Colts Rugby
Senior Colts (U19's)
2007-2008

Fixtures

Season 2007-2008 is now wrapped up and it's time to move on.
Well Done for the season and we all wish Chris Valentine a speedy recovery.

R Hope (U19's)

The View,
Stockport RUFC
Bramhall,
Stockport,
SK7 3AN
E-MAIL

D Morgan (U18's)

24, Hurdsfield Rd ,
Great Moor,
Stockport, SK2 7
E-MAIL

P Faram (U 18's)

266 Stockport Rd ,
Marple ,
Stockport,
Cheshire,
SK6 6EX

(H) 0161 427 3157

Marc Smith (Coach)

(M) 07747 740 492

A Message from Richard Hope
(taken from the Touchline Ramblings of 20th October 2007)

I don’t think it is in any way an exaggeration to state that the future of Stockport RUFC lies in in the Colts XVs that the club are currently nurturing. For many years the club struggled to sustain a productive Colts structure. As a consequence we have suffered from having 5 blank years.

           The current much improved situation has not been arrived at without a lot of hard work and some disappointments. The Senior Colts of 2005-2006 had previously been twice winners of the Cheshire Cup but when they arrived at SC’s they didn’t quite have the impetus to carry on that success and in October 2005 the squad were sadly forced to withdraw from the Lancashire & Cheshire Colts League. As a result  we lost a number of players from the club but I managed to round up a core of about 10 who played in rotation as part of the Junior Colts XV for the rest of that season and played their part in the JC’s winning the Cheshire Cup.

For the 2006-2007 season this meant we had an additional 10 players at Senior Colts all of whom were available every week as only Steve Pearson was away at University and even he eventually travelled home each weekend to play for the 1st XV. He was not the only one who made the step up to senior rugby during that season. A total of 19 players from the squad played senior rugby at some time during the season and Steve was joined by Greg Newton as a regular 1st XV player and Christian Chapman also made his debut. The squad made it to the last 8 in the National Colts cup, The semi Finals of the Cheshire Cup, and won League Plate. More importantly we had managed to bring 10 players through to the senior club who would likely have been lost to the club. (see right).

Ian Kennedy and Marc Smith had been at the helm for that season but as the new term arrived it was clear that Ian was intent on giving his playing career another shot after 2 years away followed a double knee operation.

There were initial misgivings as to how the structure for the 2007-2008 would pan out but everyone’s patience appears to be being rewarded as Phil Faram and Dave Morgan moved up with their squad of players and began to assist Marc Smith with taking them to the next level of performance. For my part I just continued to support the squad in my usual way spending too much time up to my armpits in dirty playing kit. and paperwork.

The first games of the season were played with a number of Under 19’s being available but by the time the majority had dispersed to their Universities the younger brood had gained considerable confidence and realisation of their ability and for the most part the performances have continued at a high level. A couple of bonuses recently have been Phil Leigh’s decision to do a ‘Geary’ and return home from Leeds Carnegie. Phil has now added his name to list of Colts to feature for the 1st XV which now makes it two players this season as Kieran Hibbs made his 1st team debut before going to Liverpool University to study wine women and song….! We have also been joined very recently by two members of the Daily Mail Cup wining side from last season Ed Gillespie and Tom Goldwater have taken the year out after leaving Warwick. We welcome them both.

What of the season so far. We have played seven games. Won all six in the league and lost to Glossop in a friendly. We have entered the National Colts cup and are awaiting the identity of our opponents. Leigh or Burnley. We have a first round match in the Cheshire Cup against Altrincham Kersal on the 25th November. Meanwhile the league programme continues with our next game being at Holylake on the 28th October.

The squad is starting to bond into a really good band of brothers and I look forward to seeing how much we can achieve. Already this season we are into double figures for Colts playing senior rugby. I’ll be surprised if we don’t surpass the 19 who stepped up last season.

To keep the continuity going for years to come it is important that we look ahead to the next batch of Colts coming through. What an exciting prospect that is. They are already three times Cheshire Champions and are a very well coached outfit under the direction of Dave‘s Walker and Wilson. They suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Rhyl in their opening league game but are unbeaten since and they should achieve much this season. I look forward to working with them next year. They are all already registered as senior colts players and we are hoping to include some of them in the forth coming fixtures. As has been often said before….The future is bright the future is red green and white.

Richard Hope

North West Colts League Cup 2008

Preston GH 10

Stockport 17

Stockport 15

Eccles 8

Eccles 13

Stockport

Newcastle 5

Semi Final

Wirral 5

13th April 2008

Glossop 12

Glossop

Caldy/Glossop

Caldy 17

Caldy

Winnington Pk 5

Final—Sandbach

Leigh 8

27th April 2008

Liverpool SH 20

Liverpool SH

Kendal 8

Kendal

Liverpool SH/Kendal

Tarleton 7

Semi Final

Mold 10

13th April 2008

Sandbach 20

Sandbach 13

Sandbach

Altrincham K 73

Altrincham K 6

Liverpool Coll 0

P

W

D

L

+/-

PF

PA

TS

PD

PT

Stockport

18

17

1

0

0

390

107

60

283

53

Winnington Park

18

12

2

4

0

488

161

74

327

44

Tarleton

18

11

0

7

0

318

257

53

61

40

Widnes

18

10

0

8

1

246

247

35

-1

37

Ashton on Mersey

18

8

1

9

0

220

268

31

-48

35

Fleetwood

18

8

0

10

2

218

256

34

-38

32

Birkenhead Park

18

6

1

11

0

235

387

38

-152

31

Manchester

18

5

2

11

0

239

337

38

-98

30

West Park (St. H)

18

5

0

13

1

209

393

34

-184

27

Hoylake

18

4

1

13

1

163

313

24

-150

26

It’s been an epic rugby journey since we set out together back in September last year. Will Sunday just go down as just another episode along the way...I fancy not. Marc Smith mustered a full squad of 22 for the visit to Eccles last Sunday. There were just three absentees from the regular Under 18’s who have made up the team for most of the season. Rick Moyes, Sean Roe and Ciaran Lofts. Would they get another chance to join the squad. After the rain on Saturday we were treated to bright sunshine and a firm and well grassed pitch for the last eight fixture in the League Cup.

Whilst we were a little tentative in the opening exchanges we still had the confidence to take the game to the home side. It was the forwards who did most of the spade work and the home side were forced to concede some early penalties. Then in the 8th minute Eccles made their first visit to our 22 and came away with 3 points against the flow of play.

Back we came again pressing in the opposition’s half but unforced errors were proving to be a problem. Then after another 7 minutes Eccles cleared with the boot deep into our 22. Mike Pearson backed himself to run the ball safe and unfortunately got himself into a bit of a pickle. Moments later Eccles were forging for the line up the touchline and then for reasons I’m not entirely sure about but which I’m sure were quite justified the referee awarded them a penalty try. 10-0.

