Published at 09:11, Monday, 20 August 2012

Tynedale 41, Boroughmuir 5.

SCOTTISH Premiership outfit Boroughmuir got more than they bargained for when they came to Corbridge for a pre-season warm-up on Saturday.

Instead of a comfortable win over a Sassenach outfit who finished three quarters of the way down the third tier of English rugby last term, they suffered a seven-try slaughter.

It was only a practice match, played over two 25-minute slots, followed by two of 15 minutes, but Tynedale looked really impressive following the summer break.

There were a number of new faces on show, including Peter Weightman on the right wing, and Matt Charters and Oliver Steadman in the back row.

The versatile Matty Outson was in at fly half, and shared the goalkicking duties with centre Kristian Borthwick.

They converted only three of the seven tries between them, raising new concerns about the lack of a consistent place kicker.

Winger Alan Rogers helped himself to a hat-trick of tries, and is looking sharp for the season ahead.

The game was less than a minute old when Tynedale took the lead, with back rower Ben Frankland celebrating his return to the club after a spell with Westoe by touching down.

Alan Rogers got the second on six minutes, with Borthwick converting, and scrum half Harry Peck set up the third, with a typically cheeky chip and chase over the Scottish defence, which Rogers gobbled up to score.

Full back Hamish Smales was next on the scoresheet, fielding the ball in his own 22, before kicking ahead and taking advantage of a kind bounce to make it 22-0 early in the second segment of the game.

It was still all Tynedale, and following a break from the edge of the 22, Peck grabbed his second try.

The conversion attempt came back off the post, but Tynedale were soon pushing the scoreboard on again.

Frankland gathered the ball on halfway, and blasted his way through the shell-shocked Boroughmuir defence to touch down, for Outson to convert to make it 34-0.

Boroughmuir finally got on the scoresheet 13 minutes into the third period when they opted for a penalty scrum, and a second row was heaved over the line to touch down.

The kick failed, but Tynedale’s lead was down to 34-5.

Rogers wrapped things up close to time with his thirds try under the posts, which Outson converted with ease.

Tynedale continue their warm-up again this weekend, splitting the squad in two so as many players as possible get some game time.

One group will entertain Morpeth 1st XV at Corbridge while another travels to Wigton 1st XV.

Both games kick off at 3pm.

Next Saturday, they go to Preston Grasshoppers, before the season proper starts on September 1.

Newly promoted Old Albanians – from St Albans, Hertfordshire, not the eastern Adriatic – are the visitors for a game which kicks off at 3pm.

Second up is the hotly anticipated first derby of the season, away to Blaydon, on September 8.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk