Tosin Segun says that all of the Saints Under-18 youngsters enjoyed their afternoon on the main pitch at Franklin’s Gardens.
After having had their unbeaten start to the Premiership Rugby Academies League campaign come to a crashing halt at Worcester last weekend the Saints were under pressure to rebound quickly to stay in touch with the teams at the top of the Northern Conference.
But after a poor start in which they conceded a converted try to Jonny Ashman the Saints got the win and the tries that they needed, with Segun to the fore with a pair of first-half efforts.
The first was somewhat fortuitous, the winger making the most of some poor Yorkshire defence to recover his own chip and sprint clear. But the second was out of the top drawer, with full back Joe Green coming up the blindside at pace to draw the man and send Segun clear.
“It was nice to bag two tries for myself but it was more important to get the win and look to progress in the league,” he said. “It was a really good performance and a great shift from the lads. Our discipline let them into the game, but when we erased that and started to play our game we started to win quite comfortably.”
Indeed by the time that Segun’s scores had grabbed Saints the bonus point they were in front, Luke Risman being driven over by a maul that at times was irrepressible throughout the game and Freddie Davies being put into space by Ollie Sleightholme.
A Devante Onojaife yellow card gave Yorkshire some impetus, but while they capitalised though Rian Hamilton their advantage during the sin bin period was just two points thanks to Segun’s second.
Fraser Strachan’s try two minutes after the restart extended the lead, with flanker Joe Britton the beneficiary of some excellent interplay for try number six.
Yorkshire did give themselves hope with a long-range Jack Bodman interception effort, and the visitors were galvanised after their number eight Ben Whyte was stretchered off. But while they did manage to build some pressure Yorkshire could not capitalise and instead it was the Saints who added the gloss with Joe Green’s last-minute effort.
But it was the experience of running out on the main pitch that will live long in Segun’s memory.
“For all of us it’s a dream come true, especially for those of us who have supported this club or been playing for this club for quite a while,” he added. “It’s our first time to run out here and to have a performance like that was the icing on the cake.
“It was massive to get the win after last week and with two hard away games still to come at Sale and Wasps, and this has helped to bring our confidence back.”
TEAMS
SAINTS Green; Segun, Dingwall, Strachan, Sleightholme; Tupai, Warn; Charalambous, Risman, Painter, Dix, Coles, Davies, Britton, Onojaife
Subs - Ma’asi, Wacokecoke, West, Finch, Wallace, Creighton, Grayson, Cappeart
YORKSHIRE Mann; Hamilton, Ashman, Fordy, Gatus; Davey, Fox; Nicholls, Henshall, Booth, Ward, Burke, Tasker, Wilson, Whyte
Subs - Rayner, Michael, Martin, Hopkinson, Williams, Bunting, Cookland, Bodman
TIMELINE
2mins YORKS Try Ashman Con Davey 0-7
6mins SAINTS Try Risman 5-7
13mins SAINTS Try Davies Con Tupai 12-7
22mins SAINTS Try Segun Con Tupai 19-7
25mins SAINTS Yellow card Onojaife
27mins YORKS Try Hamilton Con Davey 19-14
30mins SAINTS Try Segun 24-14
HALF-TIME SAINTS 24 YORKSHIRE 14
36mins SAINTS Try Strachan Con Tupai 31-14
47mins SAINTS Try Britton Con Grayson 38-14
50mins YORKS Try Bodman 38-19
70+7mins YORKS Yellow card Wilson
70+7mins SAINTS Try Green 43-19
FULL-TIME SAINTS 43 YORKSHIRE 19
