Resilient seconds haul in Preston’s lead

THE 2nd XV hosted Hoppers 2nd XV on Saturday in what was always going to be a tough encounter.

The 2nd XV had not had a win to date, however this was not showing as they ran out onto the pitch.

Taking the kick-off,

Macc started confidently, winning the ball in Preston’s half and pushing hard.

However it wasn’t to be and an early penalty put the ball into the Macc 22 and gave Preston the first score of the game.

A trying first half saw Macclesfield seemingly unable to capitalise on opportunities, however a penalty slotted nicely by Tom Jennings got the score board rolling for the home side.

A further couple of tries each with conversions by Preston, and misses by Macclesfield including a cruel bounce off the posts left Macc trailing 13-21 at half time.

The second half saw a more determined and physical Macclesfield side emerge, taking the game to Preston and holding them to account.

Stronger in the pack, Macclesfield were dominating the scrum, and had the edge in the lineout.

Worked tries were the reward, but again the conversions were not to be.

A well worked try from Macclesfield, following a fast intercept try ran in by Preston, left the score line at 18-28. It felt like a tough hill to climb – however climb it they did!

In what became a great comeback for Macclesfield, dominating the rest of the second half, the match finished 28-28.

MACCLESFIELD 3S...... 36 CREWE & NANTWICH .. 5

MACCLESFIELD

3rd team remain unbeaten and joint top of the league after a fine win against a dogged Crewe 2nd team who were also flying high in North West Division 2 South.

Although the temperatures were well into the 20s it still took some time for Macclesfield to warm up in the first half, and a number of injuries in the first 30 minutes namely to Louis Gray, Sam Bancroft and Gareth didn’t help matters, but a sweetly taken penalty by Oli Wilson helped as Macc took the lead and calmed the nerves.

The pace of the Macclesfield back row began to show as the forwards started to take control, but a couple of rucks, with players getting isolated and stripped of the ball, along with a knock-on or two, resulted in Crewe ending up in the Macc 22, from where they scored from a catch and drive at the line out - which turned out to be their only score of the afternoon.

The Crewe score was the jolt that Macc needed to up their game with superior pace and power in the forwards, the front row of Aaron Liston, Ross Turner and Chris Effingham took a number of balls against the head, and the outstanding Back row of Callum Wright, Jonnie Thompson and George Hodgkinson really did start to impose themselves all over the park in both attack and defence, in fact Crewe never looked like scoring again.

But Macc were still trailing by a score just before half time, and after some fantastic footwork from and a burst of pace sent fly half Rik Hopkins Jnr (not dissimilar to his Father Rick Hopkins Snr many years ago in the dream team) over behind the posts to be followed by the successful conversion by Wilson. Half-time Macc 10 Crewe & Nantwich 5.

After a few home truths during the half time team talk Macc came flying out of the blocks, Harry Grant started to take control at the break-down and putting some booming box kicks down field that put the Crewe defence