Ripon RUFC return to winning ways with home victory over Baildon RUFC

Narrowly beaten at Ossett in their previous Yorkshire Two outing, the Blues bounced back with a bonus-point win which consolidates their place inside the division’s top three.

The hosts took the lead at Mallorie Park when scrum-half Charlie Borchard broke in midfield and fed the jet-propelled Matt Powell, who crashed through for the opening try.

Ripon stretched their lead to 10-0 after the influential Borchard found Nick Daley on the burst and the Blues’ player-coach pirouetted his way through the first line of defence and across the whitewash.

Baildon narrowed the deficit to three points with a converted try, however Ripon ended the half strongly and Tom Graham joined the back of the maul and then rolled free to plunge over for 15-7.

The visitors began the second period brightly, though it was the Blues who drew first blood once again, workhorse second row Tom Austin powering over from a post-scrum breakdown maul deep in enemy territory.

Daley finally found his range with the boot, adding the conversion and stretching the home advantage to 22-7.

Undeterred, Baildon kept coming and, aided by a succession of needless penalties given away by Ripon, they touched down twice to drag themselves right back into the contest at 22-19.

But the Blues were not to be denied and made sure of the victory in stoppage-time when centre Powell made plenty of ground before unleashing Graham to cover the last 30 metres and dot down for Daley to convert.