Plenty to play for as Blues look for win
THE short trip to Heywood Road proved a hurdle too far for Macclesfield on Saturday as the high flying home side edged it in a hard fought encounter by 19-3 and the match report can be seen on these pages but this now means that we have lost the last five games and it clearly gets no easier this weekend as an ever improving South Leicester visit Priory Park.
South Leicester ended Tynedale’s unbeaten start to the season at their Wigston Magna home last Saturday by 25-17 whilst the now only unbeaten outfit left in Two North – Stourbridge – beat their City colleagues Leicester Lions by 27-13 to go clear at the top of National Two North.
At the ‘wrong end’ of the table Sheffield lost again to make it 6 from 6 defeats and next up from the bottom before us Wharfedale went down 43-27 in a high scoring encounter at Lockwood Park. However only eight games gone out of 30 so there is clearly much to play for and hopefully that much needed ‘W’ by the Blues will not be that far away – your support at Priory Park this Saturday could just help that cause.
I stayed ‘at home’ on Saturday to watch the Lions who entertained Fylde in an encounter that saw them eventually overcome an obdurate and vocal team by 20-7 after the visitors dominated the first quarter of the game but some enterprising running from the Lions got the required result to please Team Manager Iain Taylor and the supporters on a somewhat dank afternoon at Priory Park.
The 3rd XV travelled across Cheshire to play unbeaten Lymm Seconds and came comprehensively second in a high scoring game while the 4th XV – also on their travels – maintained their early season good form with a 36-19 victory over Winnington Park Thirds over in Northwich to remain in contention at the top of Division Four South.
Going briefly to that ‘other Rugby game’ – the 13 a side version which I was brought up on – I was saddened to learn of the death of one Tom Van Vollenhoven who, alongside other luminaries of the game Billy Boston, Brian Bevan et al entertained myself and thousands of others in those halcyon days of the late fifties/early sixties. He will be remembered by many for his try scoring ability. RIP Tom.
I will be watching with interest this Friday down under in Melbourne when the RL World Cup starts with a tasty encounter twixt Australia & England.
It would be nice to see the Aussies knocked off their perch but it won’t come easy. And it’s Cricket coming up next as the Winter Tests in Australia loom close. Plenty to look forward to then for ‘Clubman’ with, I suspect, some early morning viewing.
Back to the 15-a-side game and I wonder just when the authorities will empower referees to penalise ‘crooked feeds’ into the scrums. The laws are precise but are all but ignored when the Scrum Half puts the ball in – often nearer the Second Rows that the Hooker. It is at all levels of the game not just International & Premiership and can be at times frustrating for the spectators. Just a thought but I doubt if anyone in the Ivory Towers will take any notice!!
Last Friday evening at the Ukfast Cheshire Cricket League Dinner in Altrincham I had the pleasure of meeting one of Macclesfield Rugby Club’s former players – Ben Coulbeck – who put in many good performances from Full Back for the Blues in those early ‘league’ years.
It was nice to talk over some good memories over a beer. He sends his regards to all who remember him at Priory Park.
Games for Macclesfield sides this weekend as follows :
1st v. South Leicester – Home – Kick Off 3.pm.
2nd v. Preston Grasshoppers – Away
3rd v. Stockport 2 – Home
4th v. Moore 1 – Home
A reminder that ALL ‘Home’ 1st XV games will kick off at 3pm throughout the season but this will not always apply to ‘away’ game – watch this space. For the 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams games in September and October, March and April will kick off at 3pm.
But for November to February inclusive it will be 2.15.pm.
Enjoy your Rugby – I do.