Sefton RUFC

Sat 4 Nov 2023

Liverpool Collegiate 2nd XV

0 - 43

Sefton 2nd XV

Liverpool Collegiate 2nd XV

Sefton 2nd XV

What a team we had, dripping with talent, from old goats such as Wayne Osborne, JJ, and Mark Dobie, to young pups, in the form of our new student influxe. For the first time in many season we had three teams out, with a full complement of subs. The second team was bombarded with players from both sides, with Christian's first team having spares to lend, and Campo in the three’s also trying to give players away.

This came at a perfect time, with the 2nds playing against their local rivals, Liverpool Collegiate.

A bonus was the return of our favourite Irish (not varified) scrum half, Paddy McCleary. Missing since the start of the season, apparently due to women trouble. However, I am pleased to report that it has all been sorted, she left him. She was unwilling to follow him to the Emerald Isles, where the Guiness flows freely, and there’s always a song to be sung. I’m unsure whether Paddy felt the same way about it as me, because his lyrical Irish tone, makes him sound happy all the time. He was probably crying inside, but we laughed anyway. There has to be a song in there somewhere Paddy.

Before the game the team had to endure sHamblings marathon warm up session. Insisting the team arrived five hours before kick off. Surprisingly, the forwards finished working on their one lineout move within five minutes, and the backs weren’t far behind, after running through a number of fancy moves they were never going to use, due to the forwards never giving them the ball, because they drop it.

- The Game -

What a feast for the spectator, on Sefton’s side anyway. Collegiate usually drag out all the players for this game, but seem to be struggling, at the moment. A strong forward pack completely dominated them in the set pieces, and although Collegiate had the majority of the ball in the first ten minutes, they were knocked back each time by solid tackling. Kev Mainwarring seemed to have a lot of pent-up aggression, and Will Messham, on the wing was punching well above his weight.

Kyle Noon was first over the try line, with a steady driving scrum on the oppositions five metre line, before picking up and diving over the line. Paddy McCleary converted from wide out.

Sefton were back harassing Collegiate’s try line soon after, and this time they were unable to stop a marauding Luke Griffiths from breaking through in the corner.

Feeling generous the forwards allowed the backs to have the ball from a scrum, inside Collegiates twenty-two. The backs pulled off what I can only presume is a training ground move, with JJ providing a sumptuous ball to Isaac Lancaster, who ran the perfect line. Cutting through the middle of the opposition’s defensive line, to score under the posts. Paddy McCleary converted, losing the only decent ball over the fence in the process.

The tries continued to come, with a powerful step through by Tom Rainey, to go through under the posts. Followed soon after by a solo try by Paddy McCleary, who jinxed his way through, to score the final try of the half. Both kicks, this time, softly converted by McCleary.

Half time saw a few changes, with Daniel Craig, Adam Hunter, and newbies, Godard and Travis Coucom coming on.

- Kicking Update -

With an exit for Paddy McCleary early in the second half due to a stud in the eye, kicking duties went to Wayne Osborne. Now Wayne is a wizard with the ball in his hands, but apparently not so when kicking for touch, as demonstrated whenever he was required to do so. Struggling to find any touchline, no matter how close he was to it.

- Try Drought -

With a handful of tries in the first half, this was not the case in the second half. It wasn’t for the a lack of effort, with JJ pulling out all the tricks in the centres, balls behind the back, miss moves, cheeky little kicks over the top. It could be put down to a number of things, the uphill slope, Collegiate finding a second gear, or Wayne’s kicking for touch. However, I have isolated it to one thing, Dan Harrington. I think Dan loves the confrontation, he loves to take on the big lads. He is like most wingers, built for speed, not power. With all that speed, Dan had several chances to race round the outside, and score in the corner, but insisted on coming back inside to look for the biggest forward to run into.

Eventually, he comes off, and Will Messham comes back on, and is immediately rewarded with a score in the corner. You couldn’t write it. Well you can.

- Kicking Update Pt. 2 -

The conversion. To be far it was out wide, but Wayne’s ball set up had something of the 80’s look. High up on the kicking tee, bolt straight upright, we might as well of brought on the bucket of sand to sit it on. The jeering on the sideline probably didn’t help. A fine effort however, which thankfully fell just short, to save me from his smug face, more than anything.

A final score by JP Ellis, when he broke off the back of the scrum, finished off a perfect performance.

- Kicking Update Pt. 3 -

Probably embarrassed about his kicking effort. Wayne hands the conversion to Luke Griffiths. Under the posts, with the wind behind him, no problem for any amateur, kicking for the first time. I think it hit the corner flag, on its continuing journey out of the ground. Another ball lost.

Whilst not compensating for the first team losing to Collegiate last week, it’s always good to get a win against them. Some sumptuous performances, but primarily a great team performance. Kyle Noon was again phenomenal, and the old goats, Wayne Osborne and JJ, controlled the midfield with ease, and Isaac Lancaster showed security at fullback. Man of the Match, however, went to student Will Messham on the wing. Fearless in the tackle, and also showing Dan how to score. A good debut performance. I’m hoping we will see a lot more of these Uni students putting the Sefton shirt on.

Off now to pinch Campo’s bucket of sand for Wayne.

Yours, Lanky.