RFU National League Two

Sedgley Park...43pts

Harrogate...7pts

IT is for days like this that we watch sport. Week after week we turn up to see our team play and, for most of the time, we are happy with their honest endeavours.

But occasionally, so rarely(!), our favourites transcend the deeds of ordinary mortals and provide a feast to spread before the gods.

So it was at Park Lane on Saturday. Only four weeks earlier Harrogate had beaten Sedgley 29-3 and were expected to provide the sternest of opposition. As it transpired, they were blown away by the irresistible force that was Sedgley Park on this blissful winter's day.

Playing up the slope in the first half, Sedgley began well and were rewarded with two early penalty goals for Arno de Jager.

In perfect conditions for rugby football, the team was playing with pace and precision, looking to move the ball at every opportunity.

Harrogate had their chance, but turned down a straightforward kick at goal, and this was their only serious attack before Sedgley scored the first try, right wing Ross Bullough rounding off a fluent move; de Jager converted.

Harrogate stand-off Lee Cholewa is a player of note, but he is currently having a bad time with his goal-kicking. He missed a simple looking penalty before making the break that put his team on the attack.

Ball retention was good, and, following a patient build-up, a skilful miss-pass put full-back Edward Smithies in for a try. Cholewa added the conversion.

This began a 15-minute period of pressure from the Yorkshiremen. Man-mountain lock John Dudley ripped the ball from a Sedgley maul and hooker Mark Erven almost scored on two occasions.

Another simple penalty goal was turned down before the Harrogate backs blew a golden chance created by their pack. Sedgley's defence was superb. A wonderful tackle by Kern Yates being typical and the visitors came away with nothing when Cholewa was off target with the last kick of the first half.

The 13-7 scoreline soon changed to 18-7 when Harrogate dithered deep in their 22. A scrum resulted and scrum-half Dave McCormack scored on the narrow side.

More fluent rugby led to a de Jager penalty and an excellent broken-play run by full-back Rob Moon paved the way for some good handling and a try for Chris Glynn, on the field in place of the temporarily injured de Jager.

Tim Fourie, an immense presence on his return to the side, drove forward to set up the next. Once again the ball was given width, and lock Paul Arnold was an unstoppable right winger.

Sedgley were now in full flow and Harrogate looked out on their feet. More wonderful handling led to a try in the right corner for centre Carlos Hassan, and powerful running by the impressive Arnold paved the way for Sedgley's sixth, and best, try.

The backs had handled superbly throughout and Glynn, on the wing now in place of Paul Morris cut a lovely angle through the centre for his second try, which de Jager converted.

So ended an outstanding 15-man display, solidly based on the work of Matt Alcock, Paul Keys and Huw Thomas, who outplayed the Harrogate front row and paved the way for the runners behind them.

More of the same will be needed at Kendal this Saturday, but if they can play like this, Sedgley need fear no team in the league.

SEDGLEY PARK: Moon; Bullough, Naylor, Hassan, Morris (Glynn); de Jager, McCormack; Alcock (Roberts), Keys (Treco), Thomas; Arnold, Stockdale; Senior (Grainey), Yates, Fourie.