Harrogate Pythons travelled to Huddersfield Laund RUFC to face league champions Wath Upon Dearne in the final of The Yorkshire Shield. After 10 minutes of the second half The Pythons momentum held the promoted Wath to 14-15 but a total turn round saw Wath win 17-41 to claim the trophy. Both sides made a nervy start making basic mistakes resulting in plenty of set piece work. Within 5 minutes Will Milnes was forced to leave the field with an injury limiting The Pythons line out options. Wath were awarded a 5m scrum and the league’s leading try scorer picked up and drove over in the corner, 0-5. Sam Rowntree, Peter Millward and Hugh Tatlow all needed to show some determined tackling as The Wath pack played the game close to the breakdown. Some expansive play and their pacy centre scores, 0-10. Max Sharp, always safe under a high ball, returns a kick ahead with interest. Pythons win a penalty and Harry Smith pushes play into the Wath 22. A secure line out and Natsuki Barclay, playing his last game for the club, gets the phases moving. Eddy Wilkinson drives for the line Millward is in support but the ball is held up. Wath clear. The Pythons DoR Tom Baxter enters the field having met the eligibility criteria of The YRFU and immediately makes an impact in the set piece. A superb off load in the tackle catches The Pythons wrong footed, 0-15. The Pythons respond well to the scoreline and begin setting their phase play with Barclay and Harry Jackson at 10 conducting play. Jordan Payne is held 5m, Harry Butler is kept out but an off side gives Wath the chance to clear. Smith, Jackson and Sam Beagrie break the gain line, Wath are forced to give away a penalty and Smith puts play into The Wath 22. Tatlow from the top to Barclay who feeds Jackson, a slick off load to Sharp in the clear rounding the last defender to score under the posts. Ben Pryor adds the extras, 7-15 half time.
The Pythons win a penalty on half way, Smith has a go but the ball lands inches short, Wath clear. A stolen line out puts Wath on the offensive on half way. Some sharp work by Milnes turns the ball over. Smith breaks through the mid field and passes to Harry Brayshaw – a deliberate knock on robs Brayshaw and earns Wath a yellow card. Smith plants the penalty to 10m. Tatlow secures the line out ball, Rowntree feeds Millward who is pulled down 5m short. Rowntree picks the ball and powers over next to the posts. Pryor adds the 2, 14-15 – game on. The Pythons are placed under pressure by Wath. A 5m scrum and the inevitable pick and go, 14-22. The Pythons narrow the gap to one score, 17-22 with a Pryor penalty. Tatlow is forced to leave the field having carried an injury throughout the game. Although The Pythons ball carriers Butler, Millward, Rowntree and Milnes made ground close to the breakdown and Brayshaw, Smith and Beagrie gained ground in the wider channels Wath’s defence holds firm. The last 5 minutes saw Wath score 3 more tries, final score 17-41.
After the game Tom Baxter said,” Naturally we’re disappointed not to come away with the result, but massive credit has to go to the players for the effort they put in and the way they represented the club. We came up against a very good Wath side who have now completed a remarkable season with three trophies. For us, this was our first major final as a club and that’s a huge milestone in itself. We competed, we fought for each other and showed exactly what Harrogate Pythons are about. We will learn from the experience and use this to drive ourselves forward into the 26/27 season”
