The Better team won as Baildon claim the bragging rights
the visitors ran away with the gamer in the final ten minutes, but were worthy winners 34-16
The game was a tremendous advertisement for the standard of Rugby being played at this level of the league pyramid, and there can be no doubting the better side won.
The Bees hardly seemed to venture into Baildon territory in the second half, although the score was 16-22 with ten minutes remaining on the clock, the home side never really looked likely to haul in the now rampant visitors.
The home side began brightly and deserved their early lead as Alex Leadbeater squeezed over the line out wide on the left. The Bees had at least half a dozen promising attacks into Baildon territory in the first forty but could not get the ball over the whitewash. Robson Moore intercepted a loose pass in his half and charged down the right wing, only for the attack to peter out. Jim Nicholas was held up over the line, and Leadbeater made another charge to the line only for the ball to get turned over.
The Bees generally looked pedestrian at best in getting the ball away from the breakdown and by contrast, there was a definite zip to everything the Baildon backline did. Jake Duxbury was a catalyst from full-back and the Bees didn't seem to learn the folly of kicking the ball straight to him. Centres Luke Strauss and Jonty Glenndenning got over the gain line just about every time they got the ball and wingers, Will Eastell and Fola Dairo looked sharp out wide and the Bees were fortunate to turn around at halftime with a 8 points against 5 lead.
The lead was short-lived as the visitors were on the score sheet with the first two possessions of the second stanza. With the score at 8-19 with the game entering the final ten minutes, the Bees suddenly had some hope that they might get back in the game. A Dom Walker penalty was followed by a score out to the left of the posts by Connor Capper, and with Duxbury replying with a penalty for Baildon it was 16-22, and possibly a tight finale to the game was on the cards.
However, the Bees could not drive up the slope to claim any further points and finished the game with only 14 on the field as Robson Moore was shown red by referee Jess Miller, for his second yellow card offence. The Baildon backs were able to rip through the Bees' defence to add two late tries to claim the bonus point victory.