Pace, Power & Penetration - A Recipe For Victory

MATCH REPORT: Congleton 44 Christleton 20
Cheshire Plate

Pace, Power & Penetration - A Recipe For Victory

If this Congleton performance is anything to go by, we are in for a fantastic and exciting 2014/15 season. The visitors, Christleton, were outfizzed, outthought and outmuscled in most aspects of the game. Seismic. The fact that 4 of last year's colts were selected on merit following their commitment to training and the way they have learnt new patterns of play was inspiring to all.

The first try was superbly finished by winger Beresford who's interplay with Broderick flat footed the Christleton defence but it was the second score in the right hand corner which got the crown buzzing. From a scrum on the left, 22m out, King, pulling the strings at 10 craftily pushed the ball inside to Beresford who's offload back to King provided the space to allow centre Williams to caress his way swiftly to the corner. Congleton didn't have it all there own way as Christleton stayed in the game - but only through Congleton's errors. In general play the home team were never threatened as their defensive structure remained steadfast throughout, plus their ability to steal Christleton's ball in the contact area frustrated the visitors.

After half time Congleton scored the best try of the day as forwards and backs thrust forward, penetrating the defensive line time after time until they shifted the ball through the hands on the wide left where prop Kelly deftly drew his man before putting Willis in for an awesome 5 pointer. Another impressive aspect was the lack of disruption caused by the injury to centre Kanaurous who had put his body on the line in the tackle resulting in a popped shoulder. Lacy and Wood both scored powerful tries and were, with youngster Oldham, immense in the back row. The front row of Watt, Reardon and Kelly were also stonkin' but it was Holbroook and Bainbridge both out of position in the second row that embodied this performance. Their grit, character and determination to impact the game was there for all to see and this would not have gone unnoticed by the regular second rowers. Allen had a very good game at 9 and Lloyd, playing on the wing, showed he is a dangerous and powerful runner.

The scrums and lineouts were very good and were the result of the players' collective contributions at training. The lineout in particular was crisp and a vast improvement already on last season and is likely to be one of Congleton's key weapons during the season. That said, there needs to be several more variations both from the lineout and the scrum. What was magnificent today was the offloading game that the players have been developing and, although they didn't all come off, the intention was there to keep the ball alive and get behind the defence.

A friendly historian said after the game "In 1415 the French feared Henry V's longbow archers at Agincourt. In 2014 your opposition are so going to fear your offloading game"