Down and out. Dead and buried. If not six feet under, CRUFC were subject to a remorseless metronome, hit thrice by the 7x multiplication table. A competent display of controlled rugby by the home side failed to deliver any rewards until the closing minutes of the first half. By then their visitors had impacted the game dramatically with a trio of converted tries.

Wharfedale, alias the Rams or the Dalesmen, have been a much improved side this season. Finishing a lowly ninth last year, although delivering a couple of impressive victories at home. They have kept plugging away, unbeaten in their first six games. There is no doubt that the West’s Renault Park arena suited the Rams. A firm drying snooker table of a pitch, in marked contrast to their sloping exposed Grassington home ground. Wharfedale are a lightweight side in stature but in pace around the park, equal to Tynedale as the best in this league. No strangers to windy conditions, their formative years are influenced by the elements. They recognise a friend when their backs are to the breeze. And so it was for the first. Neat kicking to the right hand corner put the Cambridge defence under pressure after just five minutes of play. It was just a matter of time before the visitor’s regained possession. They did with 4 consecutive lineouts and a catch and drive to the corner. Regular try scorer Latu Maka'afi touched down and Mark Bedworth converted.

Cambridge had enough possession for their supporters to believe that a break and points would come sooner than later. But the Wharfedale central defence held. No way through then, it just had to be round the outside. However that lesson was not applied effectively until the 39th minute. Meanwhile Wharfedale delivered two more motivation sapping blows. The first on the 25th minute came from a midfield attack, the ball moved wide to the Ram's 14, Iain Dixon. His long run in was partially checked but not enough to prevent a crisp pass to full back Luke Gray. His score on the same spot as the first try allowed Mark Bedworth to repeat his kick for two more points.

Wharfedale fully deserved their lead, given that their opponents had had more than enough possession to put points on the board and failed. For the first time in two seasons, Cambridge were playing well and losing badly. Worse was to come. Wharfedale under pressure on their own line as Cambridge threatened on both flanks. The final and probable try scoring pass intercepted by Dales man Iain Gray for a full pitch sprint and touchdown. An easy kick and now 21 points ahead. The worst statistical start at home for CRUFC since entry into the national leagues. This season's unbeaten home record under threat and little on offer so far, to inspire supporter confidence in a revival.

It did not feel that way at pitch side. Our attack wasn’t quite together and the forwards were less of a unit than in recent games. The penalty count was just in our favour and the set pieces providing a competent enough platform from which to launch an offensive. Dan Hunter, most certainly Cambridge Man of the Match so far, was consistently quick in both decision and execution. But too many hesitations midfield meant that crisp final passes were rare events - the essential component of the break alongside the running angle.

Then we contrived an opening or at least snake hips Shanahan shimmied his way through the Dale defence on the narrow side adjacent to the changing rooms. You need something always to take with you for the interval.  The kick into the wind drifted wide and within a minute or two referee, Andrew Taylorson for his second competent week with us, blew for half time. He had found the Wharfedale tight head, Mark Chivers, infringing in the set scrums and given a yellow card just prior to the Cambridge score. Perhaps that penalty was enough to unsettle the solid Dale defence or maybe encouraged the home side to capitalise on the deficiency. Anyway enough needed to take Bob Crooks back in for the half time debriefing.

The visitors deserved their lead. The 400 or so spectators were witnessing quality rugby from both sides but perhaps not appreciating the significance of wind assistance in the score line. These were not the conditions experienced at Tynedale and repeated against Nuneaton. The wind was playing a more subtle role in the game. The Wharfedale kick off before half time had gone over the try line for a scrum back. Mark Bedworth had missed a long penalty kick from his own 10 metre line. The breeze was deceptive. It carried the ball long distances providing the weight on the ball was delicately chosen. Whatever else was to happen in the second half, the game was won by intelligent use of the ball in flight.

Others would have it that the half time pep talk did the trick. Not so, more like encouragement to stick to the basics, play more united rugby and to be patient. Two tries in the first ten minutes, Adam Barnard on the left and Handre Schmidt on the right. Indeed the space was there wide out, for easier penetration. No luck so far for Craig Evans with the conversions. That the gap was now only 6 points with half an hour of play remaining told its own story. Wharfedale never threatened again. Obliged to run every piece of action that came their way, they ran out of both skill and ideas. In contrast Cambridge added variety. Chose to kick a penalty and added 3 points. I might well have gone for the corner and chased 7 points. Decision vindicated as 7 minutes later Dan Legge cut through the middle to score comfortably. As one of our 3 specialist No 8's, Dan is now securing the position as his own this season. Ahead now by 3 points and 12 minutes to go. Wharfedale were having difficulty getting back into the game. Whatever visitor hopes existed expired as Craig Evans repeated his feat of last season at Redruth with a drop goal from just inside the Cambridge half. Not the prettiest of kicks in flight - more the pheasant than the swallow. So what, trusting the wind to carry endorsed the critical part played by that element in the pattern of this game. The home side’s second half kicking was near perfect including an audacious box kick from Dan Hunter that spun upwards off the ground and forced a 5 metre scrum against the Rams.

Tough injury once again for Adam Barnard, knee not shoulder this time. Hopefully Adam will return soon. The visit to Manchester next Saturday should prove a relative test of our ability to play composition rugby. A victory of less than 50 points could be construed as a defeat. A licence to kill perhaps, the party theme for our final game of the year on the 19th December against Cinderford. The Foresters went to Blackheath yesterday and won. Not the result that form would suggest but evidence that the relegation battle embraces some unexpected sides including Blackheath and Otley. We are on course for maximum points in December 2009 and that takes us to the half way point of the season with 15 games to play in 2010. I for one will settle for third at this stage. Well done.

Mal Schofield