Starting Team Positions
Backs :-Dan(wing), Oli (centre), Fintan(scrum half), Jack (centre), Finlay(wing), Ruari(wing), Leo(fly half), Chris (full back), Harrison (wing)

Forwards: -Finbar(prop) , Sonny(hooker), Mathew(prop), CaLum(2nd row), Ryan (2nd row),Ellis (2nd row), Frank

Coaches : -John (Field marshal Kitchener) Lynch, Sean (Sarnt Major) Lewtas and Captain Rob

Round two of the Lancs cup for our plucky “pals battalion” being thrown into the hellish battlefields of the Somme.
Ok, maybe the simile is a step too far, but the ground conditions underfoot were truly dreadful.
In the walk from the clubhouse to the pitch my boots trebled in weight with layers of thick oozy mud.
Following last week’s bad conversion rate, it was remedial kicking practice with our star artillery captain Rob, for both Fintan and Jack to ensure that we could capitalise on any hard won tries later on in the morning.
Whilst Rob drilled the boys in height and accuracy with the foot, the remainder spent half an hour of tight handling practice to remind them to keep that ball in our hands and not spill it into the many quagmire filled shell holes.
Prior to the first match John delivered a fine speech, imploring his troops to go over the top, with fire in their bellies with the sole task of pushing the Boche hoards back into their 22 and onto white line victory.

Liverpool Collegiate versus LSH
Straight from the kick off Collegiate pushed deep into enemy territory and unleashed Leo on a cross field run, only to be bundled into touch feet from the try line.
We didn’t know it at this time, but that would be one of the only backs efforts in either of the three games.
The game ebbed and flowed around the centre of the pitch, but following a penalty against us, LSH launched a strong offensive that breached the lines and lead to a 7-0 deficit at half time.
Reinforcements arrived and four changes led to Collegiate digging in and pummeling LSH back to their lines, only for their fullback to unleashed huge howitzer kicks back to half way to send them all slipping and sliding back to the soggy mid field.
Lieutenants Fintan Lynch and Jack Lewtas tried a couple of kick over the LSH lines only for the ball to run dead.
The referee announced last play of the match, rum rations were issued and The U-11’s battalion Liverpool Collegiate pushed and bundled the plucky LSH regiment back.
We won the scrum, Fintan got the ball and Frank crossed the line for 5-7.
There was absolute silence as Fintan placed the rugby ball on the T and stood back.
With Lisa white faced and emotional beside me, cheers of delight announced the ball sailing clear over the cross bar.
7 All and the final whistle.
Well done to LSH for a good hard match.

Sefton versus LSH
LSH put up a decent first half struggle, but the mighty Sefton ground them down for a 24 – 0 victory.

Sefton versus Liverpool Collegiate
The whistle blew , the balloon went up and the most intense phase of the Collegiate, Sefton campaign began.
This really was a tough hard match of attritional rugby.
The ball seldom moved more than a few metres from the packs or far from the boggy centre of the battlefield.
The packs on both sides were engaged in permanent scrums, rucks and mauls, with the backs being just as much enthralled spectators as the rest of us.
Before we knew it half time had arrived with the deadlock firmly at 0-0. If the first half was tough the second upped the ante.
Collegiate attacked , won a scrum in Sefton’s half and Leo scooted down the wing to score first for Collegiate.
Unfortunately the ref had already pinged us for offside, so back to square one.
Following this bitter disappointment and after 3 or 4 consecutives penalties against us Sefton, pushed us all the way back to our lines to score.
7-0 down with 5 mins on the clock.
This final 5 minutes showed us just how much steel and grit our young lads had and what the extra training effort on a Thursday night had achieved.
Collegiate launched a barrage of forward led attacks at the solid Sefton outfit.
Bit by bit, yard by yard we captured no-man’s land and drove them back to within 5 yards of their trenches.
Two scrums and two rucks saw us cross their line twice, but alas, one held up try and another disallowed by an infringement.
Whistle blown, battle lost, but the war can still be won.

The boys were disappointed to lose once again to the local rivals, but momentum is with us, Sefton thrashed us by 7 tries first game of the season, only 2 tries the next and now beat us by a single try with 3 of ours disallowed.
Momentum is with us.

Its hard to pick out any individual for extra praise.
Due to the conditions the backs could do little but wait and hope for a touch of the ball, whilst the magnificent forwards played piley on in the mud.
Field Marshal Lynch rightly pinned VCs on all their chests.

Victoria Cross, (motm), to the whole team, for supreme effort from beginning to end
Match correspondent, (and Dan’s dad),Aitch