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Staffordshire 22 North Wales 7
by Roving Reporter
The rural idyll of North Staffordshire was the venue of the confrontation between the embryonic Staffordshire Academy squad and North Wales. Under the watchful eye of Rob Barlow, the squad has gradually developed and bonded. His coaching team of Edwards, Green and Williams can be pleased with their efforts to mould a group of players with whom they have spent very little time together.
As the rain lashed down over the Stoke first team pitch those who had gathered for the spectacle wondered whether the performance on the pitch would be enough to warm their distinctly chilly nether areas! They would not be disappointed. The coaches opted for a strong team to take the field in their tightly fitting shirts! The spearhead of the team would be lead by Heath, Slater and Brown with Cooper and Wainwright in the boiler room. In the back row, old County team mates, Burton, Tattersall and Perrins would once more work together. The midfield duo would be Lloyd and Wood, with Titley and Reybould in the centres. The back three to start were Hall, Protheroe and Smith.
The game got off to a flying start for Staffordshire and within ten minutes they were in the driving seat as two tries were scored in quick succession. The good set piece work from both line outs where Wainwright quickly impressed with his dominating leaps, and strong scrummages thanks to a solid foundation from Heath and Brown enabled Lloyd time and space to make good decisions. In the loose, the back row showed their speed in arriving at the breakdown and recycling ball; Perrins was particularly impressive in getting o the ball, and both Burton and Tattersall cleared out well to make the ball available for Lloyd. The partnership between Lloyd and Wood quickly established itself as the main feature of the half. Whilst Lloyd was able to provide excellent service through quick fire passing, Wood ensured that every time he had the ball in his hands, the gain line was broken. He utilised the excellent lines that both Titley and Reybould ran to punch holes in a disorganised defence, and when there was space, he showed maturity in gaining the territory through good touch line kicking.
Both early tries came from spells of impressive continuity that were initially ended by scrummages. However, this was to prove only a minor interruption as Perrins took a pick and go from the base of the scrum before laying off to Lloyd who scored through a hole big enough to accommodate the team bus North Wales had arrived in. The second came from similar field position with Perrins selecting the blindside to attack, before popping to Lloyd and then Smith. Smith stood his man up but lost his footing as he went for the line. However, Perrins was there to sweep up the ball and touchdown. Chris Heath sustained an injury so he was replaced Thorne.
The pressure on North Wales continued to mount as Wood fed Burton, Titley and Reybould with good ball. These players acted as battering rams with their diagonal runs and bone crunching hits. Not to be out done, both wingers showed their skills when the opportunity arose. Protheroe twice went close with aggressive running and Smith jinked through outside gaps. The reward for the hard work soon arrived following Burton’s catch from a centre field line out. The ensuing maul was driven 30 metres up field as the North Wales defence continually attempted to reorganise its’ lines. At the back of the advancing maul was the ubiquitous Perrins waiting for the opportunity to attack. As he peeled off the maul, Lloyd was on his shoulder; drawing his man Perrins pooped the ball to Lloyd who had time sell a dummy on e-bay before dancing through the gap to touch down for 17 unanswered points.
Manager Barlow began to tinker with his formation, providing game time for all his players. Jones came into the fray, adding pace to the back row. Protheroe again had a foray down the left wing as the recipient of classic backs play from Wood, Titley and Reybould. Unfortunately, his pass just failed to connect with Halls outstretched arms. Cooper who had worked hard in the set and added considerable power in the loose sustained an injury requiring extensive treatment, in his place Turner took the field to finish the remaining two minutes before half time. The referee concluded the half to warm applause from the stand. Despite the chilly elements, the rugby had warmed even the most badly clothed supporter!
With an abundance of good scrum halves available, both Cotterhill and Spence were brought on, as were Castle in the back division. As the second half commenced, evidence that Staffordshire would try to maintain the pace and intensity of the first half was soon available as Jones, smith and Turner caught the catcher and drove him back ten metres. However, the North Wales forwards were able to smuggle the ball out and break away. This represented a cameo of how the half would go. Staffordshire demonstrated spells of impressive continuity where the backs linked well with the forwards and progress was made, only to be thwarted by a turn over and all the territory that was gained was lost. However, this was not the case with the final try from Staffordshire. Fine interplay from Burton, Wainwright and Turner was the ball move thirty metres into the Welsh territory before Marshall spotted the weakness on the blindside. Quick passes between him, Titley and Cotterhill enabled Cotterhill to touch down in the corner and move the score board onto 22-0.
The try appeared to act as a wakeup call for the Welsh boys, who came back very strongly, forcing Staffordshire to defend for long periods. During a siege on the ten metre line, the prop took a crash ball from his scrum half, before meeting the Wainwright wall. The impact sent shock waves from the collision epicentre and several pounds worth of damage were reported in nearby Barleston. Unfortunately for Wainwright, this would be his last hurrah of the game as Tattersall replaced him. The pressure continued to mount, but the defence held well. Temporary relief through the boot of Marshall enabled the forwards to regroup. During this phase, Burton, Brown and Perrins were impressive in their tackling, while Turner, Tattersall, and Jones et al supported and cleared out well. As the minutes ticked away, the opposition got their reward for their efforts following a penalty which they kicked to gain a line out. For the only time in the game, the hooker found his jumper and this set up a ten metre maul, and several phases of rucking. The final move saw the fly half go blind into the unsecured gap neglected by the defence. In the final minutes, Staffordshire worked hard to consolidate their lead. Having taken the foot off the pedal, they applied more pressure and ensured that their lines would not be breached again before the referee finished the game.
Manager Barlow was obviously happy with the performance of his squad. The coaching staff had had the opportunity to see the fruits of the labours in action, and whilst the score was pleasing Coaches Green and Edwards had already identified the areas to work on at the next training session. The coaches were wholesome in their praise for the players; Titley and Reybould were both identified as having a big impact on the games for the backs, while Burton and Perrins demonstrated excellent skills and were roundly praised by the coaches. Sunday lunch always tastes so much better when covered in a generous helping of victory!
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