Sefton RUFC

Sat 5 Oct 2024

Sefton 2nd XV

47 - 24

West Park (St Helens) 3rd XV

Sefton 2nd XV

West Park (St Helens) 3rd XV

It’s not easy being captain, yet again JP Ellis was absent from the team, and yet again responsibility fell on James sHambling. With three teams playing this week, it was a scramble to secure players for your team. Props were the high commodity, a dying breed, and on the extinction list at Sefton. Maybe we could encourage environmentalists to re-introduce them into the wild.

For now, though we would have to make do. sHambling made the brave decision, and went in at loose head prop.

Amazingly West Park, after struggling to get a full side on Friday, and considered calling the game off, came with a full complement, and a sub! Maybe they were just luring Sefton into a false sense of security.

The Game

The first two scrums were uncomfortable to watch, with West Park’s tight head prop giving sHambling a painful lesson in scrummaging, as he twisted him into knotted shapes. Despite the contorted shapes sHambling was in, Sefton managed to get the ball away, and into play after a couple of re-sets. It was finally suggested he went tight head against a slightly smaller prop, who wasn’t intent on shoving sHambling’s head up his arse.

An area that went well for Sefton was the lineouts, and despite having only one jumper, Tom Rainer was in complete control and dominance of the skies. This helped the backs to hit West Park’s line continually with wave, after wave of attacks. Wayne Banthorpe was the first to break their defences and score a try. Converted by Gorgeous.

West Parks main threat of attack was from their stand off who used his boot to good effect, with the aid of the wind, and a slightly hung over, Isaac Lancaster at full back. Once deep into Sefton’s half, their heavy forwards proved too powerful to prevent them going over for an unconverted try.

Despite having lots of ball, Sefton’s final passes often fell short, or were knocked on, a fact that sHambling was not too happy about. Another scrum, perhaps as a back he will now be more careful with the ball when he gets it, if he ever plays in the backs again. The opportunities came, however, and it was Wayne Banthorpe who again broke West Park’s resolve, and went over for his second try.

The loss of Paddy Walsh, and Phil Ingham made the lineout a little more difficult, with Campo taking them for his third team, after complaining he didn’t have enough players. sHambling eventually relenting after he brought the water works into play. No one wants to see a grown man cry.

In the second half their stand-off wasn’t having as much success with his kicking, with Isaac Lancaster having run off his hang over, and now making some positive forward runs. This was backed up by a energetic Dan Harrington, who ran around like an excited cocker spaniel, securing a lot of ball at the breakdown when the forwards were not there in time. With swift handling skills, Sefton easily broke into the opposition’s half, and Tom Rainford was able to go over for a try. Converted by Gorgeous.

Some silly penalties, and poor defensive mistakes allowed West Park right back in, with two quick converted tries. At one point during this, Joe Clarke was seen crawling off the pitch on his hands and knee’s claiming he was injured, but immediately told to get back on the pitch to defend by some stern words from Leonie Robertson on the sideline. Big Joe, timidly does what he is told, unable to look her in the eyes.

Despite this purple patch from West Park, that was as good as it got for the visitors, as Sefton’s backs started to rip into them. A sumptuous kick into the corner by Gorgeous, gave Sefton field position, and from there Wayne Banthorpe was able to thunder through for his third try under the posts, which was easily converted by Gorgeous.

A break outside allowed Dan Harrington to race over in the corner for a well-deserved try, and Steve Kidd finally went over after his first try was dubiously held up over the line.

A final try by Sefton combined some great handling skills, taking the ball from Sefton’s half, and into the opposition’s half where Ben Three (3 of 5)*  goes over in the corner.

West Park gets a conciliation try in the final play of the match, to at least give them some relief from Sefton’s back line.

*Ben’s are like the Borg at Sefton, there are so many, we just give them a number, now.

Another tough game for Sefton second team, that was only really decided in the last twenty minutes, again emphasising Sefton’s superior fitness. With a lot of missing personnel in the forwards, they had to rely on the backs to provide the fire power. Steve Kidd, and Wayne Banthorpe were immense in attack, and were backed by a number of new student debuts. Dan Harrington, and Gorgeous were busy around the fringes, and Tom Rainford and Ben Webster (1 of 5), were the pick of the forwards. However, Tom gracefully took the hint as sHambling suddenly sat down, and that was Tom's queue to announce that sHamling was Man of the Match. Admittedly, he did put his body on the line as our new prop, but that's no reason to go Aaron Gore on us.

I suspect I will mostly be helping sHambling put his socks on for the rest of the week.

Lanky