Blacksticks Blue Challenge - Round Six Reports
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Teams who supply photographs or written match reports by email (max 300 words please!) gain credits towards the end-of-season Fair Play trophies, awarded to each age group. Credits are also accumulated for a team playing 18 or more players in a match; and both sides, when either the two clubs agree to play a game of 'tens' or similar when one side has insufficient for a full match, or when a one-sided match has been stopped and a subsequent training game or a mixed training session is arranged.
Under 13s
(358) Preston Grasshoppers 30* Sedgley Park 0
Grasshoppers' Blacksticks Blue Junior Challenge match against Sedgley Park survived a late pitch inspection, leading to another good game of rugby. Hoppers overcame an early set back with the loss to injury of Tom Deakin to score in the first five minutes, via winger Ben Rhodes-Powers.
Further scores came via Ryan Wilkinson, James Worlock and Andrew Hughes, Sam Hargreaves maintaining his previous kicking performances. The game finished as a training match, with the Park and Hoppers squads picking players from each other.
The change allowed Hoppers to field all of their squad, allowing for player development and the coaches to review and access the individuals players in different positions, hopefully to the benefit of the squads strength in depth - Chris Johnson (Preston G/H)
(362) Aldwinians 35* Waterloo 5 (photo images from Dianne Simmons - Waterloo)
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(363) Broughton Park 27 Ormskirk 5 (photo images from Nick James - Ormskirk)
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Under 14s
(461) Waterloo 24 Preston Grasshoppers 7
Waterloo Under 14s had to work hard against a determined Preston Grasshoppers side before eventually running out winners by 24-7 in this Blacksticks Blue Lancashire Cup group match.
Last year’s champions had the ideal start scoring after only five minutes. Tom Alman charged down an attempted kick by Preston, the ball was fed to Connor Wilson and the wingman’s pace did the rest. Tom Simpson converted. Waterloo had to wait until the last minute of the half to increase their lead with Aston Lang breaking through the Preston defence to give the home side a 12-0 lead at the break.
Waterloo continued to press in the second half and got their reward when following a scrum a tremendous move from Laurence Harper let in Matthew Van Sertima for an outstanding try. Aston Lang converted for the additional points.
Jonny Martin secured the points for Waterloo, scoring in the corner after an excellent run down the wing. There was still time at the end for Preston to score a deserved converted try. - Tony Rogers (Waterloo)
(465) Fleetwood 24 Southport 0
Fleetwood welcomed Southport to Melbourne Avenue for the first time in a number of seasons. Weather conditions were not ideal for expansive rugby, the recent heavy rain having taken its toll on the pitch. This was a 'must win' game for both sides who were still looking to secure a place in the Lancashire Blacksticks Blue Plate knock-out stages.
Fleetwood were the first to make their mark on the game with strong forward play led by Asa Watson and their captain Jordan Leighton. After dominating down the middle, second row Robert Foulkes broke from a maul and powered over for a rare try. Southport then became camped in their own half with only brief ventures into the Fleetwood half of the pitch.
There was some sterling defence under intense pressure which kept the score so close. Southport prop Tom Johnson and hooker Liam Hulme worked tirelessly to rally their side but after another forward surge by Fleetwood who were able to ship the ball out wide from scrum half Xavier Burchkard through to Leighton who off loaded to centre Joshua Landmann who doubled the score to 10pts. James Wilson converted and at half time the score stood at 12pts to nil.
The second half proved to be much a repeat of the first with the pitch cutting up and contributing to some handling errors, the most dramatic of which was attributed to James Wilson who looked to have scored a breathtaking solo try beating a number of defenders, side stepping his way under the posts only to spill the ball in the process of grounding it. This only added to his determination and he quickly made amends by powering over after some fantastic phased rugby by the home side.
Southport refused to lie down and kept their shape despite relentless pressure from a strong Fleetwood pack with flanker Giles Hayton driving forward at every opportunity. The final score of the game came when Fleetwood’s forwards recycled the ball then opened up to the backs allowing replacement winger Ryan Randal’s to go over close to the posts. This was converted by Wilson bringing the score to 24pts to nil. Report by Chris Rothwell (Fleetwood)
Under 15s
(548) Fleetwood 0 Southport 3
Southport travelled to Fleetwood in the Blacksticks Blue Challenge 6th Round and were faced with a very wet and muddy pitch. The game turned out to be a very tough contest with evenly matched sides putting in their all . The very muddy conditions meant both teams worked hard but found it difficult to break through. Southport were in the opposition's half for long periods but the visitor's defence held up.
Just before half time Southport were awarded a penalty, bang in front of the sticks, which they chose to convert and take the 3 points knowing it was an opportunity to get the upper hand. Danny Banks was successful under the pressure.