Things were not going too well but Richard Morgan managed to narrow the gap to 10-3 before half time with a penalty. Would yet another inspirational half time talk by Marc Smith be enough to turn things round. Time would tell.

Game on and the two teams sparred with each other with Stockport again enjoying the lions share of possession and territory without being able to break down a determined Eccles defence. It took 20 minutes to find a way through and it came as no surprise that it came through the forwards. From a line out close to the Eccles line we executed a text book catch and drive. It was Kieran Hibbs who came up with the ball as the referee awarded the try. Richard Morgan couldn’t add the extras and we had 15 minutes to find the last 3 points required. 10-8.

Unfortunately the unforced errors were blunting our cutting edge and we squandered several gilt edged opportunities to wrap the game up but they came up short. Then Eccles cleared their lines and suddenly we were defending our line and I then saw the referees arm came out…..a penalty to Eccles in front of the posts. Oh dear….13-8….”How long Sir” I enquired of the ref when the teams returned to the half way line to restart. “ 3 minutes" he replied. As played continued their coach said...I know how Alex Ferguson feels. I then said to him that I thought we’d given them a really good game. He replied “It’s not over yet”. How right he was.

We were then were awarded a scrum on the Eccles 10 on the far side. I sensed it was the last play of the game. The ball went to the backs and we progressed into their 22. Then a high tackle. Penalty. Kick to touch...no…definitely the last play and no time for a line out. Quick tap and the ball went left. Into the hands of Keiichi Isayama. The right man for the occasion. He ran forward and found a gap and was through and over the line. Stunned. I knew that a draw was good enough but Richard Morgan stepped up and calmly added the conversion and the final whistle went. 13-15. Proud…..so Proud...these guys just don’t know when they’re beaten…..

15. Mike PEARSON
14. Jake WINSTANLEY
13. Anthony COULSON
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Robert ADAMS
10. Richard MORGAN CP
9. Jamie SMITH
8. James OAKES
7. Dan FARAM
6. James DODD
5. Chris VALENTINE
4. Tom RENSHAW
3. Stephen HILL
2. Louis WALKER
1. Andy BROADHURST
16. Tom CRUISE
17. Kieran HIBBS T
18. Josh FENWICK
19. Keiichi ISAYAMA T
20 George CORTVRIEND
21. James ELSENDER
22. Mike CONNELLY

I'd already had a good win with the Under 13's at Winnington Park but unfortunately delayed my departure just a bit too long. It meant that I arrived at Preston with the game already 5 minutes old. We appeared to be rooted in our 22 and Marc Smith confirmed that we'd been there for most for the opening minutes. It was a proving to be an epic defensive battle. The Hoppers fly half was running the show and they looked dangerous when the ball went to their backs. He had a liking for little chips over into the corner for his wing to run onto but Mike Pearson appeared to be live to the threat

A combination of Tom Bell's and Richard Morgan's reliable boots helped to keep us clear of the line..just. Some of the tackling was bone shaking and Richard Moyes was outstanding in tackling anything that moved.

Slowly but surely we settled into a rhythm and got ourselves some breathing space. 20 minutes gone and play was in centre field around the half way line. Suddenly a red green and white shirt breaks free from the maul. It's Dan Faram and he's quickly into his stride. And what a stride it is...over the 10 metre line...22 metre line ...just the full back to beat....has he gone the wrong way...no...he's made it. Great try. Richard Morgan adds the conversion with a drop kick and against the wind and balance of play we had our noses in front. 7-0

The minutes ticked away and just when I thought we'd kept the homeside at bay until the break we gave away an easy kickable penalty and we went into the interval 7-3 to the good.

The 2nd half Stockport performance was impressive on several different levels. In defence we kept our heads and used the boot to gain position and clear our lines. We bagged 2 further tries. One went to Jamie Smith who consistently had been giving his opposite number a hard time reserved his best moment to a scrum right on the Preston line. Richard Morgan had just knocked on as he went so close to scoring. Jamie managed to grab the Preston 9 and caused the ball to brake free and it was Jamie who grounded the ball first. 12-3

I only wish I had the other try on film. The ball came up the nearside of the pitch towards us. Stephen Hill did the important thing of straightening up the play and then off loaded. As a result of Stephen's work Richard Morgan had room to run into the corner. 17-3

We did just go off the boil a bit and Preston picked up what looked a bit of soft try from our point of view but it did make the remaining minutes an anxious time.

A really good team performance. Man of Match : Richard Morgan for keeping Stockport going forward and for picking all the right options. Thanks to Tom Bell for making the trip over from Sheffield to fill in for the absent Ciaran Lofts. Well Done one and all....

Next Round Away v Eccles 30/03/08

15. Tom BELL
14. Mike PEARSON 
13. Anthony COULSON
12. Robert ADAMS
11. Richard MOYES
10. Richard MORGAN TC
9. Jamie SMITH T
8. James OAKES
7. Dan FARAM T
6. James DODD
5. Chris VALENTINE
4. Tom RENSHAW
3. Stephen HILL
2. Louis WALKER
1. Andy BROADHURST
16. Mike CONNELLY
17. Henri SIMPSON
18. Josh FENWICK
19. Sean ROE


 

We had waited for some time to see if the lads could round off their league season with a final win. We never thought that we’d still be playing in the league come the 9th march but Birkenhead Park dully turned up albeit one short for the game.

Richard Morgan returned to action after his enforced break and Tom Renshaw would be amongst the replacements after his man of the match performance for the 3rd XV the previous day. By the look at the state of Tom Renshaw it looked as if he’d earned the accolade. Sean Roe was unwell and he joined Jake Winstanley on Matron’s sick list.

Marc Smith confided in me before kick off that he was praying for a quick start and a couple of early tries to settle the lads down. His wish was his command and it wasn’t  long before we were on the score board. Captain James Dodd received the ball from a quickly taken penalty and he was off on a classic Doddy run and eventually scurried under the posts with 6 minutes gone. Richard Morgan added the extras. 7-0. Next  of the eight try scorers was Ciaran Lofts. Again it came as the visitors failed to react fast enough to a quick tapped penalty. Under the posts he went and Richard added 2 more. 14-0

Five more minutes and 14 became 21 when Richard Morgan executed a pinpoint cross field kick which resulted in our possession 5 metres out. Anthony Coulson took the ball towards the line but then smuggled it to James Oakes who touched down. A much harder conversion brought the score to 21-0. Anthony had assisted in one try and then after 20 minutes was the architect of another. He made a break and then off loaded to Henri Simpson. Henri found Richard Morgan in support and his diagonal run took him in to score. Another conversion for his own try. 28-0

By this time Birkenhead Park had managed to get 2 players sin binned and were in danger of losing the plot completely. In the meantime and Anthony Coulson got himself under a delicate cross field kick from Richard Morgan and finally bagged a try for himself. 33-0

Fortunately some sanity returned to the proceedings in the 2nd half. During the half we saw three more tries. Near enough straight from the kick off Dan Faram stretched his long legs and they took him 60 yards to score. + conversion by Richard Morgan 40-0.

