Ormskirk get Ducks in a row as Colne crash out
IT’S safe to say that it’s been a tough first half of the season for the Ormskirk Second XV. At the end of last season the Ducks bid farewell to a core group of six or seven players as they went elsewhere to play their competitive rugby, and lost the backbone of university students that were once supporting them.
They’ve endured a tough spell both home and away thus far, failing to pick up a single win – that is, until this week at Green Lane.
The Ducks welcomed a Colne & Nelson first XV, sitting fourth in the table and having put 70 plus points on Ormskirk earlier in the season.
Also worth noting the same Colne & Nelson side beat Ormskirk firsts this time last year before dropping down the leagues due to various problems.
Ormskirk began the day with 20 players set to fill the squad, but with cry offs and drop outs early in the morning, they found themselves with 12 players for the fixture.
Good news struck for Ormskirk as the first team game was cancelled away to Clitheroe and in came regulars Ste Rouke, Tom Ball, Greg Dykes, Danny Unsworth, Jay Smith and Tom Owens to steady the ship.
The game started with Ormskirk on the back foot.
Awful handling from the kick off resulted in the opposition being camped in the Ducks’ 22 for the opening five minutes. Solid defensive work around the fringes kept the big Colne & Nelson pack out and finally resulted in a turnover following some great counter rucking from matchday captain Greg ‘Jesus’ Dykes.
From turnover ball, Danny Unsworth nearly went the length of the pitch and if it hadn’t have been for some great work from the Colne back three, Ormskirk would have taken the lead.
Coln somehow managed to scramble back and steal the ball, and kick deep into the Ormskirk half where they’d once again be camped.
Once more Ormskirk stood firm and stole the ball and worked their way up the pitch with Jay Smith leading from the front.
Quick ball was generated and as Ormskirk approached the half way line the ball went left, with propturned-centre for the day Ste Rouke throwing an audacious dummy that Colne are still looking for, and setting Owens away to score the first.
Colne’s heads went and allowed Ormskirk to build momentum.
Within two minutes, Jay Smith’s ridiculous chip through put Owens in for his second in as many minutes 10-0 Ducks.
Ormskirk received the ball once more and Reuben Beddoe and Dykes went trouncing forward.
Great field position was gained in the opposition 22, which allowed the ball to be spread for a crash ball in the centres from Ste Rouke who somehow managed to score under the sticks with a boot missing and four men hanging onto him – Owens again unsuccessful with the extras. Half Time score, 15-0 to Ormskirk Ducks.
Injuries to Rouke and Callum Woodhouse unsettled the Ducks and for the opening five minutes of the second half, Colne played them off the park.
However, the Ducks dug deep and kept Colne and Nelson out.
Another 15 minutes passed with Ormskirk defending relentlessly, and a little scuffle off the ball saw Owens sin binned.
This gave Colne the opportunity for a five metre scrum from which they rumbled over the try line. 15-7 Ducks.
Down to 14 men, the likes of Tom Ball and Danny Unsworth took this as a time to stand up and be counted. Both gained countless yards, gave Ormskirk great field position and allowed the ball to be spread to Number 8 come centre for the day Jack Johnston to score out wide – Andrew Evans converting leaving the score 22-7.
The discipline and temperament of Colne really started to go and made way for some of the most comical rugby one could ever withness.
Scrum half Jay Smith stole the ball from the opposition back row, whose player then decided to try and throw a punch and somehow miss, but connected with and broke his own team mate’s jaw, which allowed Ormskirk to break and score through one of the second team regulars this season, Matty Rawlinson. 27-7 Ducks.
However, hero turned villain two minutes later when after a series of silly infringements, Rawlinson saw yellow and once again left Colne with a man advantage – which they used to put another five points on the board through their strongest platform of the day, the scrum. 27-12 Ducks, with 20 minutes to play.
The comedy continued as the same player previously involved, tried to throw a swinging arm this time at Owens.
He once again missed and struck his own team mate which left a pause in the game.
Colne had to resume with 14 players having lost several now to injury which allowed Ormskirk to penalise them and see the game out.
Ormskirk brought on their best tool of the day – Matty Campbell, the 18 stone prop at outside centre.
Ormskirk revelled in having a man advantage when Rawlinson came back on and saw a score out wide by Scotsman Conor MacRae. 32-12 Ducks.
Ormskirk received the ball from the kick off, Campbell caught the ball and outragelously side stepped the opposition back rower.
Within 30 seconds they again found themselves in the opposition 22. Some quick hands from Johnston allowed a swift little pass to Jack Sanderson to score out wide and put some distance between the sides. Evans narrowly missed the kick and left the score 37-12 to Ormskirk.
With two minutes left the Ducks wanted another one.
Crash balls off the nine were the way as Paul O’Malley and Reuben Beddoe set the tone gaining yards one after the other.
As the Ducks reached the five metre line, big man Greg Dykes got just rewards for an impressive performance as he went crashing over. Evans slotted this one and gave the Ducks a resounding win, and their first of the season.
Man of the match was awarded to Danny Unsworth for some outstanding rucking and carries on the day, with “profanity” of the day going to Owens for (despite scoring two tries) some shocking kicking, handling and having some handbags at dawn with a man three times his age mid match.
The Ducks will look to build momentum on this after Christmas and welcome players of all abilities to the ranks.
Training will commence early in January on Tuesdays and Thursdays – please get in touch with any of the players or our Facebook page for more details.