With our preseason opener cancelled last week, Collegiate were raring to go as they took to the field for their first hit-out of the year against Heaton Moor in the annual Terry Jobson Memorial Game. Terry represented both clubs during his playing days, and the fixture is always a special occasion to remember him and raise awareness for mental health. Remember, no matter what you are going through, support is always there, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The game was split into four quarters, with the 1st XV taking the field in the opening half and the 2nd XV stepping in after the break.

First Half – 1st XV
Collegiate will be disappointed with their first-half performance, struggling to find fluency and control at the set piece. The game began with a Collegiate kick-off, which Heaton Moor spilled, only for Collegiate to knock on themselves a couple of phases later. Moor capitalised immediately, running a well-executed backs move to score the opening try under the posts.

Lineouts and scrums proved tricky throughout the half, with penalties piling up against Collegiate. Moor added a second try before Collegiate hit back, catching the defence asleep with a quickly taken tap penalty finished off by Ivan to bring the score to 10–7.

From there, Moor’s pack dominated the exchanges. They drove over for scores from both a scrum and a maul, before striking again straight off first phase in midfield and finishing the half with a breakaway try. At the turnaround, Moor led 25–7. With both 1st XV sides competing in the same league this season, Collegiate know there is plenty of work to do to be ready for the league fixture in October.

Second Half – 2nd XV
The second half brought fresh faces and a burst of energy, with several summer recruits making their club debuts. Congratulations to Abdi, Ali, Jonny and Stan. Collegiate looked sharp early on, controlling tempo and showing confidence with ball in hand. Andy also impressed on his first outing at hooker, helping secure a solid scrum platform. Conditions soon took their toll and legs began to tire, our strong but heavy pack battled hard in the 20°C heat and slight humidity. Conditions so extreme you would be forgiven for mistaking Stockport for Durban

Heaton Moor’s 2nd XV, a division above Collegiate’s, showed their class in the third and fourth quarters, exploiting space with well-timed passes and tactical kicking. Still, Collegiate struck back with a well-worked lineout maul try, and one of the highlights of the day came when veteran second-row Dave Angwin picked off an interception and charged away, only to realise he still had 60 metres to go. Luckily, Doughty was in support to finish a fantastic try.

Full-Time
The 2s eventually went down 29–14 in their half, leaving the overall score at 54–19 to Heaton Moor. Collegiate can take plenty of positives from the day: integration of new players, glimpses of attacking creativity, and learning opportunities for set piece and defence. Both squads have clear areas to target as they prepare for the season opener on 6th September.