Sefton RUFC

Sat 7 Sep 2024

Sefton 2nd XV

78 - 8

Winnington Park 3rd XV

Sefton 2nd XV

Winnington Park 3rd XV

The two games at home on Sefton's back pitches could not have been any different for the two Sefton sides. In fact the battle of Gallipoli could be a good comparison. On one pitch we had the Aussie led 3rd team, doomed by their foolish leader, content in letting his players face impossible odds, gunned down by the machine gun nests.

On the other pitch was JP, the new captain of the 2nd team, who in contrast was relaxed and making friendly conversation to their opposition, not perturbed by the massacre about to happen on the opposite pitch.

It's not that Campo hadn’t had any warning signs, regarding the third teams opposition. Oswestry 2nds turned up with a full compliment of young, agile, quick players, plus subs. He also had the knowledge that their first team had already played Wednesday night. Suggesting that this wasn’t an entirely legitimate 2nd team.

In comparison, Sefton’s 2nd team opposition, Winnington Park turned up with seven veteran forwards, well passed their sell-by date, struggling to bend down to even put their boots on.

Now any savvy captain would have had the discussion, ‘if we switched the teams round, to equal the quality of the opposition, everyone will be a winner’. Oswestry would go away after having a competitive game, whilst Winnington would at least had the chance of catching some of our players. However, we have two polar opposite captains. Campo, is very accommodating, eager to please the opposition, and allow them a glorious victory. Whereas, JP is extremely competitive, with no other mentality, but to win at all cost. Regardless of the fact that Winnington had already conceded the game, giving Sefton the win, JP went for total destruction, with no mercy.

Grudgingly, JP gives them Dan Harrington, and Darrell Smith to even the numbers up. But to ensure total victory he also recruits McTeary, with his one working leg, to play for them. That should mess them up, I heard him say.

- The game -

Despite Winnington scoring the first points with a penalty kick, this only gave them false hope, as first Mikey Dempsey and Jackson Walker tore into them, before it was released into the backs. A combination of Welsh JJ, Liam Brown, and Steve Kidd made short work of the opposition defence consisting of four slow forwards, and their last line of defence, Dan Harrington.

After the fourth try from consecutive kick-offs, JP was persuaded to give them some much needed speed in the backs. He eventually relents, and Harry Osborne is the sacrificial lamb.

Despite this, it only slowed the time between scores a fraction, with both Harry Osborne, and Dan Harrington having plenty of tackle practice.

With half time arriving, not quick enough for the Winnington martyrs, JP does the right thing, and changes his Jersey to Winnington colours.

The second half was more of the same, with Gorgeous, JJ , Liam Brown, Steve Kidd, sHamling, all getting tries, and Isaac Lancaster getting a hat-trick.

The only disappointing aspect of the game was JJ’s kicking. Clearly he went to the Colin Pascoe school of kicking, and produced some monumentally poor kicks, which eventually led to Winnington’s only try of the game.

Playing thirty minutes each way, allowed a number of players to move pitches at the end. Helping a beleaguered third team stop the flow of tries coming from Oswestry.

Man of the match went to debutant, Jackson Walker, who put in some devastating tackles. A bright future for the young Colt, who we suspect won’t be with the second team for long.

After last season’s two massive defeats for Winnington, by the hands of Sefton, I wonder when they will realise that the second team captains are only interested in total destruction, to win at all cost, probably sadists. Maybe next time, they will think twice about bringing seven players down, and the 2nds will have to go out shopping instead.

I’m off now to try and rebuild a bridge that keeps getting burnt down.

Lanky