Sefton RUFC

Sat 14 Sep 2024

Mossley Hill

5 - 41

Sefton 2nd XV

Mossley Hill

Sefton 2nd XV

It’s been a long week for our new captain, JP Ellis. What I have noticed is his indecisiveness. Switching players from position to position, it was like a game of musical chairs, at one point putting sHamling at scrum-half! Did he not want the backs to get any ball? I sat firmly in my seat, I wasn’t budging for anyone.

As it turned out, with the third teams game off, there were plenty of players available. Blandy thankfully gets the nine jersey, and Darrell Smith is brought up, but would only play if his son Ben was allowed to play. JP obviously relented, figuring we could carry Ben, if we also had darrell's awesomeness.

We arrive to a crammed Mossley Hill, with cricket, tennis, and the rugby all vying for vital car parking space, if only there was a traffic warden around?

The Game

With the glorious sun making an appearance, and a horrible inclined pitch to look forward to. The first job was to win the toss, and get the uphill slope in the first half, depriving Mosley of their starting preference.

Mosley Hill started strongly, and had some early possession within Sefton’s half. However, Sefton defended well and the tackling was sure and solid. Chris Lewis and Matty Williams held strong in the scrums, to allow Blandy plenty of decision time at the back. The outlet was always available to Sefton with a fast set of backs, who could have been away and over Moseley Hills try line a number of times if not for some poor passing. From who, I’m unsure, because from a distance I struggle to distinguish between Steve Kidd and Wayne Banthorpe. Stood together there is no mistaking, one has strawberry blonde hair, with a quiet air of confidence, and the other possibly has a strong Scottish heritage, was maybe bullied at school, and clearly loves himself far too much. I will leave you to decide which, is which.

Anyway, because of these reckless passes, the ball never made it to his intended target, and chances were missed. Perhaps we need more Auckland grid practice in training?

It took some spectacular skill to break this deadlock. Moseley hill trying to escape their half, hoof the ball high into the air. Up comes Isaac Lancaster from full back, and catches the ball at full sprint, taking it back into the opposition’s half, before eventually being stopped within their twenty-two. At the breakdown, JP is able to break through the disrupted defensive line, before popping the ball out to Jackson Walker, who went over for the first try.

Sefton we’re quickly pressing for another try, and came close when sHamling broke the line, but tackled just short of line. A panic instilled in getting the ball out at the breakdown, and the ball was spilled, only yards from the line. Where was the scrum half at these vital moments, you may be wondering. Well, Blandy, would eventually turn up, I think he caught the bus to each breakdown (probably the 61), his late arrival allowing the defence to line up in preparation.

Kicking update

The pressure was kept on though, pinning Mossley Hill down in the half, and finally conceding a penalty. Welsh JJ was asked to kick for the corner, five metres away. Even he was surprised that anyone would ask him to kick after last week’s kicking performance. He strolls up not exactly oozing confidence, but probably thinking, I can’t mess this up, the touch is only five metres away. Unsurprisingly the kick, bananas away from the touchline, and across the dead ball line, in a bending trajectory that David Beckham would have been proud of. He slopes off, the forwards looking on in disgust, his backs sniggering, and saying “it’s OK, I don’t thing anyone noticed”.

Fortunately a chance finally came minutes later caused by Mossley Hills defence bunching together. A rampant Ben Smith offloads in the tackle to Lancaster who quickly looks to the three backs eagerly lined up outside him. Welsh JJ is the recipient, and runs into the corner, just managing to place the ball down before the covering defence could stop him.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic though, with Mossley Hill making breaks of their own. At one point switching from defence, into attack that takes them from their end of the pitch, into Sefton’s within a few phases.

With the end of the half approaching, and Sefton seemingly in control, a moments lack of concentration allows Mossley Hill to pounce on a loose ball, hacking it down the pitch for their full back to gather, and race over Sefton’s try line in the final play of the half.

In the second half Mikey Dempsey is let off his leash, having been tide to a tree in the first half, gnawing on a bone. Within minutes Sefton are down in the corner stretching Mossley’s defence. Mark Dobie was even seen with his hands on the ball, a rare sight, his aversion to contact scuppered, and for once unable to avoid contact. With the defence spent Dan Harrington is able to slip around the outside and score in the corner.

Another break by Ben Smith sees him run half the pitch, only to be tackled five metres short. This only delays the inevitable though, as the forwards take it on, by-passing Blandy, who’s bus must have been delayed. Paul Walker, and Chris Lewis both taking the ball forward, with JP eventually taking the decisive ball, and crashing over the try line. The conversion was kicked by Steve Kidd, maybe, no I’m sure it was him, I think?

By this time the opposition looked to be tiring, their captain was swopping players in and out, at frequent intervals, and on several occasions they seemed to have only fourteen players on. You could see the prop helping him count, holding his fingers up to aid the counting.

Another try by JP, and a crash ball carry by Matty Williams adds two more tries, and probably took the last fight out of Mossley Hill. Steve Kidd converted both tries.

Despite some hard running by Mikey Dempsey, and Wayne Banthorpe, Mossley Hill did well to stop them from scoring, with some solid defensive tackles. It took some innovative thinking by Isaac Lancaster to get past their defensive line, kicking the ball over the top, and racing through to ground the ball just before it rolled over the dead ball line. Converted by Steve Kidd.

A great game, with the score flattering Sefton a little. Mossley Hill were still in the game until the last twenty minutes. In the end Sefton’s superior fitness showed, and the down hill slope helped of course.

Man of the Match was a tough decision for the captain, with so many outstanding performances. Isaac Lancaster was a commanding figure at the back, decisive in attack, and reliable in defence. I lost count of how many crunching tackles Jackson Walker completed, and the strong runs by Dempsey and Banthorpe set the pace of the match. However, Ben Smith was a whirlwind in defence and attack, linking well with both forwards, and backs, in the end deserving the plaudits.

On the side-line Dan Harrington had a whole family of supporters, all travelled from Bath to watch him play. Lucky, he scored, he can continue the sibling rivalry and claim that he’s the best rugby player in the family.

With the passed players reunion at Sefton this week, it was good to catch up with players supposedly passed their sell by date. Various topics came up, including the fact that a lot of them could still be playing. Also discussed was, are the Osborne’s to blame for overpopulation, why has Matty Thomas suddenly started buying a round? Did Paul Walker really save Jacques Cousteau in a diving incident, and why is there a starfish on the club house ceiling? Most importantly though, why is Isaac Lancaster sporting a mullet?

On the way home, I catch the 61, Blandy is still on it.

Life is an Auckland grid, Lanky.