Tynedale's old boys advanced to the quarterfinals of the Northumberland Junior Challenge Trophy with a comprehensive victory over a young Ponteland side.
The home side produced an entertaining style of 15-man rugby, which entertained the sizeable crowd whilst running in ten unanswered tries. The win was all the more convincing when you realise that this was the first game of the season for the Vets having been unable to muster enough players to fulfil previously arranged games but with debutants Jon Standish and Rob "Bullseye" Bowen bolstering the ranks and players of such pedigree as Graham Yates and John Fletcher making themselves available it was hard to imagine an upset was on the cards.
Marcus Davison scored the opening try who went on to secure the man of the match award for a thoroughly workmanlike performance. The extraordinary fitness levels shown by Marcus, the side's most senior player was only surpassed by the even more extraordinary hair colour he displayed. Clearly upset by Clayton-Hibbotts retirement he donned a ginger head thatch in a shameless tribute to the youngster, took a pass from five yards out and thundered over the line, Alan Moses converting to open the scoring.
From the re-start the forwards worked the ball up field with some good controlled driving before scrum half Craig Johnson released the backs, which ended with winger Jon Standish scoring the second try.
The forwards continued to dominate the set piece with a front row of Davison, Richard Parker and Angus Whitelaw out scrumaging the younger opposition and locks Richard Jones and Fergus Mitchell cleaning up in the lineout. With such a wealth of possession it must have been hard for Ponteland to remain positive but to their great credit they never stopped trying but despite their efforts their only reward was a penalty.
With the re-start taking the game into the Pythons half the Vets back row of Yates, Ian Charlton and Neil Murphy went on the rampage with Charlton in particular looking back to his best and was rewarded with the games third try after a trademark barging run. This concluded the forwards try tally as the Vets opened up the game to allow the backs to shine with all manner of trickery usually reserved for Kingston Park only slower, much slower.
With the crowd eagerly anticipating Fletcher getting the ball stand off Moses called a double dummy scissors loop pop miss two out wide cut back, or something similar, passed the ball to the flying Falcon who ignored all that stuff and ran it in himself from forty yards, unusually scoring only one inch from the touchline despite the nearest opponent being ten yards away and leaving Moses with a forty yard touchline conversion attempt into the wind. Now laying down a challenge like this to Alan Moses is similar to matching up Peter Southern and John Shotton in a head butting competition, you know the odds are stacked but you wouldn't bet against them and sure enough the ball sailed through the uprights ending the scoring for the half at 26-3. Make your own mind up on the head butting.
The second half saw the introduction of Bullseye Bowen, the Newcastle Falcons Academy Conditioning Coach on the wing and Mike Smith at hooker. Now with the wind at their backs the Vets continued where they left off and centre Rod Wallace put full back Scott Ferguson in for the first of his two tries whilst Bowen showed both pace and balance for his two scores.
With the opposition legs starting to tire Moses finished off an excellent move from inside his own half, the ball passing through most players hands at some point and it was a similar story for the final score fittingly scored by Tynedale's own returning Messiah, John Fletcher. Move over KK.
The next game for the Vets is at Rockcliffe on 16th February and more squad players are needed to ensure the cup fixtures are fulfilled, any age or shape. Hair colour, or indeed hair is optional (see Marcus for more details).