NURL 1sts – 26
Napier University– 12
For the season opener NURL headed to Scotland with an injury and graduation ravaged side including 7 debutants out of Seventeen. Napier had been undefeated in Edinburgh for 3 years and boast a squad containing numerous Scottish Student Internationals. The Royals were keen to stamp their authority on the re-structured Premier North division and eager to welcome the newly promoted side with a crushing defeat.
The task was made all the more difficult when excitement-machine and serial Basher Mike Ward aggravated a recurring thumb injury in the warm-up. Honorary NURL physio Michael ‘Trigger’ Brady used his patented Mustard rub to soothe the digit and eventually the side was ready to face a Napier outfit that was still somewhat of un-known quantity.
Newcastle were met by a small yet partisan crowd and quickly set about silencing their rudimentary and bucolically themed howls.
Debutant Half-back Robert Seagreaves immediately marshalled some expansive passing and Napier were instantly pinned back by NURL’s smart and un-compromising running. The pressure soon told as Liam ‘The Kipper’ Mcgee broke the Napier line un-scathed after some smart play from John Kingswood, the try was duly converted by Sam Jacques.
After a summer gorging himself on Root-Beer and Twinkies Michael Bryan looked less like his familiar Mexican Wolf-boy and more like Eddie Munster on Steroids! His newfound and surplus chins added some meat to the NURL defensive wall that was broken for the first time by a surging run from Napier’s impressive Loose Forward. The Scots managed to score after some worthy support play and converted to level the scores.
Noting how Edward ‘Longshanks’ I had success in subjugating the Scots NURL unleashed their own liberally limbed Catholic in Brady who made an immediate impact from the bench. The Napier pack had no solution to his trademark plank hand-off and the go forward quickly led to more points when another surging run from Full-back Mcgee was latched on to by Kevin Davey who grounded the ball under the sticks to set up Jacques’ second conversion.
Napier managed to score from a fine kick chase before the interval but thereafter the Royals were completely dominant.
Michael Ward quickly barged over the try line after some darting plods from Hooker Ed Ainscoe and a fine piece of flowing rugby was capped off by Dave Furniss who received the last of 7 passes after good work from Urquhart and Murray James.
Human car-jack Joe Robinson was keeping the Napier attack at bay with some furious defence that justly earned him the Man of the Match award whilst fellow debutants Sean Howells and Dave Knox were putting in their fair share of gut-barges.
Newcastle scored once more when bolter Sam Boyd found NURL’s oldest ever debutant Richard Massey who, despite often appearing disorientated like his contemporary Rip Van Winkle, finished emphatically to cap off his and the team’s fine performance.
Many of the male and female spectators had been Mulching Irn-bru and salted shortbread in their rusty beards but the post-match delicacies were declined as NURL turned it’s focus to next weeks blockbuster at home to UCLan.