Although it was a successful day off the field with the Former Players’ Reunion, Harrogate came out on the wrong side on the pitch.
Sheffield kicked off with the wind behind their backs, and soon put Harrogate under pressure. A break from midfield was only halted by an interception by Dan Troup. However, further breaks saw Sheffield into the Harrogate 22 resulting in Christian Hooper scoring the first of his three tries.
After a quarter of an hour, Sheffield ran the ball having won a line-out in Harrogate’s 22, and forward pressure saw Will Smith go under the posts for the first of his two tries. Elliot Fisher converted.
Harrogate rallied and from a penalty conceded under the posts, Rory Macnab made the score 3 – 12.
Despite having a try disallowed for a forward pass in midfield, Sheffield ran in further tries through Smith and Hooper, both converted by Fisher, to gain their bonus point before half-time.
Harrogate showed more intent in the second half, with Will Yates immediately scoring the first of his two tries. Macnab converted. They continued to press and looked likely to score again, but strong Sheffield defence kept them out.
However, Sheffield continued to run the ball and from a penalty on Harrogate’s 22, Robert Fawdry went over on the hour, converted by Fisher.
Harrogate fought back and scored a second converted try through Tom Spencer-Jones, who broke from the back of a scrum on Sheffield’s 22, before Hooper completed his hat-trick for Sheffield.
Yates second try for Harrogate followed, but Ryan Burrows completed matters for Sheffield with a break from the base of the scrum on halfway for their final converted try.
Teams
Harrogate: Macnab, Magee, Scrase, Troup, Yates, Fox, Olley, Elsayed, Maycock, Baxter, Fenn, Brady (capt), Dodds, Hill, Spencer-Jones. Subs: Derbyshire, Jackson, Jones G, Mercer, Swanson.
Sheffield: Hooper, Vitta, Glassie, Smith, Flint, Posa, Fisher, Whitney, Jones I, Hicklin, Parsons, Clayden, Fawdry (capt), Adcock, Burrows. Subs: Noble, Bagnall, Taylor, Crapper, Finn
Referee: Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts (RFU)
Tim Thorley
Harrogate RUFC
16 October 2022
