After a badly disrupted pre-season, Wharfedale’s visit to Chester was never likely to be an easy assignment. So it proved. With only a minute on the clock, Wharfedale had conceded a penalty in their own 22. From the resulting lineout, Chester’s towering second-row, Callum Atkinson, set a rolling maul in motion that sent the home pack’s Edward Morris over the line. Fly-half Morgan Bagshaw missed the conversion, but ten minutes later knocked over a penalty in front of the post to take the score out to 8-0.

At this point Wharfedale came into the match. A terrific breakthrough in midfield by Callum Trees nearly led to a try, but his offloaded pass landed in Chester hands. The Greens stayed down in the Chester 22, though, and after a 5-metre lineout and rolling maul, Oli Cicognini sidestepped his way over the line and under the posts. With Archie Haddon converting, Wharfedale were within a point.

Chester’s scrum and lineout always had the advantage, and with possession in their favour it was only a matter of time before they scored again – with a penalty on the half hour. Then with a minute to go before the break Chester repeated the move which led to their opening try to go in at 16-7 up.

Wharfedale’s captain Cicognini said after the game that at half-time the mood in the changing room was still upbeat. The optimism was not to last.

Five minutes into the second half Chester spread the ball wide from a rolling maul, and winger Louis Beer dotted down in the corner. With the conversion made, the home side led 23-7.

Just after the hour mark, a missed tackle let the Chester centre Hervey Hebden run through under the posts. The home side’s final scoring act was another try out on the right wing, this time to Wilbur Blackburn.

Although the result was beyond doubt, to their credit Wharfedale kept pressing, and ended the match on the attack, but were held up over the Chester line.

After the match head coach Simon Verbickas had no complaints. “First thing to say is that Chester were very good. They used Callum Atkinson well in the lineout, and limited our time with the ball. We need to improve off first-phase possession. The biggest positive for us is that heads didn’t drop, and we kept at it to the final whistle."

Skipper Cicognini was philosophical about the defeat. “With our pre-season so disjointed, we were always going to struggle for continuity. But we’ve got big games coming up to put that right, starting with Otley at home next week.”

It’s true that retirements in the front row and newcomers in the backline gave this Wharfedale side a very unfamiliar feel. But the new wings, Sam Taylor and Joe Scholefield, showed pace and incision. And debutant fly-half Joseph Adams demonstrated kicking power and attacking potential. Add these new talents to the experience around them, and this is a green side that shows promise. What they need is time to gel on the pitch.

They also need passion on the sideline. On a sunny day at Chester, with many in the chattering crowd focussed more on the bar than the pitch, vocal support for either side was in short supply. But as we move away from the cricket season, what better opportunity to show the new Greens the strength of our 16th man than a home match against Otley?


Referee: Andrew Shaw
Attendance: 375
Half time Score: Chester 16 – Wharfedale 7


Scorers:
CHESTER
Tries: Morris, Robson, Beer, Hebden, Blackham
Conversions: Bagshaw (2)
Penalties: Bagshaw (2)
WHARFEDALE
Tries: Cicognini
Conversions: Haddon

Wharfedale:-
1 Sam Dickinson
2 Sid Holden
3 Reece Ward
4 Zeb Hayes
5 Simon Borrill
6 George Hedgley
7 Joe Fawcett
8 Tom Beresford
9 Idris Morgan
10 Joe Adams
11 Joe Scholefield
12 Oli Cicognini
13 Callum Trees
14 Sam Taylor
15 Archie Haddon
16 Jimmy Meehan
17 James Bentley
18 Fin Brewster
19 Ed Harrison
20 Orson Hall