Year 11 Rugby boys battle through to the Yorkshire Cup with a win!
The Sirius Academy West Year 11 Rugby League team produced a tremendous display of discipline, teamwork and effort to overcome the odds by defeating Archbishop Sentamu with only 13 players including three Year 10 players. The team fully deserved their victory and now look forward to the Yorkshire Cup competition after this win saw them qualify as a representative from Hull.
The start to the match could not have been worse for Sirius as Archbishop raced out of the blocks and ran into an 8-0 lead through two quick-fire tries. At this point the Sirius boys could have taken the easy option and blamed lack of numbers and a poor start to capitulate into a heavy defat, however they battled hard, led by the outstanding Joe Grant, to get back into the match. Forwards Alex Dunne, Alfie Marsden, Grant and Ali Alsheriafe led the way with bruising carries with half-backs Lewis Wilson and Tom Wilkinson beginning to get a foot-hold in the game, finding willing runners in Leon Stewart, Harry Norton, James Abdull and Jack Denman. One of the Year 10 students stepped up to drag Sirius back into the match on the score-board as Kieran Welburn dummied his way over with Wilson goaling before Wilkinson barged his way outwide for a 10-8 half-time lead.
The 2nd half started like a dream with Welburn again showing his quick thinking by diving over close to the line with Wilsons goal moving the score to 16-8. As expected, back came Sentamu with two converted tries to pull clear back into the lead at 20-16 with 10 minutes remaining. Again the boys had the choice to give up but some outstanding wide defence from Jamie Hope and Ahmed Bela kept Sirius in the game which allowed Alsheriafe to show his power to crash over to draw the scores level at 20-20. Intent on gaining the win without extra-time, Sirius piled forwards and Marsden threw a neat dummy to get over before Stewart scored a richly deserved full length effort with Wilson adding two goals for a winning score of 32-20.
Special thanks to Martin Smith for giving up his time as always to support with the team and drive the bus.
Please congratulate the following boys on their outstanding attitudes, effort and teamwork, they were a pleasure to coach:
Leon Stewart, Jamie Hope, Ali Alsheriafe, Harry Norton, Ahmed Bela, Lewis Wilson, Tom Wilkinson, Alfie Marsden, Kieran Welburn, Jack Denman, Joe Grant, Alex Dunne, James Abdull.