Play it again for Macc at Luctonians

ON a wintry afternoon at Priory Park there was some good rugby to witness along with the frequent snow squalls that swept over the ground.

The Blues recorded a good victory over visiting Luctonians, who played nothing like a bottom of the table outfit.

Although Macclesfield got the required five points to move them further away from the critical bottom quarter of the National Two North table they must do it all again early next month when they make the trip down to Herefordshire for the ‘away’ leg.

The game on Saturday was, of course, originally to have been played back in December but the weather put paid to that and it means that with Sheffield coming up on Saturday we will play the two ‘bottom’ clubs in the table in consecutive weekends.

Still, the trip to Abbeydale will be anything but easy as the hosts seek to maintain their National Two status.

With the games last Saturday being played on a ‘reserve’ weekend it was catch up from previously postponed games and it saw some interesting encounters with Sheffield Tigers causing something of a shock with their 28-26 victory at Stourbridge and Sedgley Park in second spot behind leaders Sale (who didn’t play) had a close victory by 24-21 over an Otley side just below the Blues in the table.

Huddersfield travelled to Blaydon and left the home side still in the relegation scrap coming away with a 26-15 victory.

In the only other game played Tynedale kept up the challenge at the top by beating Wharfedale 33-14 over in West Yorkshire.

This weekend has, weather permitting, a full fixture list but more of that next week when I have the results.

Only one other game played by Macclesfield sides on Saturday with the 4th XV entertaining a rampant Lymm side at Priory Park who took the points in a high scoring game whilst the rest of the Rugby world was watching events at Twickenham where Ireland took the spoils with a clinical display against a disappointing England side who have much work to do if they are to compete in the Six Nations next season after losing three of the five games in the tournament and finishing a poor fifth in the table with only Italy – who I wonder sometimes if they deserve a place at this table although they were unlucky last Saturday as they should have beaten Scotland - below them so Eddie Jones and his support group have some thinking to do for next season’s campaign.

However on St Patricks Day we must all congratulate an Irish squad who took all before it to complete a deserved ‘Grand Slam’ and hope that England can salvage something from the tour to South Africa this summer – watch this space!! Plenty of Guinness was no doubt consumed over the weekend.

I will only make brief reference to my first love in Rugby as the ‘Wire’ made easy work of their trip to Catalans to come back with the points.

This Saturday the Blues, as indicated already, travel to the Abbeydale home of the Sheffield club and for those travelling the postcode of the club is S17 3LJ and from my postcode in SK10 it is 35 miles so allow around 1¼ hours to travel there – kick off is 3pm – while the Lions entertain top of the table Chester at Priory Park and the 3rd team also play another ‘top of the table’ side in Lymm Seconds – also at Priory Park.

GAMES FOR SATURDAY

1st v. Sheffield – Away – 3.pm. 2nd v. Chester – Home 3rd v. Lymm 2 – Home 4th v. Lymm 4 – Away

That’s all for now – enjoy your Rugby, despite the weather – I do!