2010-01-16 Miller Homes Leagues Div. 5 North
Chorley 2nd XV 12 v 0 Garstang 3rd XV
On Saturday the Lions emerged from winter hibernation to take on Chorley 2nds in their first clash of the season (after the previous encounter had been forfeited by Chorley owing to a dose of the trots caused by a dodgy curry at a club function).
With the game played on the rear pitch (just over Cross's ford.......) which resembled more a fenland bog than a sports field a game of hard forward graft was anticipated. With Chorley kicking off into the wind the Lions secured possession and began the long trudge up field. Unfortunately the first knock on of the day saw the first scrummage and thus the template for the rest of the game with handling at a premium and set piece play being the mainstay of the game.
With Chorley 2nds being bolstered by the retirement of a number of their older first teamers the Lions knew they were in a game from the off but the Lions defence proved excellent absorbing some serious pressure with excellent tackles, particularly from Greg Billington and Richard Quinn stopping the large Chorley pack in their tracks.
The first half saw little in the way of attacking rugby with both sides securing and missing penalty kicks until the last five minutes when the home side were awarded a penalty on the Lions 22. This was driven hard towards the line by the home sides loose head prop who was then held up inches short of the line. Unfortunately, the referee disagreed and awarded the try, stating the ball had been initially grounded on the line and the Chorley player pushed back. With the conversion secured the score at half time was 7-0 to Chorley.
With just one change at half time, Tim Leveridge replacing the veteran Doctor Crippen on the wing, the second half continued in much the same vein as the first half with the pitch, which was now a quagmire, preventing any form of meaningful running rugby the game once again descended into a series of scrums line outs,mauls and rucks. With new boy Stuart Ord coming on to replace Ian Walling on the left wing he was soon brought into the action running a clearance kick back into the mess that was the centre of the field.
Entering the last five minutes the Lions were beginning to mount an attack when a fluffed clearance kick by our own resident crafty cockney saw the home side hack through and after regathering the ball (a considerable skill in itself considering the conditions) went over to score the second and final try of the day. With the conversion missed the score at full time was 12-0 to Chorley.
Thanks go to Chorley for providing a pitch that was playable and for another hard but fair game.
Squad: R Ayers, R Quinn, T Kenyon, J Corless, G Inman, S Almond, H Almond, G Billington, R Johnston, A Riley, E O'Riordan, S Dawson, R Jaques, I Walling, C Duda Reps: T Leveridge, S Ord.
