Sefton RUFC

Sat 24 Sep 2022

Widnes 2nd XV

62 - 5

Sefton 2nd XV

Widnes 2nd XV

Sefton 2nd XV

I should have packed my brown shorts as soon as I heard they had five Subs, and that was with their thirds playing as well.

Our thirds were playing ‘who blinks first’ against a struggling Wirral fourth team. Sefton won that battle, and Wirral conceded on the Friday.

 That meant I was given a wealth of talented players such as Goulding, Blandie, and Campo. Widnes will be shaking in their boots, perhaps I should lend their captain my brown shorts.

 I also had our secret weapon Brendo, who scored that wonder try against Southport the previous week. Widnes wouldn’t know what hit them.

Sean Muirhead unfortunately would not be joining us, after overstretching in his warm up last week, he now claims to be out of action. I told him to take as long as he wants in recovery, but he says it’s okay I will only be out for a couple of weeks. No seriously Sean take as long as you like.

A shortage of props is the concern in the Sefton camp, with the first team only able to take four props, this left me scratching around thinking who can I con into taking the mantle. Ian Ross was persuaded to put his boots on for the first time in a long time. As long as I’m not prop, he tells me. Of course Ian, we have loads of props, I lie. Gullible has ever.

 At least the rugby league final is on, meaning they will have no rugby league players in their squad today.

We arrive, and as promised Widnes had five Subs, and playing on the first team pitch. A side bursting with young, fast, fit Colts and unfortunately the usual rugby league contingents. I look at my back line, and I fear for their lives. I quickly go back inside and change into my brown shorts.

It didn’t start as I thought, Sefton managed to keep them off our try line for whole three minutes. The lads tackled like Spartans for those three minutes, but still they couldn't stop the flow.

Three tries down and we were already planning on how to slow the game down. Campo’s plan to make them score out wide was implemented so they would have to take their time with the conversion. Mark Dobie’s fake shoulder injury was working a treat, and we ensured we had plenty of refreshment breaks.

Then suddenly we get the ball, not just for a few seconds, but several phases. It turned out they weren’t invincible. Their scrummaging was bad, and their lineouts even worse, we had a way to keep hold of the ball.

Several lineouts later and Sefton had kicked themselves to within five metres of their try line. A glorious catch by Tom Founds, and our forward's were on the march. A jubilant Mark Dobie managed to burrow his way through and ground the ball over the try line.

Just as Sefton were getting on top, a disgruntled James sHambling limped off the field, and we have a dilemma. No replacement fly-half, so Goulding is shoved in there on the reasoning that the backs weren’t going to get any ball.

A few phases in and we realised our mistake, as Goulding put the ball back inside in what can only be described as a shit pass, hanging in the air for, I’d like to say and age, but it was longer than that. Eventually it came down, straight into the hands of the opposition, who scored under the posts.

It’s at this time that Dobie went down holding his arm again. Brilliant I thought, more time wasting. However, he was not faking, he had actually hurt his arm.

This was fine though, it gave me a chance to release our secret weapon, Brendo.

 Half time came and Sefton managed to keep the score below thirty points.

A period of frustrated play is how the second-half could be described. Sefton dominated the scrums, and the Widnes pack was disintegrating whenever Sefton put a push on. However, the ref wasn't seeing it that way, and Sefton were denied the advantage. At one scrum, the opposition just folded, and he gave the penalty the other way. Clearly he played in the backs in his playing days, and had no idea what was happening in there.

Sefton did have the possession but were unable to break the defensive line, unless the boot was used to kick for position. Totally opposite to Widnes’ approach, who seemed to be able to score with limited possession of the ball.

 At times Harry Osborne on the wing faced three or four attackers at a time, leaving him little chance of stopping the attack.

The last 20 minutes allowed Sefton plenty of time to reflect under their posts, with a handful of tries taking the game beyond reach, with plenty of air tackles that could have come right out of Campo's play book. I particularly liked Blandie's goal line clearance, when he threw the ball back towards his own try line, past the dead ball area, and into the car park behind. Retrieving it wasted several minutes on the clock.

Despite the defeat, there was no shortage of effort. Steve Teale putting himself about, and probably unwillingly, cementing himself into the side. Man of the Match went to Jay Dempsey, purely for the amount of tackles he put in.

A difficult period for Sefton, with plenty of injuries within the teams. It is clear we are not yet up to full strength, with the second and third team sharing players around whenever possible. The main aim is to keep all three teams running, and not end up like other clubs, and losing our lower team.

No games for the second team now for two weeks, but I think I will have to start my Ross whispering early if I’m going to persuade him to play again, hopefully the pain will be a distant memory by then.

Lanky