Baa-Baas enjoy their day in the Durham sunshine

Anniversary match

By LUKE JARMYN

Durham Uni ……33pts

Tries: Rhodes 28, 58, Rowell 43, Clarke 53, Turley 67

Conversions: Vernum 29, 44, 54, Platt 68

Barbarians …… 54pts

Tries: Davies 8, Walker 11, 35, 78; Brady 32, Sainsbury 41, Bowker 61, Hanning 75

Conversions: Bragman 9, Meek 12, 33, 36, 62, 76, 79

EVERGREEN Charlie Walker produced a scintillating 40-metre dash in the final minutes to score his hat-trick try and the Barbarians eighth to round off a fantastic spectacle of rugby in Durham.

Thirteen tries were scored between both sides as the famous black-andwhite hoops didn’t disappoint when going toe-to-toe with one of the best BUCS side’s in front of a sell-out crowd.

A day three years in the making to celebrate 150 years of Durham University RFC, the Baa-Baas fixture was the second of a double-header after Durham University women lost 22-10 to a North-East Select XV.

Walker, a former England 7s winger, told TRP: “It’s quite hard to put into words how I feel, I’m towards the end of my career and to walk out in a Baa-Baas shirt is super special.

“Not too many people get

this opportunity. I jumped at the chance as soon as the email came through and was hungry for a few tries, so a hat-trick is perfect.

“It was an up and down game, no one knew what to expect. We knew we had a strong side but fair play to Durham, they showed up. It’s hard being the Baa-Baas, you want to throw it around but you’re the scalp and sometimes you have to take the medicine and carry hard too.”

With the sun beaming down on Durham City RFC’s immaculate Hollow Drift ground and thousands squeezing onto its famous grass banking, the Barbarians were dominant from kick-off, producing some excellent running rugby and a break by Rosslyn Park‘s James Cordy-Redden down the middle set up Doncaster hooker Fred Davies to steam over between the posts from 18 metres to open the scoring.

Within three minutes the Baa-Baas doubled their lead, ex-England Students fly-half Josh Bragman’s chip bounced perfectly for Walker to collect and skirt round Durham’s England U18 full-back Louie Platt to slide over.

Durham captain Marcus Rhodes shuffled free off a lineout to open the home-side’s account on the cusp of the half-hour mark, but the Baa-Baas went up a gear with Harrogate lock Sam Brady marching over before a Cordy-Redden off the shoulder pass set up Walker’s second try. Pontypool’s Kieran Meek scored the first of six conversions.

Replacement Shay Sainsbury gave the invitational side a perfect second-half restart before some silky Palatinate interplay saw wing Lucas Rowell dive over in the right corner.

Scotland U20 lock Archie Clarke skipped over the whitewash after Durham’s back-three showed their flair but Fylde loosehead Corey Bowker re-asserted the Baa-Baas lead as he handed-off two defenders to dot down by the right post on the hour-mark.

Durham replacement Julius Turley scored to keep it close before Joe Hanning and Walker both crossed to produce a superb Baa-Baas finale.

Durham coach Si Culley said: “It’s been a brilliant day, and a wonderful reflection of what the university programme, the Barbarians, and what rugby as a whole should be about.

“I’d have love to have won, but our boys did themselves proud. There’s so much more to rugby, and a one-off game like this, than the result, it’s a super cool occasion to be a part off.

Charlie Walker -Barbarians Star man: Charlie Walker

PICTURE: John Ashton

“Not one person received a penny to be here, most people have given up a huge amount of time to volunteer and make it happen. It’s just a great advert for the best of our sport.”