THEIR final pre-season warm-up game will have pleased the Lymm coaches as they watched their mixed experienced squad finally gel together and defeat a competitive Stockport squad 47-28.
A key factor learned from last season was that a larger squad of experienced players was required to maintain team strength each week, as injuries took their toll mid-season. The emphasis in pre-season training and our warm-up games was to develop and gel together a Senior Squad to this end. Interestingly, even though we have been level transferred to RFU Nat2 West, with all its travelling implications, 6 new signed players have joined us. 4 from local North West clubs, with 2 from the South East. More to follow. This is testimony to our 3rd place in Nat2 North last season, Nathan Beesley and Matty Hand being named in the Nat2 North team of the season and our Coaching Team, being awarded the RFU Nat2 North coaching team accolade.
The game versus Stockport was played over 2x 30 and 1x 20-minute periods and as with the two previous games, mixed experienced teams were selected for each period. Putting out the best team to win any period would have achieved nothing. The coaches wanted the younger and inexperienced players to lift their game to National League level, and we actually saw this happen in periods 2 and 3.
There were definite signs of early Autumn in the much cooler air, as a larger-than-expected crowd, suitably attired, was on hand to watch.
The first 30-minute period belonged to Stockport. They were excellent in open play, speedy, with good hands and feet and variable attacking options. Their defence also kept Lymm at bay, generating good attacking turnovers. End of the 1st period 7 – 21 to the visitors, scoring three converted tries to one by Lymm.
The Lymm specys were a little concerned, especially when the visitors scored a further converted try within a minute of the restart 7 – 28. They needn’t have worried, that was the end of the scoring for Stockport. Lymm were starting to gell as a team and went on to score three more tries and two conversions. 26 – 28 at the end of the 2nd period.
Then in the final 20-minute period, to the home crowd’s delight, Lymm finally hit top form, more reminiscent of last season, with some excellent phases of rugby, scoring 3 further converted tries. FT 47 – 28.
DoR, Adam Fletcher commented: “Stockport were excellent in the first 30 minutes. Their backline was sharp and caused us plenty of problems. We were missing some key experience through injury and unavailability, but this gave us a great chance to see the depth and competition that we now have across the squad.
“As the game went on, our performance improved, and there were plenty of positives to take away.
“We still have three training sessions left before the season begins at Luctonians on Sept 6th. The boys know how important these are and will be pushing hard to build on last night’s performance. What the game really highlighted is how far we’ve come in terms of strength in depth. With injured players set to return to training next week, selection is only going to get tougher for the coaches — which is exactly what we want.”
The Lymm Squad;
Forwards;
Joe Higgins, Dan Hunter, Ben Lilley, Sohail Kakie, Tom Elphick (NS), Dal Ngoma (NS), Rob Makin, Sam Beahan (NS), Sam Wickes (NS), James Yates, Lewis Stewart (NS), Max Ure, Ben Thompson, Isaac Millachip, Danny Senior, Jamie Cope (CC).
Backs
Ben Simpson, Matty Harrison (CC), Tom Shard, Matty Hope (NS), Joe Heaton (NS), Joe Senior, Nathan Beesley, Cormac Nolan, Harry Reay, Rory Riddell.
NS Denotes New Signing.
CC is Current U18 Colt