The second half did not disappoint with Southport facing long periods stretching their own defensive capabilities. They were tested to the full and the side came up strong. Play was almost exclusively in Southport's half, and with string of five penalties awarded to Fleetwood, back-to-back on their 5 metre line it looked bleak for the visitors. Fleetwood chose to run and, each time, Southport stood their ground and defended - FANTASTICALLY!
At the final whistle the solitary penalty kick was the divide between both sides. This was a game for both teams to be proud of by any standard playing in such difficult conditions. Report by Tracy Griffiths (Southport)
Under 16s
(644) Waterloo 20 Aldwinians 5 (photo images from Keith Wilson - Waterloo)
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Report to follow!
(645) Fylde 5 Fleetwood 5 (played at Fleetwood, images from Vaughan Evans)
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Bad weather and waterlogged pitches failed to disrupt this highly anticipated local derby as the match was moved to Fleetwood.
This 6th round game in the newly renamed Blacksticks Blue Lancashire Cup was set to be a cracker and from the kick off, Fleetwood went straight for the visitors line. Second phase ball saw scrum half Tom Evans release flanker Danny Maher over the 22 but, unfortunately, a strong try-saving tackle brought Maher’s game to a swift end as he sustained a broken wrist.
Fleet regrouped and came at the opposition with renewed purpose. A great passing move involving both backs and forwards looked to have broken the deadlock as George Worthington made the final incisive pass to Ben Ruddlesdin, only for Fylde again to repulse with some excellent defensive work.
Fleetwood defended strongly as Fylde made good use of the strong wind behind their backs and pumped ball after ball high and long to find decent touch. At one point it looked certain that the visitors would score but sheer brute force from Worthington, Jack Foden and Henry Turner kept them out. A great clearance kick from behind his own try line by Jamie Railton, finally saw the Green and Golds break out of defence and press forward. Evans whipped the ball out from the base of a ruck to captain James Cameron who then passed out to winger Railton. He then drew in 3 defenders before slipping a nice inside ball for Cameron to crash over to score despite determined defence.
The weather again intervened as Evans’s conversion was carried across the face of the goals to hit the post. Fylde drew level from a scrum as centre Charles Hough capitalised through a gap in Fleetwood’s defence.
The second half saw Fleetwood virtually encamped in the visitors half but, as the weather and pitch worsened, decent ball play was hard to find. Fylde enjoyed occasional forays themselves and secure defence by wingman Joe Birks ensured there was no real threat. Report - Vaughan Evans (Fleetwood)
I would also like to say a big thank you to Ian and his coaching team from Fylde for their invaluable assistance when our flanker Danny Maher (Nth Lancs squad) broke his wrist in a heavy tackle within a couple of minutes of kick off. Ian quickly phoned for an ambulance whilst we tried to make Danny as comfortable as possible - VE, Fleetwood.
Comment from Fylde's Ian Cosh: Today's match was rescheduled to Fleetwood due to unplayable conditions at Fylde. The game ended up 5-5. It was an excellent game well contested and no little skill, given the terrible conditions. The game was refereed excellently by Dominic Ashton, ably assisted by the Maden-Wilkinson brothers on the touch line. A fair result and an excellent advert for rugby, but we all wish the young man from Fleetwood a speedy recovery from his injury.
(648) Ormskirk Two 11 Tarleton 10
Ormskirk Two came out battling against, what on the face of it was a stronger Tarleton side. Already camped in the visitors half, a penalty was awarded to Ormskirk at, what appeared to most, an impossible angle. Kicking into a strong crosswind, Knowles converted the penalty to put the home side 3 points to the good.
From the restart, the Ormskirk forwards pressurised a strong Tarleton defence, but mistakes began to happen, and passes were not completed. In one such situation, Tarleton intercepted and a runaway try was scored. Unconverted, the try gave visitors a two-point margin.
The conditions underfoot were both sticky and heavy, but with a great deal of pressure from the Ormskirk forwards in general and superb play by Tom Rawlinson in particular, Tom himself crashes over the line to score for Ormskirk. Not to be outdone, Tarleton came back very strongly and, with a superb move seeing the ball in six different pairs of hands, Tarleton again took the lead with a well worked try, once again unconverted, bringing the score to 10 - 8 in Tarleton’s favour.
This see-saw game was there for the winning by either side. Although the conditions were not conducive to good handling, both teams equipped themselves very well, and with very little time to go, it looked as if Tarleton's more experienced side would take the win. With four minutes to the final whistle, Ormskirk gained a penalty right in front of the posts which Knowles stroked over for a single-point win. Report by Dudley Valentine, Ormskirk
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