After 10 minutes of the half Anthony Coulson bagged a well deserved second try with an interception with he finished off with an extravagant dive under the posts and a ticking off from the referee for show boating. He added his own conversion. 47-0.

We were little guilty of taking our foot off the pedal. Tom Renshaw also picked up one of the more unlucky yellow cards. as he was retreating from offside and was struck in the chest by a ball being off loaded by a tackled BP player. It wasn’t until the last 10 minutes that we sealed the final tally with a run from the enigmatic Keiichi Isayama who engineered a slick inside ball to Mike Pearson.

15. Ciaran LOFTS T
14. Mike PEARSON  T
13. Anthony COULSON TTC
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Robert ADAMS
10. Richard MORGAN T6C’S
9. Jamie SMITH
8. James OAKES T
7. Dan FARAM T
6. James DODD T
5. Chris VALENTINE
4. Guy ALLISON
3. Stephen HILL
2. Louis WALKER
1. Andy BROADHURST
16. Tom RENSHAW
17. Richard MOYES
18. Josh FENWICK
19. Keiichi ISAYAMA

The end of the League season is beckoning so with the Title already in the bag the primary motivation of the Stockport squad is to maintain our proud unbeaten record. It had been one of the main reasons that we've turned several games round this season. I think that Marc Smith was hoping that for once we might just control a game from the outset and it wouldn't come down to another inspirational half time talk!

In Ashton On Mersey we came upon yet another highly motivated team who were intent on spoiling our party.  They could have been accused of being one dimensional but the truth was that they had evidently studied their personnel and knew where the strengths of their game were. They pounded us in the forwards and when the ball was fed to the backs it rarely ventured past the centre and they again attempted to burst holes in our defensive line. We held our own in both areas.

We were glad of our strengths as well. Ciaran Lofts proved to be the match winner with a try in each half. His first came after a kick ahead. I don't think the full back could believe how little time he had to clear his lines. He was grounded and in the confusion Ciaran got his hands on the ball and in a flash was over the line. Richard Morgan's enforced absence meant it was down to Anthony Coulson to add the extras points which he did with a flourish. Over the whole game Anthony kicked very well and kept us going forwards...a friend of all props out there!!!

In second half it was very much the same pattern. The Stockport pack soaked up wave after wave of Ashton surges and it was no surprise that man of the match shoot out after the game came down to a two prop race between Andy Broadhurst and Stephen Hill with Stephen just getting his nose in front at the final count.

Back at the game we continue to try and work the ball wide and Mike Pearson eventually timed the perfect pass out to Ciaran who then showed a clean pair of heels to the defenders. Coulson added the conversion in front of the posts. 14-0.

Any expectation that this would quell Ashton's appetite were quickly shown to be unfounded and back came the homeside. The closing stages were all Ashton as they pounded our line. It looked for a time that they would leave empty handed but right at the end they scored well deserved try through their forwards. Final score 14-5.

1.      Andy Broadhurst
2.      Sean Roe
3.      Stephen Hill
4. Chris Valentine
5. Josh Fenwick
6. Dan Faram
7. James Dodd
8. James Oakes
9. Jamie Smith
10.     Anthony Coulson CC
11. Mike Pearson
12. Keiichi Isayama
13. Robert Adams
14. Richard Moyes
15. Ciaran Lofts TT
16.     Guy Allison
17.     Jake Winstanley
18.     Louis Walker
 

They say that a league season is a marathon and not a sprint. Sometimes in the 26+ mile race you hit what runners call the wall. In the first half of Sunday’s game against West Park we hit that wall and were starring a first league defeat in the face. We’d had to work hard to put a full XV together in the first place but there is one thing getting players on the park and there is another getting them to function. We weren’t functioning and it should have been fair warning when Park took the lead after 10 minutes with a well take try in the corner. We were second to everything and crucially our line out ball was very erratic. We were actually winning more ball on the opposition’s throws than our own. The only bright spot in the half was that Josh Fenwick was doing his best to lead from the front with a brave performance that would eventually give him the accolade of man of the match. It was a messy game and we just couldn’t string any phases of possession together. Then things went from bad to worse as West Park crossed for their 2nd try of the day. We had managed to give the under achieving St Helens outfit real self belief. 12-0 behind and thankfully when now had the half time break to try and put things right.

The boys got together and listened with interest as to how Marc Smith was going to re-focus the effort. I can’t repeat what he said (Coach’s privilege) but with the benefit of hindsight he got it just right. I felt that a year ago this team would not have had the self belief that they could turn in round. A year on...no problem.

We came out of the break like a team possessed. Dan Faram and Keiichi Isayama were everywhere. Making runs and putting in hard tackles. Slowly but surely we turned the screw and we soon got the break through we needed. We had WP pinned on their line and the ball went to their fly half. James Dodd charged him and the ball went straight into him. Suddenly Doddy realised that he’d actually managed to hold onto the ball and he quickly touched down. 12-5.

The pressure continued and it was Keiichi whose try took us level. Mike Pearson went on a good run in from his wing and when he was stopped it was Keiichi who was in support and he weaved his way to score under the posts. Richard Morgan converted to bring the scores level at 12-12.

Richard sadly wasn’t don’t to be on the field at the end of the proceedings. My view on what happened was that we were awarded a penalty on the WP 22 and the opposition were a little reluctant to give up the ball. Richard ran some distance over to where the dispute was taking place and ran straight into a hand bags melee. The Referee red carded Richard and one of the WP players and it would 14 v 14 for the last minutes.

Our winning try was a real sucker punch. We shortened a line out 7 metres out. Sean Roe’s throw was straight and true and into Dan Faram’s hands in the clear at the rear of the line. Dan was never going to be stopped from close range and we had our noses in front.

There were a few anxious minutes to play out but we held on for a win. Well done West Park for making it a really close encounter and despite the Red cards it was a game played in good spirit.

1.      Andy Broadhurst
2. Sean Roe
3. James Oakes
4. Chris Valentine
5. Josh Fenwick
6. Dan Faram T
7. Keiichi Isayama T
8. James Dodd T
9. Jamie Smith
10. Richard Morgan C
11. Mike Pearson
12. Anthony Coulson
13. Robert Adams
14. Mike Connelly
15. Ciaran Lofts
    

You’ll rarely see a better example of ‘a game of two halves’ than we witnessed between Stockport and Hoylake last Sunday. The previous game between the two sides had been a close run affair and Stockport coach Marc Smith had warned his troops to expect nothing less this time round.

