Tynedale Colts 66 Morpeth Colts 14
*
After an unfamiliar stuttering start, Tynedale ended up purring to a fifth straight victory - six, if you count a walkover win - to maintain their Border League title charge.

After initially fumbling for the ball like a bar of Imperial Leather lost in the team bath, Tyne produced a regal 10-try performance which saw full-time again called inside the hour mark.

Doubles for Logan Stewart, George Laidler and Marley Thompson, and tries for Jonas Turnbull, Isaac Patterson, Lewis Lawson and Will Farrington, included some scintillating scores.

Morpeth, having arrived light-handed, put up stoic resistance to the Tyne tide, with their excellent skipper Matty Welch scoring all of their points.
But once the home side’s early attack of butterfingers had passed, they cut through time and again like a knife through left-out Lurpak.
A series of knock-ons had left Tyne stuck in their own 22 for much of the first 10 minutes - before Logan decided enough was enough.
A thrilling, barrelling run took him to within yards of the posts, but his offload was snaffled by the supporting Jonas to go over for Tyne’s first converted score.

Then, George - the silk to Logan’s steel - took a high ball, beat two men and released Will Hall before accepting his excellent return pass to dance past several more would-be tackles for a stellar score.
Straight from the restart, Isaac was rewarded for not only a safe catch and strong initial burst but also a fine supporting run, as excellent hands among the backs put him over in the corner.

To their credit, Morpeth battled back, with Matty W sliding over after an excellent chip and chase, set up by Tyne renegade Fox Thorpe - one of several home players who helped out the visitors - ripping a ball in the tackle.

But normal service was resumed after a huge hit by Archie Neal in midfield sparked a turnover and break by Marley which set up Logan for a thrilling burst through multiple men to the line.

Then several more excellent tackles eventually saw Morpeth cough up possession which was shifted left for Marley to set off on a visceral, viciously aggressive run which took him through, never mind past, three tacklers and over for another converted try.
With 26 more today, surely no player in the league can have totted up more points this season than the Tyne skipper.

Soon, more excellent hands among the three-quarters teed up Logan for an unstoppable, touchline-hugging charge for his second score.
Although 42-7 ahead at half-time, Tyne maintained their intensity, with Marley taking just two minutes to again show his instinct for finding - or making - space by shimmying between tackles and over the line.

Then another solid kick-off retrieval resulted in George producing a majestic, improbably angled outside-in run in under the posts.
Again, though, Matt W had an answer, running onto a missed line-out throw, through a gap and over for his second try - again, superbly converted.

Yet a quick Tyne one-two then delivered the game’s final KO, as first Lewis was rewarded for a typically aggressive burst with a glory charge to the line, then “smiling” Will F got up in support of Archie Neal to score try #10.
With the rain now as persistent as Tyne’s attacking, nobody questioned the decision, more than 10 minutes from time, for the referee to call a halt.

And so, the march goes on.

Neil Farrington