First Team Report

Congleton 1st Team Rugby report 07th March 2009

St Mary�s Old Boys V Congleton (South Lancs, Cheshire 4)

Congleton travelled to South Merseyside on Saturday with a much altered side. Cry � offs injuries and sickness meant Congleton had to draft in four new forwards and a back, from the lower teams.

Congleton kicked off, having a strong wind behind them. A good hanging kick from Rigeway was caught by St Mary�s second row who immediately off loaded and St Mary�s showed their intent by keeping the ball alive and running hard at the Congleton defence. This pressure was intense for the first ten minutes and Congleton could not get into the game.

A penalty under the posts following an offside by Congleton saw St Mary�s go into the lead 3 � 0. Congleton re-started but again did not seem to be able to get into the game. They continued to leave holes in the defence, mainly due to players in unfamiliar positions and St. Mary�s put them on the back foot resulting in a converted try after twenty minutes. 10 - 0

Congleton looked shell shocked and spent the next fifteen minutes defending in their twenty two metre area, until the ball was cleared up-field and pressure was put on the St, Mary�s back three resulting in a penalty in front of the posts and near the ten metre line. Dave Podmore stepped up and slotted the ball between the posts to take the score to 10 � 3.

The game then continued at a fast pace, with Congleton forced to defend against strong running and good support play from St Mary�s, with Gear, James Podmore and Watt putting in some strong tackles. There were a lot of missed tackles however and after 30 minutes St Mary�s managed an uncontested run through the heart of Congleton�s defence to score a converted try under the posts. 15 � 3

Almost straight from the re-start Congleton were again forced onto the back foot, and with a lot more missed tackles St Mary�s were able to put together four phases of play and scored wide out on Congleton�s right flank. The try was unconverted 20 � 3.

Congleton seemed to collectively shake themselves and began to put pressure on St Marys, with some strong running from Wilding and Dave Podmore. Thompson put in a lot of tackles whilst chasing the ball and scrum half Manning defended the fringes like a back row forward. This pressure resulted in a St Mary�s player holding on at a ruck giving Dave Podmore a chance at a penalty goal, which he struck perfectly to pull the score back to 20 � 6 at half time.

With a re-grouping at half time Congleton caught the re-start and drove back up field at St Marys as a team, and the next ten minutes saw both sides evenly matched. Congleton�s back line began to put some moves together, which had been practiced at training on Thursday, and started to gain ground on St Mary�s, taking play deep into their twenty two metre area. Unfortunately a dropped ball was fly � hacked through by a home centre and St Marys pressure resulted in turn over ball back in Congleton�s twenty two. With Congleton�s pack ambling back, St Mary�s were able to recycle the ball out wide to the right and a try was scored. A good conversion saw them extend the lead to 27 � 6.

This seemed to galvanise Congleton�s backs and they finally realised they were much better keeping the ball in hand and running fast at the opposition. A sweeping move to the right saw Dave Podmore accelerate past most of the St Mary�s back line and with some good foot work he carried the ball over for a try. He was unsuccessful with the conversion but this gave Congleton fresh legs.

Full back Williams showed his pace when he received the ball deep in Congleton�s half and imitated Podmore with a piercing run through St Marys defence but without enough support the ball was turned over and St Mary�s cleared their lines.

At sixty-five minutes into the game a scrum near Congleton�s line, gave the St Mary�s number eight a chance to pick up and he fed the flanker who bulldozed his way through a tired Congleton defence to score a converted try. 32 � 11.

Congleton spent the rest of the match in their own half unable to clear their lines as the strong wind made kicking a lottery, and even when they managed to kick for touch, they were unable to win any ball from the line out, as players were out of position and unfamiliar with each other. One last ditch effort saw Congleton run the ball from deep and they made fifty metres before a penalty was awarded to them for handling in the ruck. With little chance of winning a line out a quick tap penalty was taken but the ball carrier was isolated and penalised for holding on allowing St Marys to again clear the pressure.

With only five minutes remaining St Mary�s were back on Congleton�s goal line and only some heroic tackling from Manning, James Podmore, Rigeway and the whole front row kept St Mary�s out. Some unnecessary punches saw a St Mary�s player sin-binned and allowed Congleton some respite.

With a few minutes to play St Mary�s turned over Congleton ball at a ruck near the centre of the pitch and quick ball out to their right winger saw a final converted try to give a score of 39 � 11 to St Marys.

Congleton played this game with spirit but they were on the back foot from the start, the difference between the sides was the support work and team work of St Marys. Who knows what the score would have been if Congleton could have put out their first choice team!

Credit however must go to the players who stepped up into the breach, with little notice and limited experience of playing at first team level. All the players gave 100% but in this game it just wasn�t enough. Players to note were both Podmore brothers, Gear at prop, Williams at full back and an outstanding effort from young scrum half Manning who played like a man twice his weight! New boy Nathan looks a good prospect and old boy Brierley lead by example once again.