Sefton RUFC

Pre-Match Fun

-----------------

I cannot truly let you know how much effort it takes to get a team out on a Saturday, and the logistics behind travelling to an away game.

I ask everyone who is going direct to Oldershaw, and who is meeting at Sefton beforehand.

We are all meeting at Sefton, and travelling together.

So, at Sefton, there are 6 of us waiting. Blandie is not there, he wants to be picked up from home, in South Liverpool, on the way to the Mersey Tunnel. He is the Ronaldo of the Sefton 3s.

We are waiting a long time. I ring the following people, to be told, that they are already at Oldershaw!!

Chris Lewis, Paddy Arnold, Louis Campbell. Steve Kidd and Joe Clarke are coupled together.

So, by the time we get there, it is 2 minutes to kick off and we haven’t even got time to warm up our thumbs!

  

  

The Numbers

------------------

Sefton could only muster a dozen good men, but Oldershaw had the same number.

We were fortunate that Port Sunglight hadn’t a game today and so they brought 6 lads to the party.

I reckon, except for Cal at fullback, Sefton probably got the better deal.

  

 

The Match

------------------

A tight game, which really could have gone either way, but Sefton probably made the more mistakes.

Oldershaw also made a lot of mistakes, but had a 10 that could pass and direct play.

They also kicked for goal for a penalty, on 2 occassions, which I’m sure is either forfeiture of the game, or instant league promotion.

Let’s just say that this kind of behaviour doesn’t sit well at this level.

   

 

The Ref

------------------

A new boy today. A virgin actually. But he was broken in gently.

Thought he had a good game, until he started listening to the Oldershaw octogenarian rake, telling him that Brendo was feeding the ball into the second row.

   

  

The Big Mistake

----------------------

Telling the lads just to hang on through the first half, we are running uphill, and it’ll be easy running in the second half.

For some reason, we took our foot off the gas in the second half and Oldershaw took full advantage.

(I’m gunna have to change my pre-match speech from: “I want you to give me 100% for the first 40 minutes guys”).

   

  

Goulding’s New Haircut

-----------------------

The new “Widow’s Peak” look, which I don’t think will catch on, reminded us all of the old black and white Count Dracula movies.

Maybe Goulding is hoping to replace his nickname (inappropriately, “Catchy”) with something more grand (“The Count”).

Anyway, the new image has done nothing for his playing style. On the few occasssions he got the ball, we watch, bemused, as he veers and leans, scurrying into some isolation. One run springs to mind, after a lineout, the ball is whipped out the backline to Goulding at outside centre. He sets his path, a lonely journey, back behind the inside centre, the 10, the 9, and then the bewildered pack, straight out from where we’d just thrown the ball from. The opposition and small crowd are amazed.

“The Count” may well end up suiting Goulding, if you drop the “o”.

   

  

Kicking

-------------

(Have I mentioned kicking yet?)

To be honest, there is very little to moan about today, I am somewhat disappointed. Could it be that the players are listening and learning?

But there was one incident that is worth mentioning.

Matty Williams did pretty well today. He played ok at centre (right centre), threw the ball in well at out lineout, and kicked ok for touch at penalties.

But, there was this one penalty kick...

We are still to work out which touchline he was going for, because it was picked up by the Oldershaven full back under his posts.

Unsuprisingly, a hugely embarrassed Matty had actually chased his own kick, and pressured the fullback to kick the ball out. Really poorly.

So, in effect, we got a line out 50 metres up the pitch.

Matty gives us a look that says, “well, isn’t that what you wanted?”!!

  

Feeling that I’ve not written much about my pet hate this week, I need to talk about a kick in last week’s game (the undocumented Home defeat to West Park).

In a tough, tight match, where possession is King, we realised kicking was pointless.

Until of course, Blandie “had no choice”….

West Park kicked deep into Sefton’s half.

Brendo and the ball floundered around until they both ended up together, cuddling on the ground.

Lewis Campbell takes one for the team and goes in to secure the ball (“to hell with keeping my shirt clean!”).

We are comfortable, but Blandie feels otherwise, and orchestrates a slow motion, heavily undisguised, box kick.

