with a succession of dropped passes and loss of control at the usually reliable Brods’ line out, but free kicks and penalties kept the pressure on.

On 78 minutes Brods’ pressure was rewarded. From a scrum on halfway, the ball was quickly distributed across the backs and Dom Georgiou spotted a gap and raced through with typical acceleration leaving the visitors’ backs in disarray to touch down near the posts for a wonderful solo Brods fourth try. On this occasion Kelly was successful with the conversion, bringing the score 22-28, the Brods being within a converted try of victory. However, unlike last week, this week there was insufficient time for the now rampant Brods to get up field and score a winning try, with Park making victory secure by kicking direct to touch on halfway bringing the contest to an end in overtime.

This was the end of Brods’ Cup dream, but they had performed with distinction against the three promoted northern Regional Level 2 teams, who had each won their respective league titles and would be progressing to compete at Level 5 of the national league ranking next season, The large number of Brods teenagers stepping up to senior rugby playing with great quality and Corinthian spirit augers well for next season and beyond. They can be proud of their performance for their achievements this season and can hold their heads high.

As for Percy Park, we wish them well and on the day were deserving of their victory. We look forward to meeting them again in future,