As the game got under way it seemed that they had heeded his warning and although they were playing uphill and into a good breeze they quickly established themselves in an attacking position. They probed and pushed but faced determined defence. It looked that Stockport might be ignoring their best attacking options out wide. Then we got a break through in an unexpected way. With Hoylake pinned on their line they had a scrum and the ball went to their dependable No10 for him to clear his lines. Unfortunately he failed to get enough elevation on his kick and James Oakes charged the ball down and was first to the touch down. 5-0. Richard Morgan’s conversion attempt hit the left upright but everything seemed to be going smoothly.

I was then overtaken by a strong sense of déjà vu as immediately Hoylake came back down field and within minutes had equalled the scores with a score that seemed to suggest that the home side had left their usual defensive steel in the changing room. The remainder of the half didn’t seem to indicate that a try feast was in the offing and we even managed to concede another try and we went into the half time break trailing 5-10 and with a first defeat of the season very much in the offing. Marc got the guys together laid it on the line over what the 35 minutes meant.

The second half was a transformation. Tom Cruse lead the revival from the front and by example. The first of his tries came from another charge down. This time it was around the Hoylake 22 and the ball bounced up from the soft enough for Crusey to collect it and charge under the posts. He added the conversion 12-10.

I apologise in advance if I get any of the scores in the wrong order. Tom quickly bagged himself another when he popped up in the centre and hit the line at pace. He was in determined mood and was soon over the line. 19-10.

There were still four more tries. Dan Faram was inevitably in support when the Hoylake defence crumbled as Mike Pearson kicked ahead and he picked up close to the line. 26-10. The next two tries came from Ciaran Lofts and Richard Morgan and the points tally was rising fast 38-10.

The game did have it’s prickly moments. Hoylake already had one player in the bin when he was joined by a team mate and Louis Walker in a job lot. Then towards the end of the game one of Hoylake’s most talented had a testosterone over dose moment which culminated in him taking an early bath.
 

Sunday’s game between these local rivals will not remain long in the memory. Manchester’s grounds man dictated that we had to vacate the hallowed turf of their 1st XV pitch. The alternative was hardly perfect but I don’t suppose we were in any position to complain after the mud bath of the previous week’s non event at Headlands Road. If you’ve read my 1st XV report then you will be privy to some observations I made about referees. I stand by them but won’t go over them again. Suffice to say that we managed to keep on his good side for most of the game and we also kept our heads whilst some around us were losing theirs.

A real plus for Marc Smith was that he’d originally thought we’d be travelling with a bare 15 players. In the event we mustered a very presentable 19 players. They included Matt Levine, Keiichi Isayama and Mike Connelly. It was really good to have them all there. We have a busy schedule until the end of the season and we’ll need all the players at our disposal.

Manchester were a much improved team from early in the season and mounted a worthy challenge early on but we’ve shown ourselves to be a strong defensive side. In the end the match was decided by two moments, one in each half. Before they happened Manchester opened the scoring with a well taken long range penalty.

We then mounted a sustained attack which gave us territory and a number of penalties. Chris Valentine eventually seized the initiative and took a quick tap penalty 5 metres out and dived in low to ground the ball on the line. Richard Morgan added an excellent conversion for a 7-3 lead which we took all the way through to half time.

There are players who gain man of the match votes for sustained effort for the team’s effort and then there a players who through a brilliant moment of match winning or saving proportions brings them acknowledgement. We saw both. Dan Faram was like a man possessed chasing everything that moved and a few that didn’t. On the other hand the magical match winning moment came from Ciaran Lofts. We knew we had the pace in the backs but on a narrow heavy pitch it was proving hard to use it effectively. Then Ciaran picked up a clearance and headed left. It was his sheer pace that took him out of the reach of the covering defenders and into the corner with a flourish. It was try worthy of winning any game.

We now how two games at home, against Hoylake and then Fleetwood. Wins in both of them will bring the league title but be under on illusions, M Smith will settle for nothing less than going through the league season unbeaten….

        1.      Guy Allison
2. Steve Hill
3. Andy Broadhurst
4. Chris Valentine T
5. Josh Fenwick
6. Dan Faram
7. Sean Roe
8. James Oakes
9. Jake Winstanley
10. Richard Morgan C
11. Mike Pearson
12. Henri Simpson
13. Anthony Coulson
14. Robert Adams
15. Ciaran Lofts T
16. Jamie Smith
17. Matt Levine
18. Keiichi Isayama
19.     Mike Connelly

           Yes you did read it right 0-0. The next thing you probably won’t believe is that this was the most enjoyable afternoon I have spent on a touchline all season. It had everything. Firstly it had two well matched teams. We had lost all but one of our University players, and picked up an injury to James Dodd the previous week v Tarleton so with a lot of players unavailable we only travelled with 17 players. Winnington Park have increased their squad in recent months and this would balance the two teams nicely . Secondly I had good rugby company in Winnington Park’s coach Richard Elliot. Richard’s son Ben plays fly half for their club’s 1st XV on Saturdays and then cheers himself up playing for the Colts on Sunday. Good guys both. Next it was a real in your face rugby game, plenty of action.

Next we had a young referee in Paul Murphy from Ashton Under Lyne who kept good control over the whole game. He didn’t over ref the game and the lads went along with it. Dan Faram picked up a yellow card for over enthusiastic use of the boot but it was totally out of character for the game as well as for Dan.

Next the game had action in all directions and it was played in a really good spirit. Tom Cruse won the toss and elected to play with a good breeze and what slope there is on the Winnington Park pitch. We still spent more than 20 minutes soaking up repeated attacks in our 22. Although we had the wind at our backs it just didn’t seem to help us. Then just as I thought we would spend the whole game pinned to our line we broke out and headed down field. There was a foot race for a loose ball and I thought that Dan Faram got to the ball first and touched down. Although Dan confirmed this later in the end it would have been a cruel game if either team had run out winners. In fact late on in the game the home side came very close with a last ditch tackle by Jake Winstanley (MoM) and then the ball was dropped over the line and the chance was gone.

With time running out we had a final chance to walk away with all three points. We were awarded a penalty just outside the 22 and to the left of the posts. Tom Cruse decided to have a go at the posts. The wind was not getting any less and it caused the ball to drop below the bar. It was a really good game of rugby and leaves us unbeaten needing 3 wins from our remaining 6 games to ensure a league win for us. This Sunday we have Birkenhead Park as visitors….weather permitting.

