Harrogate prosper in middle table clash

A combination of injuries and Easter unavailabilities led to Harrogate taking a weakened side to Birmingham for this re-arranged fixture. The players responded with an outstanding team performance with many of them giving us their best game of the season.

It didn’t look that way at the start when the Bees race into an early 12-0 lead. Well constructed backs moves ended with prop Jonah Boyce squeezing over in the corner. Shortly afterwards, centre, Robert Connolly powered through poor Harrogate tackling for another try, converted by Jack Jolly.

The Harrogate pack then started to make its presence felt with Jimmy Browne a powerhouse in the loose well supported by veteran lock, Rob Johnson. Chris Wilson was a reliable source of line-out ball and also gave a commanding performance in open play. The ever reliable Dan Metcalfe, Aarin Yorke, Noel Minikin, Nathan Smith and Tim Heaton got stuck into their much bigger opponents and Harrogate’s talented backs at last had some good ball to play with.

Browne won a turnover from a Bees’ driving maul and Phil Wickham’s lightning service gave Callum Irvine some midfield space.  His 40 metres break scythed through the Bees’ midfield and the ever electric Yorke was on hand to take the scoring pass.  Irvine’s conversion made it 12-7.

The dry hard surface was the ideal medium for creative Harrogate backs play which now became the stand-out feature of the game with Wickham and Irvine giving them space to strut their stuff. Centre, Luke Edwards ha d an outstanding match inspired by the incisive breaks of his partner and Captain, Sam Bottomley.  Lewis Minikin linked well from full back with wingers Harry Parrish and James Audsley-Beck adding pace to the attacks.

A long Irvine line kick led to a Bees’ defensive line-out and Wilson promptly stole their ball. The Bees went offside from the subsequent Harrogate driving maul and the quicksilver Wickham’s tap and run led to a “Danny Care” type converted try under the posts. The Bees came back into the game but the outstanding Harrogate defence held firm until they were penalised near their own goal line. A Bees attacking line-out resulted in a try for powerful lock, Chris Goddard.  A long, well controlled Harrogate driving maul produced good attacking ball for the backs. Irvine made a half break and then put in a clever chip kick which Edwards gathered and burst through despairing tackles for another converted try.

The Bees came out of their blocks in the second half and powerful forward drives continued to test defence to deliver a perfectly weighted pass to Audsley-Beck on the left wing. Becky danced past his opposite number and outpaced the Bees’ defence with an arcing run to score under the posts.  

The Bees forwards continued their efforts and set up an attacking line-out from a penalty. Strong running from Connolly was well supported by flanker, Mike Stephens whose try was converted by Adam Canning (Jolly was sitting the game out in the sin bin).

The Bees were now within 4 points of Harrogate’s total but the visitors continued to dominate.  Replacement scrum half, Joe Rowntree’s incisive passing took the eye and he only narrowly failed with 2 very long range penalty kicks. He initiated a final Harrogate backs move which went through several pairs of hands till Edwards scored the game’s final try

Birmingham Solihull 24 - Harrogate 33

Birmingham-Solihull: Canning, Evans, Mogaji, Connolly, Elvers, Petty, Jolly (Briggs 65), Boyce, Radburn, Koziot, Lee, Goddard, Stephens, Scriven, Leach(Onojaife 65)

Harrogate: L Minikin, Parrish, Bottomley, Edwards, Audsley-Beck (Aspinall 69), Irvine, Wickham (Rowntree 69), Metcalfe (Nyemba 69), Browne, Johnson (Adair 58), Wilson, N Minikin (Dewsnip 58), Smith, Heaton.

Referee: Andrew Taylorson (Retired injured at half time and replaced by Richard Parker-Sedgemoor)