Harrogate Pythons RUFC make 'perfect start' to new season with nine-try demolition of Leodiensian RUFC
Harrogate Pythons ran in nine tries as they made what coach John Liley described as the “perfect start” to their 2025/26 campaign.
The Starbeck outfit produced a dominant display at the Jim Saynor Ground on the opening day of the new Yorkshire One season, coming away with a 59-15 victory against Leodiensian.
With a powerful forward display providing the platform for the Pythons’ backs to strut their stuff, the four-try bonus point was secured before half-time, with 35 more points following after the break.
“We got the season off to the perfect start with this convincing victory,” Liley said. “It was a dominant performance with our powerful pack laying the foundations for the backs to take advantage.
“Achieving a bonus-point win is the perfect result on which to build for what will be a tough encounter at Old Rishworthian next week.
“But, while the score-line suggests it may have been easy, it certainly wasn't and Leos posed us a lot of problems at times. So, there are still plenty of areas of our game that we need to work on”.
Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was observed for Eddie Kernoghan, an original Python, who sadly passed away over the summer.
Once the action started, Leos drew first blood with a penalty after just five minutes, but ‘Gate quickly responded and captain Hugh Tatlow picked up from the base of a scrum and drove over.
Quick ball from a breakdown five metres out then saw Harry Butler touch down, Ben Pryor adding the conversion for 12-3.
Debutant Thomas Roberts was next to score, and in some style, receiving the ball from Tatlow 70 metres out and racing around the visiting defence to make it 17-3.
From the resulting re-start, Rufus Palfreman gathered a loose ball and showed his pace before releasing Harry Brayshaw near halfway to score under the posts.
Pryor kicked the extras, though Leos did have the final say of the half, going over for a converted try just before the break.
The Pythons’ 24-10 interval lead was extended early in the second period when Bailey Bromberg broke through in midfield and put Rhys Cory into space, for him to step a defender and race 50 metres to finish.
Pryor added the extras once again before Leos scored their second catch-and-drive try of the afternoon to narrow the gap at 31-15 on the hour-mark.
Quickly back on the offensive, George Booth and Natsuki Barclay linked well for the Pythons before Tatlow bagged his second try of the match from 10 metres out, with Pryor’s conversion making it 38-15.
Butler then trampled over two two defenders to score his second of the afternoon following a line-out, Pryor again kicking the extra two.
The scores kept on coming. Pete Millward carried from the kick-off, and fed Jed Carr, who released Bromberg, who showcased his speed as he touched down under the posts for Pryor to convert.
A fine display was rounded off late on when Cory was stopped just short, but backed up by Millward, who dived over for a deserved try.
Carr then booted over the extra two to wrap things up at 59-15.