It wasn’t so much a box kick, more like a casket kick.

And for Sefton, it was a coffin kick, for it was easily charged down, regathered and placed under Sefton’s posts for the winning try to West Park.

You always have a choice Blandie.

   

  

The Line Out Merry Go Round

------------------

Today we multitasked. The team management was on another level.

For Sefton’s lineout, we all ran straight to our new positions. 

Blendo goes from 9 to 4 (jumping at 2).

Brandie from 10 to somewhere in the lineout (ok, we had 1 extra).

Harry goes from 4 to 9 (to secure Brendo’s balls).

Matty Williams goes from 13 to 2 (he throws in well).

Campo from 2 to getthefuckawayfromeverywhere.

It was like a well oiled machine.

  

  

Injuries

------------------

Just the usual cry off this week, by Darrell Smith, after 5 minutes.

God knows what happens to him. You can set your watch for 5 minutes after the kick off.

He waddles off holding his chest. Perhaps there is some setting his pacemaker should be set to?

Anyway, we gallantly play on without him. I am not sure if his absence for most of the game is the reason we lost today.

But, as usual, he manages to get himself back on for the last 5 minutes of the game, and manages to pull off about 4 copybook tackles in a row. What has got into him?

Does he have some performance enhancing drugs?

Maybe his pacemaker goes up to ‘11’??

Everrone else seems ok after the game. Chris Lewis was saying he had a hurty shoulder if he raises his arm, but seemed ok. Hopefully he doesn’t need to raise his arm for anything important for a while.

   

  

The New “Boys”

------------------

(NB: “Boys” may not be the appropriate words here, looking at new recruit, Joe Clarke. Is there a category after “Veteran”??)

Anyway, Sefton’s ranks have been swelled with 4 or 5 new players in the last couple of weeks, literally doubling our team sheet.

We have Joe, who looks really keen in defense. He made some really good hits on a few of the Oldershawians. He was very particular in targeting only the weaker, more vunlnerable Oldershaw players. Joe must work in Social Services.

He brought along his catamite, Steve Kidd, who showed a very unusual pair of clean heels on the Sefton side line.

Unusual because the Sefton wing is usually where we have our slowest players that can’t play second row. (NB: Brendo actually plays wing AND second row).

Steve was class. On his first touch, he gaily skipped over the touchline, around the protesting opposition, and scored an 80 metre try! If this was the 2s, Lanky would probably have a Trophy made for him. Luckily the Touch Judge was another of Sefton’s new players, Louie Roose, who’d been given the Flag by the ref and instructed, “just raise it where the ball gets kicked over the side line”. (a little lesson for the new Ref I think).

The try was scored out wide, for Steve does not know of the benefits of scoring near the posts yet.

Regular conversion taker, Matty Williams looked at it and then asked Steve if he fancied a shot.

To his credit, Steve’s attempt was pretty good. Much better than anything Matty has ever done.

  

  

Big Joe’s “Try”

------------------

Gotta hand it to Joe. God loves a trier.

He has grabbed this rugby thing with 2 hands.

Still a lot to learn (he is still in the ‘second row’ category), but determined to throw himself in at every opportunity.

Today, he found himself in some space, after breaking through the Oldershawn defense.

This is new territory for Joe.

Near the halfway, no one in front, or behind him.

Now you’ve all been witness to those poor unfortunates who “score” on the 5 metre line, but we’ve never seen anyone dive for the halfway line to ground the ball!!

Poor Sefton suffered new levels of vicarious embarrassment for Joe, with most of us having to explain to the opposition that “it’s his first game ever – he plays soccer”.

  

  

Prognosis

------------------

Fantastic day again for Sefton, who are still happily on their learning curve.

I was really pleased to find out that people mix up Brando and Blendie – I’m sure they’d both be buzzing to know this.

A big thank you to the 3 Port Sunlighteners who helped our cause today: Cal at fullback, who had a nightmare at the start, but stormed back with some penetrating runs that we’ve never seen in a Sefton fullback shirt. Kenny(?) was a rock at 8, and the bearded prop made his presence felt quite a number of times. It could have been ugly without them today.

 

 

Yours in rugby,

Campo x