1.      Tom Cruse
2. Steve Hill
3. Andy Broadhurst
4. Chris Valentine
5. Tom Renshaw
6. Dan Faram
7. Sean Roe
8. James Oakes
9. Jake Winstanley
10. Richard Morgan
11. Mike Pearson
12. Henri Simpson
13. Anthony Coulson
14. Jake Winstanley
15. Ciaran Lofts
16. Guy Allison
 

You couldn’t say that the draw for the Cheshire Cup at Under 19’s had been very kind to us. In season 2006-2007 the then Junior Colts had met Altrincham Kersal in the Cheshire Cup. Having put up a brave defensive performance in the first half they eventually went down 56-0. This was the historical back ground that Marc Smith had to get round to give that team the self belief that we could compete on an equal footing with the old enemy. Coming more up to date our opponents were also top of the Colts A league.

We came out with all guns blazing. I have seldom witnessed a game of such intensity. Stockport’s forwards refused to take a backwards step. Altrincham Kersal tackled everything that moved. For the first 12 minutes we were camped in the AK half but it was a little worrying that when we eventually retreated into our half we did so empty handed. AK’s defence was indeed impressive and with their first visit to Stockport territory they quickly left with 3 points from a penalty. We came back at the home side again. Jamie Smith charged down a clearance kick but the ball bounced away. On 25 minutes we finally reaped some reward for all of our possession and territory when inspirational Captain Tom Cruse knocked over a penalty 3-3.

It was the signal for AK to go on the attack again and 7 minutes later their pressure told as a player came off the side of a catch and drive and went over from close range. 8-3.

After the break AK were first into their stride and we were pinned back on our line for some time with the wind in our faces. It also cost another penalty that was converted to bring the score to 11-3. We weren’t going to take it lying down and we then had a period of possession as we attacked again. Only four minutes had elapsed since AK’s last penalty when we finally engineered a break through. Jamie Smith moved the ball quickly to the blind side and Mike Pearson was left one on one with his opposite number. It was just what Mike had been waiting for and he left the defender flat footed as he went round him to score in the corner. 11-8.

17 minutes left and just a penalty required to win this awesome contest. All credit to AK..they re-grouped and adopted the policy that the best form of defence is attack. Again we defended bravely but were finding it difficult to break out. With 5 minutes left Altrincham finally put the result beyond doubt. Successive drives to the line had left us short of defenders on the blind side and their No.10 quickly changed the direction of the attack to that side and found an opening. 16-8. That’s how the game finished but I was touched by the way that all the AK supporters applauded us off the field. They knew they’d been in a game. Proud of you guys.  

15. Richard MORGAN
14. Mike PEARSON T
13. Alex WILSON (M)
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Ciaran LOFTS
10. Anthony COULSON
 9.  Jamie SMITH
 8. James OAKES
 7. Dan FARAM
 6. James DODD
 5. Tom RENSHAW
 4. Chris VALENTINE
 3. Tom Cruse (C) P
 2. Stephen HILL
1. Andy BROADHURST
16 Kieran HIBBS
17. Louis WALKER
18. Jake WINSTANLEY
19. Josh FENWICK

The trip to Fleetwood would signal the half way point in the League campaign. We knew that Fleetwood had suffered a very heavy defeat the previous week at the hands of Manchester but we discovered that it was with only 12 players and they had been experiencing problems on the road.

TEAM: Word from Tom Goldwater that he has broken his collar bone again playing from his local 3rd XV and will be out for a long time. We wish him a speedy recovery. Tom Renshaw stepped conveniently into the 2nd row. This was in fact to be Tom’s first game since injuring his knee playing for us many weeks ago. Welcome back also to Chris Valentine having had four weeks out with a broken nose. The game was also a return for Anthony Coulson in the centre.

GAME: It was a strange game. We played in fits and started quite well and in only four minutes Richard Morgan found a gap and nipped through and scored near the posts. As is traditional there was no cone on hand for Richard to add the extras points from and he was forced to use a drop kick. As it turned out looking at the final score it was a good job that he took his time and knocked the ball cleanly through the posts. 0-7

After 10 minutes it looked as if the game had the potential to be one way traffic. We went on the attack and there was some good exchange through the hands. The ball eventually to Tom Cruse and the captain powered over from about 15 metres out. Another conversion from Richard Morgan next time with the assistance of a cone. 14-0.

The home side then decided to come to life. After the 15 minutes they showed they had some grunt up front as they executed a catch and drive and drove us over from about 7 metres out. No conversion for them 14-5.

After another 5 minutes we really knew we had a game on our hands when Fleetwood also showed they had a cutting edge when they carved a hole through our centre and scored from the opening. This time they added the extras and we went into the break with a narrow 14-12.

7 minutes after the restart we stretched our lead again. Richard Morgan kicked us into the corner. We went for the catch and drive but it was pulled down. We were forced to go for the second option and the ball was sent left through the backs. The final interchange was between Ciaran Lofts and Mike Pearson and Mike made the most of his chance and scored a nicely constructed 5 pointer. The Conversion was a close one. Richard Morgan launched it high. So high that the ball struck the top of the posts and we held our breath until the 2 linesmen both lifted their flags to show that the ball had still gone through the posts. 12-21

The second half was a pretty scrappy disjointed affair and neither side looked as if they were going to be able to engineer an opening. It took until the 33 minute of the half for one of the sides to get a break through and it was Fleetwood who made it and it came from their No 10 who made a clean break between our fly half and centre. He showed good pace and touched down. Another missed conversion left the score at 17-21 (not 19-21 at published on the web)

We restarted knowing that he was the last play of the day. So we kicked it straight out giving Fleetwood a scrum in centre. Then when Tom Renshaw got his hands on the ball his event of a kick to touch hit a team mate! Eventually we managed to get the ball in touch and the final whistle went. 17-21.

The next Colts game will be against Altrincham Kersal in the Cheshire Cup on 18th November.

15. Ciaran LOFTS
14. Mike PEARSON T
13. Anthony COULSON
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Robert ADAMS
10. Richard MORGAN TCCC
 9.  Jamie SMITH
 8. James OAKES
 7. Dan FARAM
 6. James DODD
 5. Tom RENSHAW
 4. Chris VALENTINE
 3. Tom Cruse (C) T
 2. Stephen HILL
1. Andy BROADHURST
16 Guy ALLISON
17. Louis WALKER
18. Jake WINSTANLEY
19. Sean ROE

Marc Smith has waited all season for the Senior to real burst into life and show a full 15 man performance over 70 minutes. We’ve show flashes of good rugby over the previous weeks without really firing on all cylinders.

Team News: It was good to see Ciaran Lofts back in action and his return was well timed with an injury to Anthony Coulson meaning that Richard Morgan would return to familiar territory in the 10 shirt.

The two teams sparred for the 1st 10 minutes and then Stockport got the break through that looked on the cards. The team seemed really switched on and it was alertness that brought the score. A quick tapped penalty and the ball was moved swiftly across the pitch and into the hands of Ciaran Lofts who took his chance and scored in the corner. 5-0

The left wing was proving to be quite a fruitful avenue of attack and it was Mike Pearson who next breached the West Park defence. The forwards took the ball on and then it was recycled and moved left. Mike stretched his legs and then brushed off defenders and ran round to give Richard Morgan an easy conversion. 23 minutes and 12-0.

