leigh Vs Liverpool Collegiate U 15 – friendly

leigh Vs Liverpool Collegiate U 15 – friendly
Sunday 8th February 2015
Score 17 - 10

Tries:- Kieran, Kyle, Conv:- none

Another new away club for me, Leigh RUFC on a cold foggy February morning. The team assembled and there was a little concern that our gnarly old Irish coach/physio/chauffer/fashion guru, Brian, was missing with three of the team. 10 minutes to go and the trusted battle bus arrived to make us 18 strong. Before JP was unable to take the field, Josh Abley armed with crepe bandage and tape, fixed JP’s ears to the side of his head to make him look like a 1970s throw back crossed with john McEnroe.
I remember our lads playing Leigh a few years ago at home and they absolutely caned us. In fact I think they beat us about 35-nil, cue worried expression! So it was the black of Leigh versus blue of collegiate and by the end of the game, there was a lot of black and blue players!

As normal with friendlies, positional changes abound and Lewis made the transition from pretty boy, pin up back, to knuckle dragging slack jawed forward. A few other tweaks and the whistle blew for a closely contested 1st half. After the usual settling in 10 mins of knock ons, penalties and scrums, Collegiate pressed forward kicked through the defensive line for Kieran to chase after and score. The 5 point lead didn’t last long and Leigh punished some sloppy defending to scamper round and score in the corner. The half was basically even, with the jolly forwards having fun in the middle and ignoring the freezing back line.
A few changes and the lads restarted as they left off, the forwards hogging the ball in the middle and the backs longingly gazing at the strange white egg shaped thing. Then something happened and a forward let a back get the ball and Jamie went on a long arcing run through the entire two teams, making some 50 metres before controversially being scragged down by Leigh’s last line of defence. This ultimately didn’t lead to a score but the backs had hope in the hearts again. Leigh recovered from this attack and launched one of their own to score and make it 10-5 to them. More to-ing and fro-ing before Alex Carden claimed the ball in our own half and made a fine 40 metre dash down the left wing. He was well supported by Lewis and Paul Peasy, we retained the ball and a few moments later Battering ram Kyle, did what he does best and skittled over the Leigh front line to score. 10-10. As with non Disney authored stories this one doesn’t end with a happy ever after end. 30 seconds on the clock Leigh turned some good pressure into 7 points and the whistle blew. BOO-HOO!!

We narrowly lost, but lets recap on the plus side; I recorded a tackle by everyone playing, (not happed before), I did not record a missed tackle, (also not happened before), we made the most tackles in any match I have watched and I have no doubt Leigh will not regard us as an easy team next time we meet.
On the negative side; we only made 27 carries, (we had 68 against Rossendale) and we lost too many rucks and got turned over a dozen times. But my main gripe was the disconnect between the forwards and the backs. The ball isn’t getting out there!!!!!!
The tackling hero award goes to Jamie and Kuba with eight a piece.

By Aitch