Sefton RUFC

Sat 16 Dec 2023

Sefton 2nd XV

53 - 10

Prenton 2nd XV

Sefton 2nd XV

Prenton 2nd XV

A good crowd attended the only senior game at Sefton this week, due to the first team game being called off early morning. We should commend the crowds enthusiasm, not particularly to watching the game, but to giving some critical evaluation to a number of players.

A strong, confident start by Prenton, put Sefton under some early pressure, however they managed to rebuff their attack.

A break by Dan Harrington brought the first try, making a run down the wing, but halted five metres short of the line. In their frantic attempt to stop the ball from being played, Prenton were penalised, and Ali McKie took a quick tap, and went over for the try.

A break through the middle, this time by sHambling set up the next try, with Tom Founds in support, and then onto Ali McKie ending with a scrum opportunity on the right. The ball went blind, to Sean Muirhead in open space, who insisted on doing a flying leap into the corner despite no one being around him. The conversion was spectacularly missed by Ali McKie, who barely made the twenty-two, even though he took it from the twenty-two.

Another good run by Dan Harrington put Sefton into the opposition half, and from a penalty they kicked for a lineout. The catch and drive set up the maul, and the forwards trundled the fifteen metres to the line, for Kyle Noon to drop over the line.

- The ‘water, water, my Kingdom for some water’ moment -

sHamling's continuous cry of ‘WATER, WATER’ put everyone on edge as to what he was demanding. Was the captain dying of thirst on one of the coldest days of the year? Did he expect someone to bring it out to him on a silver tray? Did he want still, or sparkling water? So many questions, in the end, we just ignored his tantrum.

Prenton finally hit back with a nicely worked try from midfield. A penalty was quickly taken and the ball was shipped wide to the wing, where they went over for an unconverted try.

An old, and battered Christian Caine Snr. was finally taken out of his box, and allowed some game time. He already looked injured, before he stepped on the pitch, stuck together with sticky tape, and a delusional belief that the old goat can still make a difference.

As the half ended, a desperate kick out by Prenton was gathered at full back by Isaac Lancaster, who beat the first defender before passing to McKie. Some great hands took the ball through Tom Rainer, and sHambling, to finally reach Dave Murphy to score a sumptuous try. A conversation was finally completed by McKie.

In the second half Sefton continued the attack, with Isaac Lancaster nearly putting Jay Goulding in at the corner, which would have been unforgivable. Luckily he was held up, otherwise we would have been hearing about it all night, in glorious detail.

Minutes later though, a penalty tap allowed Kev Mainwarring to go over. There was no finesse about it, no change of direction, or cheeky sidestep, he just ran right over the helpless defender.

With 30 minutes to go Jamie Luck had seen enough of Blandie’s passing at scrum half, and demanded to go on. However, it was another five minutes before he went on. Apparently, he was waiting for play to come nearer to him, so he didn’t have to run so far. I’m surprised he didn’t ask some of the players to carry him over, maybe get him a throne, so he could be carried triumphantly onto the pitch, trumpet’s announcing his arrival.

When he did get on, he was rightly jeered every time he got the ball, with the crowd demanding he kicked it, and when he didn’t, they showed their disapproval.

After the match he did reveal that within five minutes of running around, he was exhausted, but daren’t go off, for the fear of what insults Brian Gardner would throw at him from the stand. That is what I call ‘positive bullying’, and should be encouraged at all times.

Another kick through by Prenton, exposed them again to the counter-attack, with Isaac Lancaster running wide, before passing to Ali McKie, who steps inside to beat the defender, and score his second try. He converts his own try.

A weary Prenton trudge back now, only to face another barrage from Sefton. This time sHamling breaks the line, and pops the ball to JP, who steps through under the posts, and then converts his own try.

- Kicking Update -

Jamie Luck could not suppress his kicking urge any longer, and attempts a box kick out of Sefton’s half. This merely gave the ball back to Prenton, and gave them space to attack. Taking the ball out wide, they only had Isaac Lancaster to beat, whose mind must already have been on the task of tackling the Xmas tree later on, (a keen Sefton tradition). The tackle was poor, more of a Campo ‘air tackle’ than a genuine attempt to stop the player, and Prenton were able to get a consolation try.

A final try for Tom Founds under the posts, ended the game, with Tom drop kicking the ball over for the conversion.

A very entertaining game to watch, with some well worked tries. Some great individual performances, a clear jug evasion from McKie, and a number of players deserving Man of the Match. In true sHamling style however, he couldn’t make a decision, so he picked a Tom Rainey as his forward of the match, who put in the hard graft around the pitch. Dave Murphy was back of the match, causing Prenton all sorts of problems in the backs, unable to defend his varying running lines.

With Sefton’s Xmas party that night, we have to mention the traditional ‘tackling of the Xmas tree’. Deviously, the President, Amanda Haseldine purchased a real tree this year, in the hope that the spikes would deter participation. Unfortunately, she misunderstood the determination of the drunken rugby player. In particular, a glorious dive by Isaac Lancaster, who righted his pathetic attempt from last year, but will be picking needles out of various body parts for some time.

I’m off now to find sHamling some water, sparkling and slightly tepid.

Yours, Lanky