Cambridge 41 Wharfedale 11: Indisciplined Greens pay price

Tommy McGee's side were by no means outplayed over the course of the match, but questionable discipline, resulting in three yellow cards, and a period when they were reduced to 13 men, had a decisive bearing.

Having been well in the game up to half-time, and unfortunate to turn round 13-6 in arrears, the Greens suffered a disastrous spell midway through the second half. First skipper Rob Baldwin, then fellow back-row forward Dan Solomi fell foul of the referee and were carded. Baldwin's return was fleeting: within a minute he received a second yellow (for retaliation), and took no further part.

To say Cambridge took advantage is a massive understatement. A blistering five-minute spell yielded three converted tries to effectively settle the outcome. The Dalesmen's state of mind was not improved by the first of the three – by scrum-half Dan Hunter – being a clear case of 'dropped ball', missed by the officials. No argument, though, about flying winger Jaco Du Toit's 2 scores.

To their credit, the Greens rallied sufficiently to claim a consolation try by hooker Steve Graham. But in the closing seconds an unsympathetic Du Toit rubbed salt in the wounds with the completion of his hat-trick.

Wharfedale's other points were collected in the first half by Tom Davidson. He followed up a 40-metre drop-goal with a penalty from eight metres inside the Greens' half, which gave his side a brief taste of the lead at 5-6, before home kicker Dan Mugford replied and Stuart Pearl claimed a push-over try to establish the seven-point interval lead. Hunter crossed to open the scoring for Cambridge.