At this point I have to admit that I can’t decipher what my match notes say. What I do know is that (a) it was a try (b) Richard Morgan scored it (c) he added the conversion (d) it was the 31st minutes and (e) I can remember that he ran at pace from some distance to score. Come to think of it there’s not much I’ve left out….19-0

3 minutes we were across the white wash again. This time Dan Faram galloped up the right and although he spurned the chance to chance to put Matt Levine away the ball was retained and recycled and Tom Cruse was lurking in the centre and he was in no mood to be stopped. He bulldozed his way through to score under the posts. Richard Morgan added the extras. 26-0.

We ended the scoring for the half in very much the same way we’d started it. Another penalty quickly tapped. There was a great interchange between Lofts and Pearson which gave Ciaran running room and that was all he needed. Great try. 31-0. Half Time. I wandered over to the half time huddle and I was struck by the level of intensity still amongst them. With a view to the season I suppose it was appropriate that Marc Smith had finally managed to light the blue touch paper. As for him retiring...well another four tries for the 3rd XV on Saturday...who knows….

They 2nd half got under way and every credit to the visitors who very ably kept a lid on our scoring. In the end we were restricted to two unconverted tries in the 5th and 10 minutes of the half. The first went o Mike Pearson ...as the man said...you can’t beat a bit of pace and Mike used all of his. When it comes to pace a certain Dan Faram has got more than his fair share and the last try from us was an exercise is sheer pace and determination. The photographs taken by our team photographer Claire beautifully captured the moment.

It had been a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. The game had been played in the best of spirits. Refereed intelligently by Donny Phillips from Northwich who declared that he’d enjoyed himself as well. My best wishes to West Park whose single try during the game was scant reward for their honest efforts. They have a very good line out and able pack and hard work with their back line will I’m sure make our return fixture a whole load harder. 41-5.
 

15. Ciaran LOFTS TT
14. Mike PEARSON TT
13. Robert ADAMS
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Matt LEVINE
10. Richard MORGAN T CCC
9.  Jamie SMITH
8. James OAKES
7. Dan FARAM T
6. James DODD
5. Guy ALLISON
4. Tom GOLDWATER
3. Tom Cruse (C) T
2. Stephen HILL
1. Andy BROADHURST
16. Richard BANKS
17. Louis WALKER
18. Josh FENWICK
19. Sean ROE
20. Jake WINSTANLEY

It has become clear that there are no easy games in the Senior Colts Leagues and that once you start to run up a series of results teams redoubled their efforts to knock you down.

           The trip to Hoylake at the weekend was a case in point. The form guide seemed to show that it should have been a comfortable fixture. It was anything but. By the end of 70 minutes hard fought rugby I was bemused as to how Hoylake had only picked up one victory all season.

The list of players registered to play for the Senior Colts has gone through the 40 mark with 3 new recruits in recent weeks. Tom Goldwater and Ed Gillespie are with us until Christmas having come up from Warwick where they had represented their school's win in the Daily Mail U18 final at Twickenham last season. They are clearly the finished rugby articles and will be a great asset over the next 8 weeks. The third is Josh Fenwick who is a huge raw talent. Former Davenport captain Rory Fenwick’s Grandson is a relative newcomer to the game but if he can catch on fast he could be knocking them down for Stockport for many years to come. Did I say three recruits well actually you could say that is four. Matt Levine has played for the squad in the past but a shoulder injury meant that he played no part last season. It’s good to see him back and it looks as if he hasn’t lost any of his pace.

During the first half of the game we struggled to get any continuity into our game but we did see glimpses of Ed Gillespie’s pace and Mike Pearson also tested his well matched opposite number. Half way through the half we finally opted to get the backs moving instead of surrendering possession by kicking the ball away. Ed Gillespie cut through the centre and drew defenders and kept his hands free to release Richard Morgan outside him. Richard lengthened his stride to run in and score. Unfortunately as usual there was no kicking tee available and Richard’s own drop kick attempt flew wide. 5-0.

Hoylake continued their attacking efforts and looked dangerous when they got hold of turn over ball...and there plenty of it around! Mike Pearson had threatened to undo the Hoylake defence on several  occasions and as the half drew to a close he finally got the small amount of room he needed and he skipped down the wing to score. Captain Tom Cruse, with the use of the newly acquired tee, converted off the right post. 12-0.

After the break Henri Simpson seemed to find a new lease of life in the centre and overall it was a tight performance but Hoylake continued to threaten. We eased our concerns with a Tom Cruse penalty 15-0. This put us more than 2 scores ahead and we had Tom Goldwater to thank for preventing one of those tries with a last ditched tackle which stopped the ball being grounded. It was another contribution to a great debut where he stole a significant amounts of line out ball and he was quick to react all around the pitch. He was later a deserving winner of the man of the match.

Hoylake deserved something out of this well matched and refereed game played in good a good spirit. With the game ending towards a final whistle they got their try. No Conversion final score 15-5.

15. Richard MORGAN T
14. Mike PEARSON T
13. Ed GILLESPIE
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Richard MOYES
10. Anthony COULSON
 9. Jake WINSTANLEY
 8. James DODD
 7. Dan FARAM
 6. Sean ROE
 5. James OAKES
 4. Tom GOLDWATER
 3. Tom Cruse (C) CP
 2. Louis WALKER
 1. Stephen HILL
 
 16. Richard BANKS
 17. Guy ALLISON
 18. Josh FENWICK
 19. Matt LEVINE

Last weekend saw the visit of Widnes. One of our supporters rather cruelly commented that it was a first for our Colts on two fronts. First it was the first vets team we’d ever played and secondly it was the first team we’d ever faced with 5 second rows and 10 props. To be fair it must be something in the air in Widnes or something they are feeding their players on as they did look and very mature and a very large bunch of lads. That said they play a pretty good game of rugby and the final score only tells part of the story of how close the game was and how nearly they came to causing us to lose our unbeaten record.

It was a crunching battle and we were too often guilty of selecting the wrong options and also of surrendering possession by kicking the ball away. The territory and possession were both in our favour but it was Widnes who scored with a converted try and followed it up with a penalty . 0-10. We didn’t seem to be able to sustain a rhythm or a pattern of play. This was in some small measure due to the referee who was shall we say was a little unpredictable in some of his decisions and his use of the advantage rule which safe to say wasn’t working to our advantage at all!

The lads kept working hard and it the end we got the break through which we deserved. It was a well worked move that saw Richard Moyes go in at the corner flag for his first try of the season. 5-10 There was no more score before half time and I only hoped that Marc’s inspirational bollocking at the break would have the desired effect. In truth it didn’t. We were tell playing below the pace required. Then Widnes struck again. They cleared long and the two Richard’s Morgan and Moyes got into a bit of a tangle and a Widnes boot kicked the ball on. Unfortunately there was insufficient cover to stop the attack and a further score. 5-15 down and 10 minutes left.

