A perfect storm of call ups to the Raiders, Covid testing, a traffic accident, child-minding problems and a man-flu epidemic saw the Centurions shorn of key players and stretched to the limit against a strong Alnwick side.

As the much-changed team were trying to find positions and a pattern, they were an early try down and under pressure from a five metre scrum. The front-row of Lewis Sparke, Oliver Shrimpton and Rory Craney, who srummaged manfully throughout, held the drive from a huge pack, and allowed Freddy Botia to pick up at the base. The Fijian then showed his south sea island flair and set-off on a mazy, side-stepping run before being caught only a metre short of the try line. He still managed to fling a pass to the supporting Darwen Currie but he too was held up.

Unfortunately, this foray was only a brief respite from the attacking skills of the Alnwick backs who were able to add three nicely taken tries before the skilful Tynedale scrum-half Sam Richardson led another break out into the Alnwick 22 metre area. He linked with Jake Sloan and Spencer Tolley to feed Dan Heppell. Unfortunately, the hat-trick hero of last week was another victim of the heavy-cold outbreak and this time was bundled into touch in the corner. Just before the break the lead was increased by a converted try to put the home side almost out of sight at 29-0.

With the conditions in their favour in the second half, the Centurions were certainly more competetive. Ian Charlton won some decent line out ball, Oliver Wall broke out on several barn-storming runs, and Andy Purves kicked astutely into the corners, but an elusive score never really seemed likely. On the other hand, the home side always looked dangerous and would have added to the score had it not been for three thunderous tackles from Steven Blair, some deperate scragging by Richardson and the courageous defence of Sloan.

This pressure begn to tell and, with a strong Alnwick replacement bench introduced, the Tynedale effort began to peter out. This was compounded by the loss to injury of influential skipper, Sloan. Two tries on the half hour and two more just before the final whistle produced a deserved, comfortable victory for the home side but does not reflect the huge effort expended by the weakened Centurions side.