January 24th 2015

Leek 2nd XV 19 Congleton 45

Congleton Cock-a-Leekie

When Elvis did his '68 comeback special in.....1968, he unwittingly set the tone for Congleton's 1st XV some 47 years later. At today's friendly away at Leek seconds, the boys in red and white were smart, good to watch and, most importantly, had many women drooling, feinting and screaming for more.
Everyone knows in rugby that when your new girlfriend is watching you are far more committed, intense and awesome. Today, this was a boy called Maggot. Don't get me wrong, he puts a hardcore shift in every week but today he was like Elvis when he dons his leather - sparkling, passionate and right on the money. In short - Maggot, along with his front row compadres Big Al and Watt's Up, were superstars. And that is where is all started - at the coalface. With second rows Partridge and Butters slamming in behind and a lithe leather clad back row of Davenport, Broderick and Wood, Congleton were always gonna break the gain line and give their slick backs plenty of space and time. And so it came to pass.
Congleton, away from home turned good possession into points. Once again they made plenty of good decisions with ball in hand that made the most of their of their intensity, flair and ability to exploit space. With full back Williams continuing his fine form with another three tries plus contributions from Beresford, Big Al, Partridge and T Kanauros at the death, Leek were never in the game. They did threaten midway through the second half when they kept the ball in hand rather than spank the ball away but it was too little too late. With Williams at the back in commanding form, Leek played into the away side's hands and when Congleton countered they were ruthless. Conversely, when Leek were given the ball deep, Congleton did not give them any space to breathe and stopped them dead in their tracks.
The ball carrying power from Congleton is becoming a real weapon and with Tom Kanauros managing a back line full of speed and flair, it's no wonder their league opposition find them a handful. The two young wingers Sting Reay and Anthropod Barnacle showed they both have real promise for the future. Reay's sidestep, electric handoff and offload for Williams' first score was outstanding and if they continue to develop this season they will be regulars for years to come.
Somers and Adam, both returning to playing duties, made impact for the final third of the match which means selection for the squad to take on high flying Wallasey next weekend very interesting indeed. Whilst there will be some changes, those not available for the recent key friendlies will find it tough to break into this settled squad - and rightly so. Make no mistake, this coming weekend is a biggy and will go some way to deciding who will be fighting for those all important top positions in the league. Training this week will focus on building a game plan to smash Wallasey back down the league. Bring it on.