We then suddenly decided that our unbeaten run wasn’t going to be surrendered without a fight. We went into ‘Fat lady singing mode’ but  the road back only started to bare fruit with less than 5 minutes remaining . The ball was moved to the left wing in an exchange of passes and James Dodd found an opening and by the look on his face in the photograph on the front cover he was not going to let anybody stop him.. He crossed line and ran under the posts taking on another defender as he went to put the ball down. As it turned out he needn’t have bothered. With time pressing Richard Morgan attempted a drop kick conversion which flew under the bar...oooops. At 10-15 this now meant that the next try if it came had to be scored in a kickable position if we were to win the game. Could the lads save Richard’s blushes… 

The game was coming down to the last moments. Widnes’s defence was creaking and they were forced to concede a number of penalties. We pressed the line but to the lad’s credit no player over did his attempt at scoring which meant that the ball was recycled repeatedly. Finally Doddy picked up from the back of a ruck just to the right of the posts and launched himself over it. Captain Tom Cruse took responsibility for the conversion although it was a much easier kick than the one he’d kicked to win that famous Wilmslow game a couple of years ago. He grabbed the points, we’d played our get out of jail card……the final whistle went. 17-15. The visitors took defeat very well and I look forward to the rematch later in the season.

15. Richard MORGAN
14. Mike PEARSON
13. Robert ADAMS
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Richard MOYES T
10. Anthony COULSON
9. Jake WINSTANLEY
8. James OAKES
7. Dan FARAM
6. James WOOD
5. Richard BANKS
4. Andy BROADHURST
3. Tom Cruse (C) C
2. Sean ROE
1. Guy ALLISON

16. James DODD TT
17. Jamie SMITH
18. Louis WALKER
19. Stephen HILL

LAUGHTER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD?

Isn’t that what they used to call Liverpool? Well I have to say that I didn’t particularly mind the antics of some of their touchline party that funny. I thought I had a bit of a history with referees in the past but one BP ‘coach’ took the biscuit. The referee in fact was the third good official we’ve had in three weeks. Easy to say when you are winning but there you go.

The only problem of the day was with route finding. Phil Leigh had been due to make his first start of the season at centre. He unfortunately took the M62 route to BP and got caught in the mother of all traffic jams. He eventually arrived at half time and took over from Dan Faram who had been manfully filling in without any problems.

We got off to a good start and scored in 4 minutes. James Oakes took the ball to the line and we recycled and you ain’t going to stop Tom Cruse from a yard and a half when he smelled the white wash of the try line. Tom Bell converted for a 7-0 lead.

The 2nd try after 18 minutes was a cracker. James Oakes on the rampage and as he was caught 12 metres out Jamie Smith received a great off load from him. Tom Bell with another conversion 14-0.

Late on in the half BP got a try back. It was a scrappy affair with some quick tapped penalties and we were caught out of position. At least Marc Smith could stop worrying about his no try conceded record. Good conversion by BP 14-7.

We got back into the swing of things at the start of the 2nd half with a well organised cath and drive after Anthony Coulson had kicked us right into the corner. It was Andy Broadhurst Oakes who came up with the ball and a smile.

Our final try of the day went to Tom Cruse are he bulldozed his way to the line from 20 metres out knocking defenders out of his way as he went. Anthony Coulson added the extras. 26-7. Jake Winstanley took the Man of the match by a country mile. He had tackled like a demon, run like a whippet and looked after the right wing as if he was born to it.

In the dying moments BP got some consolation with a forwards try from close range when it looked as if we would repel all comers. Final score 26-12.

15. Tom BELL CC
14. Mike PEARSON
13. Dan FARAM
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Jake WINSTANLEY
10. Anthony COULSON C
9. James SMITH T
8. James OAKES
7. James DODD
6. James WOOD
5. Chris VALENTINE
4. Andy BROADHURST T
3. Tom Cruse (C) TT
2. Louis WALKER
1. Sean ROE

16. Richard MOYES
17 Guy ALLISON
18 Phil LEIGH

TRY FREE ZONE

Ashton arrived at Headlands Road as a completely unknown quality. Team News was that a Richard Morgan would have a run out  at full back. Stephen Hill and Richard Banks were side lined through injury together with Guy Allison and Ciaran Lofts.

Having started quite brightly we went behind to a penalty completely against the run of play when Ashton visited our half for the first time. Coulson equalised

This was my fourth game of rugby of the weekend and to honest I was suffering from stats overload. It wasn’t until the guys arrived for training on Thursday night did I find someone who could remember who’d score our points. In no particular order or quality of try it went something like this. Mike Pearson picked up two more. The second was outrageous. Playing time added on Oaksey just wanted to get off the pitch and in the bar and told Mike to kick the ball off the park. Mike had other ideas. He ran back into the 22 chipped over and then raced to collect the ball and score between two defenders. Oaksey got a try down the blindside from 5 metres out. James Dodd was the scorer from a well worked catch and drive after captain tom Cruse had declined a shot at goal from a penalty which would have put us two scores ahead at the time. Good job we scored then.... Crusey himself charged over after a long Coulson pass. Richard Morgan and Anthony Coulson picked up a conversion each. Both team contributed to a great game to watch and that was also due in no small measure to another really sympathetic refereeing job.

15. Richard MORGAN C
14. Mike PEARSON TT
13. Keeichi ISAYAMA
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Richard MOYES
10. Anthony COULSON PC
9. James SMITH
8. James OAKES T
7. Dan FARAM
6. James WOOD
5. Chris VALENTINE
4. James PARSEY
3. Tom Cruse (C) T
2. Louis WALKER
1. Andy BROADHURST

16. Jake WINSTANLEY
17. James DODD T
18. Sean ROE
19. Richard BANKS

Top of the League

Sunday saw our first away league game of the season and the first without the majority of the ‘Uni under 19’’ being present. Injuries and Non availabilities meant that we only had 16 players to take to Tarleton but Marc Smith was confident that with the lessons learnt from our previous games we would still prove to be strong opposition for anyone (Have you noted who are now top of the Colts A league…...Glossop).

I’ve never been to Tarleton before and was pleasantly surprised by the facilities. The club is brand new and the pitch was flat and even. We had the wind at our backs for the first half though we didn’t always use it to the best effect. Despite some tactical and handling errors we still were proving too quick for the home side. The scoring was evenly split over the two halves.

In the first half Henri Simpson showed some nice light feet as he skipped round defenders to score. Not many light feet around when Tom Cruse hits the field but the man of match lead by example all day and bagged a try for himself as well.

