Sefton RUFC

Injection of Youth Makes all the Difference

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Pre-Game

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As you may have heard, Captain Ingham is now Ex-Captain Ingham.

Phil finally found a county that his ‘restrictions’ do not apply and managed to get a temporary Primary School Teachers job in Kent.

Lets just hope that his new job doesn’t involve organising group activities, preparation of playing areas, inspiring keen beginners or providing any motivational leadership.

We will need to consult the Sefton Rules and Regs, but I don’t think Captaining for only 5 games will guarantee him the “Third Team Player’s Player” at the end of the year.

So, with no one stepping forward to take on the Captaincy role *, it was down to Blandie, Campo and Downing to organise things. Downing is taking a year’s sabbatical in the hope to get his head sorted **

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* Downing tried to put his hand up, but we said he’d have to have the respect of the players, and actually be a player. He did have an argument though, stating that we’d dropped that criteria last season.

** You’ll all recall the drama of Downing’s constant concussion last season, I swear he spent most games sitting on the sideline asking where he was.

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The Match

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With Downing firmly ensconced on the sideline, asking where we were, the Sefton team went out to play the brave men of Prenton.

Sefton seemed to have the majority of the ball, as it seemed that all Prenton were doing, was defending. And they tackled well.

Sefton got a few tries from good breaks and backing up. We had the extra numbers which was telling in the end.

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Try of the Game

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There were a few nice tries today, most of them involved just getting the ball to Kostas, and watching him dance round the opposition to score.

During his spree, we managed to alert him of the fact that Brendo has NEVER scored a try, and that Kostas was being very greedy.

Now Kostas is a pretty charitable bloke, amongst many other things, so every time he got the ball, he did his dance towards Brendo’s wing, in the hope that Brendo may be awake, be able to catch, and know where the try line was.

After 4 or five false starts, Brendo finally got the ball, pegged back his ears *, and made a bee line for the corner post!!

A rare sight indeed, Brendo stretching out and running 50 metres without even stopping!!

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* Who brings pegs out on the pitch nowadays?? 

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The Conspiracy

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We had another debutant today, John Neville, who (you guessed it) played on the wing.

(We had managed to keep quiet the story of the 3’s previous debutant, Greg Bott, who broke his leg a few weeks ago * ).

Anyway, John is really keen, unable to contain himself on the sideline, running up and down, throwing the ball and catching it. If there was an enthusiasm award, he’d have it.

After about 20 minutes of this though, we had to put him on, giving one of the students the opportunity to come off for a vomit.

Poor John. I don’t know if all the players agreed on a pact or something before the game, but there seemed to be an arrangement that no one shall pass the ball to John. And, if you did, you had to make it a crap pass.

I gotta hand it to John though, he took it all in good spirits and his keenness has not been dented.

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* Good news from Greg. He’s managed to start walking without the use of crutches now. The inflatable cast they’ve given him seems to be helping, and soon he’ll be able to get back to Uni.

I guess he probably only has to go in for an hour of lecture each week anyway.

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Kicking Update

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Today, without Chris McTeary *, there was nothing really much to tear our hair out about. 

Basically, when you score 10 tries, there is no real need for any kicking in general play, so No Sefton Kicking means No Campo Moaning.

10 tries? You ask. In a 52-10 scoreline?

2 words. I say. Matty Williams.

The bloke is an enigma.

He’s getting married next year **, so he’s got her working Saturdays. She’d always be down to look after him. These last few weeks there’s been a young bearded lad. Not sure if he’s related or a Social Worker, but he is one patient guy!

Matty as been coming to Sefton for about 5 or 6 years now. You’d’ve thought  he’d’ve learnt a thing or 2 about rugby. But no, he looks to be staying on that wing for the next 5 or 6 years.

Maybe, one day, when he starts to slow down, he may ‘progress’ to the second row.

Always could boot a ball a long way though. Unfortunately, his conversion conversion rate is sadly lacking.

One goal from 10 attempts today puts him right down there on the Goal Kicking Stats with Mike Collins.

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* For those that wondering what happened to last week’s Match Report, I did write one up, but could not publish it! Seems the “poetic prose” that I’d used to describe Chris McTeary’s box kicks broke the website’s etiquette rules. Let’s just say that it has saved Chris some deserved blushes.

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** Matty’s Wedding. Got to hand it to Matty though. He’s organised his wedding next March in the SAME week as their baby is due!! Talk about organisation. If he can pull this off, he could be a big contender for the Sefton 3rd Team Captaincy next season!

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“Kostas The Game”

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Unlike the names or titles we give some players, like “Matt The Bland”, “Brendo The Brave”

and now “Matty The Wedding Planner”, that volatile Kostas nearly cost us the game!!

It seems he is all smiley and huggy if he is allowed to score tries whenever he is given the ball, but, heaven forbid, he is not very happy if he gets tackled!

Some poor Prentonian made that mistake and Kostas was apoplectic!! If Captain Blandie hadn’t enforced an instant substitution, the mad Greek could’ve seen yellow. 

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Even a Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut Once in a While

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Congratulations to the Sefton First Team!!!

Today they won their first game of the season, after 7 games.

Well done to the FTW *, at this rate you may get another win before Christmas!

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* First Team ‘Elite’