Ormskirk RUFC

Click on http://clubs.rfu.com/CLUBEVENTS/ViewEventDetails.aspx?id=24076594

Derek Salisbury

Degsy has been selected to play for for England students’ elite squad with games against Portugal in Lisbon (playing the Portuguese national side), Irish students at Newcastle and
French students in Riom, France

Derek is currently working as a Development Officer for the RFU, and part time at Edge Hill .
He still plays for Caldy - tight or loose-head prop.

Well done degsy, from all at Ormskirk RUFC - come visit us sometime!

I have 8 tickets available for the Italy v England 6 nations game in Rome. They are spare due to friends/colleagues’ having to cancel their trip. They are as follows :

· Sunday 14th February

· Stadio Flaminio, Rome

· 15:30 kick off (local time)

· Face value : €67 per ticket (converted by my credit card at £62.85 per ticket)

· Location : Tribune Scoperta, Section 23F – between 22m and half way line – see below

I have the tickets – if anyone would be interested in buying some or all of them, please contact me on the numbers below.

Kind regards,

Nick Jacobs

t : 01695 51520
f : 01695 51580
m : 07785 327146
e : nick.jacobs@stratadapt.com

A massive ‘well done’ to our own Ally Sutherland, who’s just been appointed Captain of the North of England U18 Group Squad. Ally is a product of the highly successful ORUFC Minis/Juniors section, and was a member of the all-conquering squad who were crowned national champions at Twickenham three years on the trot.

Well done to Ally, who’s Dad Donny has been instrumental in Ally and his team-mates’ success over many years of hard work and dedication.

Click on the link below to read more……..

http://clubs.rfu.com/CLUBEVENTS/ViewEventDetails.aspx?id=52675843

TWO second half tries crushed Ormskirk’s hopes of causing a major upset on Saturday as the Green Lane men lost 29-12 at league leaders Bowdon.

Three penalties and a drop-goal from John Armstrong had given Ormskirk a 12-9 lead at half-time but the home side scored 20 unanswered points in the second period.

The final score flattered Bowdon as Ormskirk dominated for long periods of the match although crucially squandered their few try scoring opportunities while the home-side were ruthless in their attacking play.

Having recalled experienced forwards Paul Kearney and Paul Rowley to the starting line-up, Ben Davies’ side started brightly, gaining the upper-hand over Bowdon’s larger pack.

With the match played in waterlogged conditions, it was never going to be a day for free-flowing rugby and Ormskirk were content with keeping the ball tight and driving the opposition back for much of the first-half.

James Morgan and Andy Wilson gained valuable yards while the persistent Glyn Roberts was a constant thorn in the side of Bowdon’s pack.

Each time Ormskirk ventured into attacking territory, John Armstrong slotted three points although a Bowdon try late in the first-half reduced Ormskirk’s lead.

But with the forwards dominating in the loose and competing well in the scrum for the first time in recent weeks, Bowdon’s un-beaten home record looked to be danger.

Another bonus for Ormskirk was the impressive performance of Andy Croft, making his debut at inside-centre.

Croft teamed up well with fellow centre John Curley and fly-half Armstrong, making a host of crunching tackles in the midfield.

In the second-half, two Bowdon penalties meant Ormskirk found themselves trailing for the first time in the match and in need of a try to restore their lead. Scrum-half Mark Essex had the away side’s best chance as he broke through the first line of defence only to fall agonisingly a few yards from the try line.

And as Ormskirk pushed harder and committed more men to their attacking play, Bowdon capitalised on some fortuitous refereeing decisions to score two break-away tries to end the match as a contest.

The final stages became scrappy as the playing conditions deteriorated and Ormskirk could not breakdown the Bowdon defence to capture a consolation try. Despite the scoreline, Ben Davies will have been impressed by his side’s commitment in difficult conditions and the strength of the forward pack bodes well for the upcoming months.

This Saturday Ormskirk will be looking to return to winning ways as Winnington Park are the visitors to Green Lane. Kick off 2.30pm and all support will be warmly welcome.

A scratch First Team due to numerous injuries and late withdrawals travelled to Top of the Table Bowdon and in the end came away extremely disappointed to lose 29 - 12 after dominating the First Half turning around 12 - 9 in the lead. The game being played on an extremely soft and wet pitch appeared to have two very well matched teams who entered into an extremely competitive contest but the visiting team felt that a number of key refereeing decisions went against them and allowed this to affect their game in the second half. To be fair to the Home Team they effectively changed their tactics at half time and moved the ball away from a dominant Ormskirk Pack and counter attacked exceptionally well. Despite the numerous curious refereeing decisions in the Second Half the Home team finished the strongest as some good impact substitutes by Bowden allowed them to finish with a flourish.

On a day when every visiting team lost in South Lancs/Cheshire Division One numerous players who have not played for the First Team this season before this game can be proud of a very good performance and fantastic team spirit from players who in some cases had never met before. Bowden who played a simple but effective second half sit at the Top of the Table but were defiantly not the best team we have met so far this year and will do extremely well to retain that position as the season progresses.

