Birkenhead Park RFC

Sat 9 Sep 2023

Whitchurch

38 - 29

(HT 0-0)

Birkenhead Park

Whitchurch

Birkenhead Park

Whitchurch 38 Birkenhead Park 29

Park made their first trip to Whitchurch in almost 17 years on a scorching hot September day. Park were confident after last week’s performance and were hopeful of another win, how disappointed they would be. The tone was set from the kick off with Park immediately giving away a penalty for a high tackle allowing Whitchurch to kick into the park half. A mistake by Hall kicking the ball dead from the park 10m line gave Whitchurch an attacking scrum and when Park were penalised at the scrum the Whitchurch 9 took a quick tap and raced off to score under the posts, converted 7-0. From the kick off Whitchurch took the ball and began to build when park again gave away a penalty for a high tackle, this one resulted in a yellow card for 2^nd row Hellier. A good kick through by Whitchurch mad park take a goal line clearance and when the ball was brought back Park gave away another penalty allowing Whitchurch to camp in the Park 22. After a couple of carries by the forwards the ball was moved wide and Whitchurch scored in the corner, converted 14-0. Straight from the kick off Park gave away another penalty allowing Whitchurch to move easily into the Park half. A mistake by Whitchurch allowed Park to move just outside their 22 and then made the mistake of overthrowing at the lineout. Park regained possession and managed to spend some time in the Whitchurch 22 eventually forcing a penalty in front of the posts. As if Park needed a reminder that this was not to be their day the ever reliable Hall hit the post with what should have been an easy kick. Whitchurch were able to clear their lines and the pressure was removed. Park were making the occasional break but couldn’t seem to find that last telling pass. From a Whitchurch line out just outside their 22 Park managed to get hands on the ball and force the scrum. From the resulting dominant scrum Morgan found Wellington who with a short pass found the onrushing Du Randt who burst through the defence to score, Hall converting 14-7. From the kick off Park moved into the Whitchurch half but a loose off load found a Whitchurch player. The ball when kicked through took a wicked bounce into the chasing Whitchurch player’s arms and he greatly scrambled over to scored, converted 21-7. Park bounced back and put pressure on the opposition and from another dominant scrum the ball was moved wide eventually the missed pass found Lynch who dived in at the corner, 21-12, HT.

Park despite all their errors were still in the game but they just couldn’t seem to get any consistency of possession or territory. This gave Whitchurch opportunities to attack and off a scrum just in the Park half they moved the ball into the midfield when a large gap seemed to open up and the centre waltzed through to score, converted 28-12. From a scrum in the Park half nice interplay between Wellington and Du Randt moved Park into the Whitchurch half and forced a penalty at the breakdown. From a midfield scrum Waddington thought he had scored only to be brought back for a forward pass. Park tried to pressurise but were caught offside allowing Whitchurch to clear their lines again. Park managed to disrupt the lineout and regain possession moving across the pitch. Whitchurch were caught offside and the kick to the corner gave Park a lineout. A neat catch by Ashcroft set up the drive and this time Park kept it together for Grant to score, 28-17. Just when Park looked like they were getting back in the game another error gave Whitchurch the scrum inside the 10m line. From possession a chip over the defence and again the bounce of the ball favoured Whitchurch and fell into the arms of the winger to score, converted 35-17. Park had a sustained period of pressure now and managed at one stage to push Whitchurch off their own ball in the scrum. Following a number of 5m lineouts Park could not quite get over the line. The next penalty a scrum was called and when the ball fund Wellington he powered through the defence to score, Baldwin converting 35-24. Park upped the urgency but time and again penalties allowed Whitchurch an easy out and then park compounded these penalties with simple errors. This was epitomised when Park were given a penalty just inside their half and some back chat to the ref led to its reversal and Whitchurch kicked the points, 38-24. Park went back into the attack and had plenty of possession in the dying minutes and eventually when the ball was moved wide Wellington found the space to score the final points, 38-29.

A disappointing performance all round from park this week with far too many penalties and errors but hopefully we won’t see the likes of that again.