THERE was late frustration for Tynedale Rugby Club's first team when their home game with Stourbridge was postponed.

The call came at the last minute when the visitors to Corbridge decided they didn't want to play on the Corbridge turf, which was frozen in spells.

In the lead-up to the game, the artificial pitch at Newcastle Falcons' Kingston Park was an alternative surface open to the teams if the frost at Corbridge hadn't thawed out.

However, the match referee, who had travelled from Coventry, deemed the pitch at Tynedale Park playable, with Tynedale agreeing.

The final decision was left with the two teams, but Stourbridge refused to play at Corbridge. By that late point in the day, Kingston Park was no longer available!

Tynedale hope their trip to bottom team Wharfedale will beat the weather on Saturday.

Their hosts have been playing better rugby than their league position suggests, and their playing squad has been strengthened in recent weeks.

After losing the first four games of the season, they finally got off the mark with a 17-10 win at Sheffield at the back end of September. Another seven defeats in a row then followed before they secured an overdue first home win of the season recently against South Leicester.

They proved that was no fluke by pushing league leaders Hinckley all the way last week, before losing 20-17. After being 15-0 down at half-time, the Green Machine dominated the second half and led 17-15 before conceding a match-winning try in the dying minutes.