by Andy Leach
LYMM welcomed Sandal to Beechwood for what could be the last league match to be played on Pitch 2, as the handover of the new Artificial Grass Pitch by the RFU grows ever nearer.
With World Rugby due to complete their testing to ensure that the AGP is suitable for contact rugby in the coming week, there is a hope that the next home league match on 26th October against Morpeth will be the inaugural fixture on the new, world-class surface.
The Lymm team showed three changes in personnel from the previous week’s encounter with Rossendale with Captain Adam Bray, Scott Redfern and Joe Watson all unavailable for selection, being replaced in the starting XV by Jake Ashall, Alfie Simpson and James Yates respectively, with Cashel Chilvers and George Norman starting on the bench. With 8 senior players either unavailable or injured, the squad had a particularly youthful look including 4 of last season’s Senior Colts.
Sandal kicked off with the light wind broadly in their favour. After a couple of minutes they had made their way into the Lymm 22 and, following an infringement at the breakdown were awarded a kickable penalty which became even easier as Lymm were penalised a further 10m for contesting the decision. A sure-fire 3 point start but, recognising the size advantage they had in the forwards – helped in no small measure by the return of the three Thompson brothers following a couple of seasons at Huddersfield – Sandal elected to take the scrum. This early ominous sign for Lymm was compounded as hooker Horton sustained a leg injury in the early play and was forced out of the match, being replaced by Chilvers. A couple of reset scrums and Sandal then moved the ball to the left flank with one of their forwards scoring about 10m in from the left touchline. Experienced fly-half Wood then added the extras to give Sandal a great start. 0-7
It was clear from these early exchanges that the Lymm forwards were going to have a hard afternoon’s work ahead of them and the question would be whether Lymm could secure enough decent ball to give their speedy backs the opportunity to test the Sandal backline. Over the next period Lymm matched Sandal and aggressive defence by the Cheshire side had Sandal going backwards for a period. After 18 minutes, this pressure caused Sandal to offend, with Lymm opting to kick to the resultant penalty to the corner. With the ball secured from the line-out, a driving maul took play into the Sandal red zone, where another Sandal misdemeanour gave Cormac Nolan an easy 3 point opportunity, which he gratefully took. 3-7
In the next phase of play, Sandal kicked long towards the Lymm line where, unfortunately, an error in collecting the ball gave Sandal an attacking scrum, 10m from the Lymm line. Again they capitalised on the opportunity Lymm had presented them to register their second converted try. 3-14
On 30 minutes, Lymm had another attacking penalty which they kicked to the left-hand corner. Line-out ball was secured and after a couple of forward drives sent out along the backline where a flat pass found Steve Pilkington who breached the Sandal defensive line and seemed to be certain to cross the whitewash. However, he was hauled down just short and although the recycled ball found its way to Nathan Beesley to cross in the corner, the final pass was adjudged to have been forward. As it turned out this was to be the first and last time that Lymm really threatened the Sandal line.
As the half neared its end, Sandal were awarded a penalty just inside the Lymm half with which the sure-footed Wood made no mistake.
Half Time: LYMM 3 – 17 SANDAL.
5 minutes into the second half, Sandal got their third try. Some more expansive back play by Wirral saw the ball in the hands of their left-wing who made a good break towards the Lymm line, the recycled ball was then forced over the line. Again the conversion was successful. 3 – 24
The next 25 minutes were largely even with no scores being added. In this period the Lymm defence was continually being tested with, in particular, senior players Gav Woods, Ashall and Matty Connolly to the fore. Lymm even survived a 10-minute period without Jordan Widdrington, who had caused the referee to show a yellow card, after he’d taken the law into his own hands in trying to clear out a Sandal defender who was slowing the ball down without Sandal adding to their tally. In fact, it was once the numbers were back to parity and Lymm started to play a more expansive game, that the next score was registered. Moving the ball from inside their own half out towards the right wing the last pass went to ground. A Sandal back pounced on the loose ball and ran 40m to score in the left corner. Conversion missed but a bonus point try. 3-29
The final Sandal try was scored from the last play with a catch and drive from a 10m attacking line out. Unfortunately for Lymm, Ashall appeared to sustain an arm injury in this final exchange. The conversion was missed and the referee indicated that the match was over.
After the match Coach Fletcher was philosophical: “Disappointing result. I can’t knock the effort from the boys but our accuracy with the ball and our kicking wasn’t up to scratch. We were punished by a heavier, more experienced side. Onwards to next week.”
Lymm remain in 7th place and next week are back in the North East for a tough fixture against 3rd placed Blaydon.
Squad:
1) Gav Woods (C), 2) Dan Horton, 3) ) Jordan Widdrington, 4) James Yates, 5) Aaron Rasheed, 6) Matty Connolly, 7), Jake Ashall, 8) Josh Hadland, 9) Tom Shard, 10) Alfie Simpson, 11) Joe Senior, 12) Steve Pilkington, 13) Ben Stansfield, 14) Nathan Beesley, 15) Cormac Nolan, 16 Matty Hand, 17) Cashel Chilvers, 18) George Norman.
Referee: Mr Michael Hurdley – RFU North Group
