On a beautiful, scorching hot summer’s day the Buffaloes travelled the short distance to take on the Batley Boys in the Yorkshire Men’s League Premier Division, writes Martyn Cheney.
A combination of the sun, injuries and unavailability left the Buffaloes depleted in numbers, travelling with only 15 players. This was never going to be ideal against a well-drilled, strong team, unbeaten in the competition so far.
From the kick-off the Buffaloes put the ball dead and the home side was on the attack, relentlessly probing and attacking the Buffaloes line.
The Batley team opened the scoring on eight minutes when they crashed over the line for a converted try giving them the lead six points to nil.
Their next try came on 19 minutes, when strong-running second rower Josh O’Sullivan crossed for another converted try after a quick-tap penalty and an outrageous dummy left a yawning gap in the Buffaloes defence. This doubled the lead to 12-0.
In the 31st minute, Batley crossed the line again, unopposed, after they were awarded a penalty for OFfside. They launched a high bomb, which the Buffaloes defenders lost in the bright Sun, the ball bounced harmlessly into the arms of the chasing Batley player who crossed for an unconverted try, making the score 16-0.
Two minutes before the break, and with the Buffaloes team wilting in the heat, the home side bamboozled the despairing defenders for a converted try, extending their lead to 22-0.
Having already lost debutant Tyler Battensby to injury early in the first half, boom centre Kieran Hudson was forced from the field with an arm injury, which he suffered very early in the game, and valiantly tried to battle on through the pain.
From the kick-off the Buffaloes made a mistake in the first set, and with the ball loose on the ground a Batley player swooped on the ball and scored an unconverted try, taking the lead out to 26-0.
On 46 minutes, another high kick, the ball was lost in the bright sunlight, and the Batley attackers again swooped on the ball and raced 50 metres to score near the posts for a converted try, making the score, 32-0.
Four minutes later the referee made a mistake – in the view of the Bramley players – in awarding Batley a scrum which should have been the Buffaloes. Rather than been on the attack 40 metres out from the Batley line they were left chasing a Batley attacker who sprinted the 60 metres to score unopposed under the post. The try was converted, taking the score out to 38-0.
In the 56th minute, the Buffaloes failed to gather in a ball that was chipped over the defensive line, which was scooped up by the home side for another unconverted try, taking the score to 42-0.
Three minutes later, and after several repeat sets, the Batley standoff threw another dummy, which wrong-footed the defenders and left the attacker with an empty line in front of him, extending the lead to 46-0.
In the 66th Minute, Buffaloes Man of the Match, Ben Maynard Worrincy broke the defensive line for what seemed like the first time, in a long time, he tried to offload the ball in the tackle, the ball went to ground and was swooped upon by the defenders, and they raced away for another converted try making the score 52-0.
The kick off went out on the full again, and needless yards were gifted to the home side, who did not need gifts.
In the 70th minute the home team dropped a little ball off on the inside to an oncoming attacker to crossed the line, unopposed for a converted try, to make the score 58-0. As the conversion was taken, Buffaloes Hooker, Cameron McLachlan, was forced from the field with an injury and the Buffaloes were down to 12 men.
Three minutes later the home side’s stand-off, who had run the show all afternoon, broke the line, drew the defence and fed the ball on the onrushing support, who crossed under the posts for another converted try, making the score 64-0.
Into injury time and the Buffaloes had their first real attack of the game, following a break from Maynard Worrincy, who was ably supported by Xavier Martin. However, the play ended when a kick was launched but went dead before the attackers could get there.
On the last play of the game, the Batley side rolled forward and on the sixth tackle, scored a converted try under the posts, to make the final score 70-0.
A hard day at the office for the Buffaloes, but all credit to the 15 that were there, they never gave up, in the heat, with no interchanges for the second half, the team will bounce back. We are at home this weekend to Lindley Swifts, with there being a possibility of an earlier kickoff, depending on the result of the England (football) game on Tuesday night.
Batley Boys: 1) Jeffrey, Price, 2) Joshua Scrutton, 3) Josh Whitehead, 4) Aaron James, 5) Jonathan Marsden, 6) Adam Bingham, 7) Luke Sheridan, 8) Robert Garforth, 9) Joshua Knowles, 10) Gavin Davis, 11) Josh O’Sullivan, 12) Jordan Brown, 13) Ryan Crossley, Subs (all used); 14) Sean Sheard, 15) Nathan Williams, 16) Matthew Sheridan, 17) Ben Hardacre.
Bramley Buffaloes: 1) Peter Croft, 2) Harry Kilbride, 3) Daniel Baranyi, 4) Kieran Hudson, 5) Tyler Battensby, 6) Connor McGill, 7) Brad Wilson (c), 8) Charlie McMurray, 9) Cameron McLachlan, 10) Ben Maynard Worrincy, 11) Tom Langton, 12) Xavier Martin, 13) Nathan Hammond, Subs (All Used); 14) Ryan Raby, 15) Craig Brown.
Buffaloes Man of the Match: Ben Maynard Worrincy