Tynedale vs. Preston Grasshoppers, 19th October 2019, 3.00pm
Preston Grasshoppers take to the road this Saturday for one of their longest journeys of the season, heading for the scenic banks of the Tyne where Corbridge town’s rugby club Tynedale reside.
Another “could have been, should have been” defeat last week will also bring back memories of Hoppers last visit to Tynedale which in turn needs to serve as a jolt to the system and get things back on track with a much needed success.
As a crumb of comfort, there was something to celebrate from last weeks game against Huddersfield with Matt Lamprey’s fiftieth league try for Hoppers, this coming in just his sixty first league game for the club. An 82% strike rate is some record by anyone’s standards! Matt is one of only nine Hoppers players to reach that particular milestone for the club since league games began over thirty years ago with his strike rate of tries per game far exceeding the other eight.
Our hosts Tynedale first gained promotion to Level 4 in what was then National 3 North during the same season Hoppers were demoted from National 2 back in 2002. Preston Grasshoppers haven’t found Corbridge one of their more favourable venues over the years, recording just three victories in fourteen contests. The last of these being back in early 2003, which coincidentally happened to be was the first league fixture between the two clubs and was played on the 18th of January. Since that day Corbridge hasn’t been a successful venue for Hoppers who have suffered seven successive defeats at the hands of the home side.
The first meeting between Preston Grasshoppers and Tynedale was in an away fixture on the 9th of February 1980 after a game the previous season at Lightfoot Green had been cancelled. The victors that day were the home side by twelve points to three.
All told there have been twenty eight meetings between the two clubs plus a pre-season game at Lightfoot Green prior to the 2012/13 season, with a further five fixtures being cancelled including the proposed initial game. Currently Tynedale hold the upper hand with seventeen wins to Hoppers eleven. Amongst these there are eleven league wins to our opponents and just five to Hoppers with the spoils of the pre-season game going to Hoppers.
Lunch Offer
Tynedale have contacted the club to invite Hoppers supporters to a pre-match lunch on Saturday.
“It’s our usual format of a Sunday-roast-on-Saturday and cheese. Lunch will be at 1:30. The charge will be £15 for lunch plus £10 gate fee that includes parking, programme and stand entry. Please contact me no later than Wednesday.
Tim Tatman
trfcsenior@gmail.com”
Team News
1. John BLANCHARD
2. Chris TAYLOR (C)
3. Ryan PURCELL
4. Adam HOWARD
5. Sam WALLBANK
6. Ryan CARLSON
7. Toby HARRISON
8. Matt LAMPREY
9. Jake SQUIRRELL
10. Ben DORRINGTON
11. Tyler SPENCE
12. James FITZPATRICK
13. Alex HURST
14. Jacob BROWNE
15. Jordan DORRINGTON.
REPLACEMENTS: 16. MILLEA, 17. MADDEN, 18. PROCTER, 19. STOTT, 20. GREGORY
