MACCLESFIELD RUFC’S GREATEST GAMES Colts secure Shield with historic win
MACC V ANSELMIANS, CHESHIRE SHIELD FINAL 1976
Roberts at centre with young John Baker slotting in at 10. John was a great player who could play anywhere along the backline and Bill was a classy operator but hardly known for his crash ball running or his head on tackles; (more Phil Bennett than Manu Tuilagi!) and so everyone waited to see if the gamble would work (including me)!
This was a big game for Macclesfield and the team were taken for steak and chips at a hotel in Northwich before the game – unsure if that’s the way teams these days would prepare for a Cup Final, but it certainly made us all feel special.
Following a final team talk, it was an emotional moment when we ran out of the changing rooms to see and hear over 150 Macc supporters who had made the journey to Hartford, to hopefully witness the Colts make history. and slipped a pass out to Marcus Jennion on the wing. Disappointingly, the pass went astray and with it the chance to score the game’s first try.
However, it proved that the Anselmian midfield players were vulnerable and that they didn’t have an openside flanker like Omar Karim to smash the centres in the tackle.
We were able to keep the pressure on the opposition, throughout most of the first half, with a steady stream of possession and strong running from threequarters Russel Good, Stuart Robinson and Clive Kershaw, but the last pass or wrong decision making meant we had no points despite playing in the opposition half for long periods.
The first half remained pointless until Anselmians scored from a long range penalty to sneak into an unlikely 3-0 lead at half time.
The two-minute halftime break gave us the chance to regather and decide if anything needed changing (no coaches allowed on the park in those days and no tactical substitutions).
It was clear we needed to play the same game, by dominating up front and giving our backs good ball, but we needed to cut out the penalty count which was giving Anselmians the chance to stay in the game.
The second half saw Macc’s back row of Omar Karim, Steve Bell and yours truly thwart any attacks from an opposition, rejuvenated by their lead, and with the powerful 2nd row partnership of Plug Waterhouse and Andrew Horsfall dominating the mauls, we were back in the ascendancy.
Then tragedy for the Macc supporters as a speculative kick downfield from Anselmians fly half took a wicked bounce and ended up in the winger’s hands, leaving him with a free run to the line.
Good work by Clive Kershaw and Marcus Jennion kept him in the corner making for a difficult conversion, which was missed.
Seven points down (four points for a try back then) with around 20 minutes left and I recall talking to the players under the posts waiting for the conversion, everyone was cool, calm and collected as we knew we still had it in us to win the game.
Then the second bit of bad luck struck within two minutes of the re-start – fly half John Baker lived up to his nickname of ‘Glass Ankles’ as he went down in a heap after a tackle, then hobbled to his feet, clearly in pain.
Dr Baker, John’s Dad, came on to administer the wet sponge, and following a thorough waggling of the suspect ankle, told his son not to be so soft and get on with the game: ‘It’s only a sprain John’.
Back then, unless you’d lost a leg or your head had been taken off, replacements weren’t permitted and as JB could hobble around, we made the decision to put him out of the way at full back, move Clive Kershaw to centre and restore Bill Roberts to fly half (it later transpired that John had fractured his ankle and played the last 15 minutes or so in agony).
The large Macclesfield contingent looked concerned, 7–0 down, less than 15 minutes left on the clock, and an injured player in the ranks.
However, we had other ideas and continued our assault with renewed vigour. A knock-on just inside the Anselmians’ 25 yard line brought a scrum to Macc, and as we had done all afternoon, the pack delivered quick, clean ball.
Howard Thompson at scrum half, becoming more and more influential in the game, gave a superb flat pass to Bill, who cut inside his opposite number, drew the fullback, once again, and delivered a perfect pass to centre Stuart Robinson to score in the corner.
Although the conversion was missed, we were now on the scoreboard and sniffing a win.
From the restart, the ball was secured by the powerful Macc pack and Clive Kershaw sent an Exocet of a kick back into the Anselmians’ 25.
A line-out-steal by Plug Waterhouse saw us apply yet more pressure and that man Billy Roberts executed a double dummy scissors, drew the last man and again delivered a killer pass – this time to Clive Kershaw who raced over the line to score Macc Colts second try of the afternoon.
The Macclesfield crowd were in raptures as Clive walked back to take the conversion, which sailed just past the posts. We were finally in front 8–7 with less than 10 minutes left and the game was ours for the taking.
Anselmians threw everything at us in the final few minutes, in a desperate attempt to take back the lead and with that the trophy.
However, we dug deep, controlled the game and secured the club’s first ever trophy. The crowd went wild with delight when the referee finally blew his whistle to signal an historic win for Macclesfield Rugby Club.
Although Bill had a huge influence on the scoring of the two tries, the unanimous decision for Man of the Match went to number 7, Omar Karim, who tackled all afternoon like the proverbial ‘brick outhouse’ to snuff out any attacks from the Anselmians’ team.
I was the proudest person in Cheshire as I received the trophy for the team, in front of over 150 Macclesfield supporters, teammates and all the parents. You can imagine the celebrations back in the Clubhouse at Tytherington! I don’t recall a lot from that evening but one memory which sticks in my mind was seeing Billy Roberts attempting to do the Waltz with big Hoss (Andy Horsfall).
Happy Days indeed!
‘Over 150 supporters made the journey to hopefully witness the Colts make history’