...MATCH REPORT...
WEST LONDON SHARKS v IPSWICH RHINOS
14 JULY 2001
WEST LONDON 48 - 20 IPSWICH

"RHINOS BATTLE AGAINST THE SHARKS"

Report by Shaun Griffin.

With three away fixtures in a row at the end of the season the Rhinos were always going to struggle against the in form West London sharks. The injury ravaged rhinos managed to muster a team that included 18-year-old debutant Neil Pollard and a substitutes bench that should have been resting up injuries. The spirit of the Rhinos team though keeps showing itself week in week out, and this was just another example of the dogged determination of the Suffolk outfit. Other teams I doubt can claim to have a clear such a clear conscience when speaking of difficult away crossover fixtures.

The well under strength Rhinos did the conference proud by competing in a game that from the off was a mountain to climb. The intensity was raised by the sad news that one of our number had suffered a close family bereavement in the days leading up to the game, his dedication to the team and emotional pre-match talk set the scene and the level of commitment which the Rhinos were to display throughout the match. Even a non Rugby League fan might of asked questions relating to David and Goliath as the West London outfit did seem at least three stone heavier a man that the Rhinos. The Rhinos are made of sterner stuff these days though and showed contempt for the big London team. In fact the rhinos opened the scoring after two minutes when an infringement around the ruck gave Pete Le Marquand an easy two points from in front of the posts. Both defences then proceeded to knock the stuffing out of each other and Ipswich looked in danger of capitulating with such a weak bench, but no such thing happened.

It took the Sharks 15 minutes to break the resolute Ipswich line when the Sharks second rower crossed from good approach work. This did seem to knock the Rhinos confidence as the conversion sailed over. Nine minutes later the Sharks found the try line again Loose forward and sharks skipper (Alex nicknamed Quintin Pongia) by the Rhinos for his similarities to the big NRL Kiwi showed his prowess by powering over to make it 10 points to 2. Then followed the poorest period for the Ipswich team as the Sharks ran in three tries with out return and two conversions. The most notable a full length of the field effort by the Sharks busy winger made the half time score 26-2 and an already steep hill had just turned steeper and harder. The Rhinos came out from the half time break a little to lethargic for match skipper Griffin's liking and before the Rhinos had time to put their gum shields back the speedy Sharks prop had run in virtually untouched.

This was the turning point for the Rhinos who had taken a battering already but showed the kind of character that has kept them at the top of the Eastern division for four weeks. Mike reeves was instrumental in all the Rhinos did and must now have earned himself a place in the Conference representative side to face the Royal Air Force in two weeks time. Mike's direction and Vaughan Evan's organisational skills around the play of the ball kept the hard pressed forwards busy carrying the ball to the hard to breach sharks line. Notably Jules Gray and Lee Haylock making good yards with the ball in hand. Some strong running by Griffin also saw the Sharks line broke for the first time in game. All this hard graft brought about just rewards for Ipswich when that man Reeve's handed off four would be tacklers to crash over from a distance that some estimated at 60 metres but other more conservative estimates have the distance at 30 metres the conversion made the score 32-8. Ipswich were busy patting themselves on the back when the Sharks centre brought the Rhinos back to earth with a thump with an unconverted try.

The lack of fit replacements now began to become evident but the Rhinos pack must be commended for battling all day long with a much bigger stronger pack. 23 minutes after the restart Pete Le Marquand was on the end of some sustained pressure by the Rhinos who were now beginning to frustrate the Sharks who may not meet such dogged determination week in week out, Pete 's try came in the middle of the best period of Rhino's possession something that Ipswich must take into the Derby match next week. After another Sharks try and conversion by their stand off the score stood at 42-12. Ipswich drew from somewhere reserves of strength to finish the stronger of the two teams running in two tries in the last 8 minutes the first from ever present prop Andy Wilson, he seemed as surprised as his team mates when he found himself in space close to the line when on a dummy run. This takes Andy's personal tally to two tries for the season a statistic matched by his number of season tackles.

The Rhinos man of the match Mike Reeve's characteristically kept his effort up till the final whistle being rewarded with his second try from a Shark's mistake in their own danger area. Final score 48-20. The final score makes the game look like a Shark attack but Ipswich can be proud of the fact that most other teams would not have travelled in similar circumstances and certainly would not have been so resolute in their performance. The emphasis now shifts the Rhinos third away game in as many weeks and the spice of the East Anglia derby match against fierce rivals and second place South Norfolk Saints. The Saints come into the match after two weeks rest so hopefully the Rhinos will blow the Saints out of the water and charge on to the play off series.