Sefton RUFC

Sat 9 Sep 2023

Sefton 2nd XV

26 - 35

New Brighton 2nd XV

Sefton 2nd XV

New Brighton 2nd XV

Einstein once said, 'Insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results'. Well here we are again, legendary relegation chaser Jimmy Hamling aka 'Princess' back as 2^nd team captain, what could possibly go wrong? All the same things as last time probably.

Pre game

After a successful chasing of players getting up to 25 yes responses between 2s and 3s at home, and a few maybes to chase, things were looking good. Then Christian Caine provides me with an elite squad full of potential ones players. Panic runs across my brain, is this team too good, does the score board go to triple figures, will anyone agree to play us again. Fortunately the one's selection is more whimsical than realistic, they might as well start selecting batman and superman, taking back a few players, and losing a few more to the usual Saturday morning nonsense. The Sefton's Wailing Wall was in full effect.

With those cowardly 3s not wanting to play 7's in 25 degree heat, a tug of war for players ensued, with 13 2xvs definites, before the return of Danny Oswald, and a new player lent to us from New Brighon rounded out the team.

The game.

Unfortunately I don’t have the minute by minute memory of the game as my predecessor, so you will be getting a more vague overview.

The game started with Sefton's forwards keeping it tight and simple, making big gains, followed by constantly getting turned over at the rucks and losing lineouts, which meant it was fairly even. The deadlock was broken when surging runs by our forwards, specifically a rampant Kyle Noon helped Sefton get to their line, before Jack Crone took a short pass off Wayne Osborne for try under the sticks.

Unfortunately, the momentum shifted to New Brighton when an injury to Danny Oswald forced him off for most of the first half, once the fastest player at the club, now the fastest man of glass. Jay Dempsey went on the wing with the advantage of having played there before, but the disadvantage of being staggeringly slow, it's like he's running into a wind tunnel. New Brighton peppered Sefton with some kicks over the top with Isaac Lancaster covering the entire field as well as he could. With some unfortunate bounces, and some great counterplay New Brighton took the lead.

At half time, in a very humid game, Danny Osborne came back on the field to sure up the wing, and put in a great performance, breaking many tackles and running it back hard. Sefton got right back into things with two great team tries finished with Wayne Osborne putting JJ through a gap, and then breaking some tackles to the line. Unfortunately, lapses in concentration gave New Brighton some very easy gaps to score, and eventually the win.

A good game, in good spirits, minus all the high tackles, lots of good spots, lots to build upon. Get down to training.

Princess Shambling