In the second half, we were treated to our try of the season to date. Lineout ball taken by Dan Faram just inside the Tarleton 22. The forwards took in on just far enough to suck a few players in to stop the drive. Winstanley to Coulson and Mike Pearson came off his wing through the centre to burst a hole and score under the posts. Stephen Hill had had a really good game around the park throughout the 70 minutes all game and he got his just reward when he was on hand to muscle over in the corner for the last try of the day. A thoroughly enjoyable trip. Good facilities, Good rugby Good Hosts Good Referee.

15. Andrew KONARSKI
14. Mike PEARSON T
13. Alex WILSON
12. Henri SIMPSON T
11. Richard MOYES
10. Anthony COULSON CC
9. Jake WINSTANLEY
8. James OAKES
7. Dan FARAM
6. James WOOD
5. Chris VALENTINE
4. James PARSEY
3. Tom Cruse (C) TC
2. Stephen HILL T
1. Guy ALLISON
16. Robert ADAMS

Lessons Learned

After two relatively comfortable league wins over the preceding weekend we had the opportunity to flex our muscles against a team from higher up the Senior Colts Leagues. Glossop from the A league invited us up into the hills. Due to traffic difficulties en route I arrived about half way through the first half to find no score on the board and to be told that we were more than holding our own in the face of what you might say were some slightly dubious tactics which had already left Anthony Coulson peering out of one eye.

 Glossop took the lead with a try from their fleet footed left wing and their very reliable kicker added the extras. Glossop are not the only ones with a fleet foot wing and Mike Pearson made it a try a piece by Half time. 7-5

  Glossop had a very large pack and we allowed ourselves to be slightly intimidated by their presence. The other factor in the game was the referee who, though we are always thankful to some poor soul for volunteering, would probably be better hanging up his whistle. In the second half we didn’t get the run of the ball and Glossop found a few openings and ran in four tries to our one from Andrew Konarski who grounded in the corner after a sweet backs move. The final winning margin to the home side certainly flattered them but we showed enough to show that we can live in the company of A league teams. We will be back. In the mean time it’s back to League action this weekend. It is a trip to Tarleton.

15. Andy KONARSKI T
14. Mike PEARSON T
13. Alex WILSON
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Richard MOYES
10. Anthony COULSON
9. Jamie SMITH
8. James OAKES
7. Kieran HIBBS
6. Sean ROE
5. Jonny BAKER
4. Chris VALENTINE
3. Tom RENSHAW
2. Louis WALKER
1. Tom CRUSE

16. James DODD
17. Stephen HILL
18. James PARSEY
19. Jake WINSTANLEY
20. Tom BELL

Steady Progress

           Coach Marc Smith has been very encouraged by the progress of the Senior Colts so far this season. After a slow start during the summer the numbers down training have started to increase and it has been good to see nearly all the players back in action. The squad currently stands at around 40 and is roughly split equally between Under 18’s and Under 19’s. the majority of the Under 19’s are off to university all over the country and we wish them well. This will bring down the squad to 26 and all indications are that they will do very well with those staying around. The opposition on Sunday was Winnington Park who proved stronger than Manchester the previous week. They had a large pack and their backs were well organised and liked to kick and for the most part did it well. We again found ourselves under early pressure which we weathered well.

We eventually got our act together and Jake Winstanley bagged himself two tries in quick session. Anthony Coulson converted one of them. Sandwiched in between the visitors popped over a penalty.

During the 2nd half there were only very rare visits to the Stockport 22 by the opposition. Winnington Park defended very well and it took 20 minutes of the half for Mike Pearson to reap the benefits of his patience. It was sweet backs move and the smooth transfer of the ball got it to Mike a little quicker and it gave him the space to beat his opposite number down the wing. 17-3. This Sunday we have arranged a friendly against A League opposition in Glossop to give the lads a stern test. Kick off is at 1.0pm at Glossop. Meet at SRUFC at 11.30am      

15. Ciaran LOFTS
14. Mike PEARSON T
13. Alex WILSON
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Keiichi ISAYAMA
10. Anthony COULSON C
9. Jake WINSTANLEY TT
8. James OAKES
7. Kieran HIBBS
6. Dan FARAM
5. Jonny BAKER
4. George CORTVRIEND
3. Andy BROADHURST
2. James DODD
1. Tom RENSHAW

16. Louis WALKER
17. James ELSENDER
18. Andrew KONARSKI
19. Robert ADAMS
20. Sean ROE
21. Jamie SMITH
22. Guy ALLISON

Stockport coach Marc Smith took one look at the weather on Sunday and it was clear from his disappointment that he thought that the persistent rain may put a dampner on his Senior Colts first outing of the season against neighbours Manchester.

In the event Stockport overcame the steady down pour and Manchester to record a very satisfying 29-0 home win. The first quarter of the game was very much a getting to know each other process as the Under 18 and Under 19 players played together for the first time and the majority of it was spent in the Stockport half. Manchester threatened and pressed but Stockport we showed some stern defence.

Then for the first time Stockport secured turn over ball and it was moved left to Mike Pearson on the wing. He opened his legs and rounded the full back to score under the posts. Anthony Coulson added the extras. 7-0

The home side always looked dangerous on the break and the next try came when full back Ciaran Lofts collected the ball and ran forwards. For a moment it looked as if he and Mike Pearson had got into each others way but Lofts popped the ball up to Pearson out of the tackle. Pearson did the rest. 12-0

A score at the start of the 2nd half really took the wind out of the visitor's sail. Pressure brought a series of errors that allowed Mike Pearson to get to the ball first as it was kicked loose over the line. 17-0

Fly Half Anthony Coulson was following his half time instructions to the letter by kicking to the corners and keeping Manchester under pressure and it wasn't long before Ciaran Lofts rounded of another Stockport attack by popping up in support to score in the corner. 22-0

The rain didn't let up nor did the pressure. 2nd Row Jonny Baker had come on at half time and had caught the eye with some good work. He had joined James Oakes in the pack. James was tireless in his efforts from No.8 made a significant contribution to Stockport's win.

The scoring was completed by another pressure induced score when back row Anthony Coulson reacted first to a ball under the Manchester posts and touched down. Anthony added the conversion as well. 29-0

Manchester's efforts made the game a good contest and their imposing pack will trouble many teams this season.

15. Ciaran LOFTS T
14. Mike PEARSON TTT
13. Alex WILSON
12. Henri SIMPSON
11. Jake WINSTANLEY
10. Anthony COULSON TCC
9. Jamie SMITH
8. James OAKES
7. Kieran HIBBS
6. Dan FARAM
5. Tom RENSHAW
4. George CORTVRIEND
3. Andy BROADHURST
2. Louis WALKER
1. Guy ALLISON

16. James DODD
17. Andy COLEMAN
18. Richard MOYES
19. Mike CONNOLLY
20. Danny SACRE
21. Jonny BAKER
22. Robert ADAMS