Sefton RUFC

Sat 18 Nov 2023

Sefton

28 - 15

(HT 16-3)

Fleetwood

Sefton

Fleetwood

On Saturday Sefton 1st XV welcomed a Fleetwood side struggling for form this season, but not to be dismissed as an easy game. Complacency can be Sefton’s greatest downfall.

Before any rugby could be played at Sefton, we had to pacify Bill Jones that with the amount of rain over the week, we wouldn’t destroy the love of his life. Sometimes I think Bill would prefer if no one touched his hallowed turf, and he could just spend his day’s marking white lines on it, muttering “my precious” under his breath.

To quell Bill’s fears, our Director of Rugby, Matty Thomas went out early morning to make one of his TikTok videos. Usually flaunting around showing a ground view of the grass, and a brief, teasing glance of his chubby white legs in tight shorts on display, however, this week he thankfully wore trousers. I immediately delete these short videos clips with a bit of sick in my throat, and the image burned on my retina, but I’m sure somewhere on the dark Web there is a cult of weird people who are collecting them. Probably the same people who write to serial killers.

In the end the pitch is deemed very damp, but playable.

- The Game -

With the captain, Christian Caine injured, and quite frankly ready for the donkey sanctuary, it was his son Seb Caine who took on the role. This is extreme captaincy planning, knowing in 20 years, you will need a replacement captain, but still want to keep it the family. I worry that the Caine’s are trying to take over the world, starting with Sefton.

Playing with the wind in the first half, Sefton got off to a flying start. Within a couple of minutes they were causing Fleetwood all kinds of defensive problems, with ball carriers Sharples, Norwood, and Johnson smashing the ball up. Eventually, an off side was given, and Jay Evans had his first chance to kick for points.

From the restart Sefton were straight back into the opposition’s half. Craig Johnson and Sam Gallear were dominant in the scrums, and starved the opposition of any ball. Any attempt by Fleetwood to escape by kicking out of their twenty-two, was met by James Wilson at full back who caught, and ran it right back. Wilson passes to Christian Caine Jr. who goes round the outside, and is tackled just short of the try line. The forwards were quick to secure the ball, and Farris Ejimofor receives the ball, on the blind to score in the corner. Jay Evans converts.

A measured kick by Christian Caine puts Sefton back in Fleetwood’s half, deep in the corner, and the preceding maul put the backs in a great attacking position. Unfortunately, the long pass out to the wing went forward, and Fleetwood escape again.

Despite this Fleetwood are unable to get out of their half, with Wilson again, marshalling at full back, and able to put Tom Founds through the gap, but tackled just short of the line. The ball was brought back for an infringement, and Jay Evans slotted over the penalty from outside the twenty-two.

A first mistake from Sefton at the restart allowed Fleetwood a foothold in their half. A head injury for Rob Norwood, and a shoulder injury for Steve Smith, allows Alan Tyler, and Isaac Caine into the game.

Several penalties allow the opposition to keep Sefton pinned down in their half, and Fleetwood were eventually given one in front of the posts, which allow them to claw back three points.

Steve Smith returns to the field after popping his shoulder back in. This I envisage to be a Lethal Weapon moment, where Steve is Mel Gibson, and he slams his shoulder against something solid, to pop it back in, and save the day. In reality, Steve brings his dad to the game, just so he can put his son back together. A bit like Meccano Connect.

In the final minutes of the half, Sefton manage to secure a lineout, ten metres from the oppositions line. The ball is sent out to the backs, and Sefton are awarded a penalty for an off side offence. Jay Evans kicks through the posts to end the half, 16–3 up.

- Second Half -

A solid driving maul allows Sefton to escape their half at the restart, which gave the backs a perfect platform. However, a knock on in the subsequent move allows Fleetwood to gather the ball, and score a breakaway try. The conversion though was missed, keeping Sefton at a two score advantage.

With Fleetwood’s tail up, it was vital now that Sefton scored the next points, and it became a frustrating period for them. A penalty kick by Jay Evans was pulled wide, and a breaking run started off by Sam Gallear's silky hips was halted when Jocko Tyler was held up over the line.

Two scrums on the opposition’s five metre were also wasted due to a little bit of impatience. Isaac Caine at eight, got very excited, and picked the ball up from the base of the forward moving scrum prematurely. On the second attempt the ball bobbled outs of the back of the scrum, and Evans had to hastily ship the ball out to the backs, where Ali McKie, who had little space all game due to Fleetwood's rush defence, could do nothing but quickly pass it on to a fumbling Faris. Gaining possession, Fleetwood were able to use the wind to kick away to safety.

- Kicking Update -

Jay Evans features a rather lot in my kicking update, whenever he plays for the second team, but never in a positive way. However, this week both Christian Caine, and Jay were spot perfect. Specifically, Jay’s two box kicks, which managed to get Sefton out of danger, with the help of Callum Rossiter chasing up, to get them out of their half. I wonder if he’s been having some professional advice in this area, with a certain Nye Thomas stood on the side line.

This period of play results in a penalty kick in the corner, to give Sefton an attacking lineout. The subsequent runs by, Jocko, Gallear, and Isaac Caine, allowed Steve ‘Lethal Weapon’ Smith to crash over for a try. Jay Evans converts.

Fleetwood hit back when several penalties allow them to put the ball in the corner for a lineout. The ball is shipped out, and their centre hits the defensive line at pace, to go under the posts for a converted try.

With five minutes to go, Paddy Sinnott Jackals the ball, and he is able to offload to Tom Founds, who sets off down the centre, but tackled short of the line. With the defence in disarray, the ball reaches Isaac Lancaster, who joins the line, and steps through a gap, before passing to Faris Ejimofor. With Faris straightening his run, it was an easy draw, and pass to Tom Fletcher, who dived over in the corner.

A tough game for Sefton, who at times made it hard for themselves, by not being clinical in the opposition’s half. A strong start was pitted with missed opportunities in the middle period, where Fleetwood used the boot to good use. Luckily, a strong finish prevented another close game, in the end.

A dominant performance by the forwards, gave the backs a great platform, however, Sefton’s ‘Man of the Match’ went to Jay Evan’s at scrum half for his spotless performance, with his boot, and his distribution.

No game for the first team next week, I'm off now to scrub my eyes with bleach, to try and get Matty's short, shorts image removed from my retina's, the saucy minx.

Yours, Lanky