Elsewhere in the club the Seconds continued their slide down the League loosing the 5th League Match on the trot, 76 -12 and desperately need to find a core of players who can consistently commit to playing week in week out for this side and re-find the good team spirit of the past couple of seasons. The late withdrawals of players from the First Team of course does not help but it is vital that some of the more senior club players are motivated to make themselves available again week in week out to prevent a team who had such a positive start to the season from falling into a relegation battle later in the season.

The Thirds went down 11 - 7 to Christleton but the Fourths did the club proud with the solitary win of the weekend beating Carnforth 42 - 10 despite loosing numerous players minutes before kick off to the Seconds which is really not fair to this well organised and supported team.

The regular First and Second Team Players need to sort their priorities out and more consistently make themselves available to stop this trickle effect down the club which leaves others to pick up the pieces at the last minute which is becoming a regular weekly event that needs to stop with immediate effect to keep the season on track.

A LATE drop-goal from fly-half John Armstrong gave Ormskirk their first win in four weeks after beating Hoylake 21-19 at Green Lane on Saturday.

A try in each half plus 11 points from the boot of Armstrong made sure Ben Davis’ men snatched victory in a match where they were only in the lead for the final ten minutes.

The much needed victory sends Ormskirk up to fourth in South Lancs/Cheshire One after promotion chasers Sale, Bowdon and Widnes all slipped up over the weekend.

The visitors out-played Kirk for the majority of the first-half with the home side only venturing into the opposition half on a few occasions. Led by their skipper and fly-half Stephen Young, Hoylake pinned Ormskirk back inside their own 22 and raced into a 16-3 lead.

Young slotted an early penalty within the first five minutes before one of Ormskirk’s brief forays into Hoylake’s half ended with Armstrong equalling the score with a penalty.

But as the half progressed Hoylake’s pack began to take control, gaining the upper hand in the scrum and regularly driving the Green Lane men back to regain possession.

Hoylake’s momentum, which was aided by Ormskirk’s indiscipline at the breakdown with several players caught handling in the ruck, gave Young the ideal field position to create the first try of the match.

The Hoylake skipper received the ball from an attacking scrum and chipped the ball past Ormskirk’s defence before sprinting through to touch down before the cover defence could prevent the score. Young added the conversion and two further penalties to give the visitors a commanding lead before half-time.

Ormskirk’s hopes were raised just before the break though as a deft chip from Mark Essex was collected by winger James Illingworth who scored in the corner to take the score to 16-8.

Skipper Davis re-jigged his forward pack for the second-half, bringing on experienced back-rower Paul Kearney while Essex switched from centre to scrum-half in place of Matt Evans. The extra experience in and around the scrum proved enough for the home side to gain parity and Ormskirk set about reducing Hoylake’s lead.

Andy Wilson, who had switched from back-row to centre in the half-time re-shuffle, scored the crucial try of the match after good work from Davis and Essex down the blindside got the ball to Wilson who crashed his way over the line.

With the score now 16-15, after Armstrong had added the conversion, Young managed to land another penalty to give his side a four point lead going into the final stages of the match but Armstrong’s cool head meant Ormskirk landed six points in the next five minutes courtesy of a further penalty and the dramatic drop goal. Both sides spurned scoring opportunities in the closing stages and Ormskirk succeeded in keeping their slender advantage until the final whistle.

After a great start to the season the First XV had suffered 3 defeats in a row and desperately needed a win at Home to Hoylake on Saturday 14 Nov 2009. Ormskirk started slowly and looked like a side lacking in confidence during the first 40 minutes where despite winning numerous turnovers they then could not hold on to the ball long enough to assert a pattern on to the game. The visiting Hoylake were being allowed to rush and harass the Home team at set piece and the breakdown and their reward was a substantial lead at Half Time.

Fortunately the Home team were able to call on some experienced players at half time which shows the strength of the Squad this year, and a re-shuffle in the backs and a bit of bulk off the bench allowed the team to completely change the pattern of play in the Second Half. With the changes confidence grew and Ormskirk were a different team almost immediately and started to claw their way back into the game, the more direct approach allowed time and space for Armstrong to control the game and take the points when they were offered as he does so well.

The end result was a much needed Ormksirk win by 2 points, however ugly it may of been in the end. Full First Team match report to follow.

The First Team now have a week off with no training the week 16 - 20 Nov 09 and no match on 21 Nov 09 before they start to build again with training on 24 and 26 Nov 09 before they go to play top of the league Bowdon away on 28 Nov 09. Interestingly Bowdon lost on Saturday to bottom of the league Dukinfield showing that in this league everyone is vulnerable if they do not get their tactics and execution right on the day.

On balance it has been a solid First Half of the Season for the First Team as they sit well in touch in Fourth Place in the League and now have an opportunity to reflect on the past 11 games and learn from mistakes to prepare and build for the rest of the season.

Elsewhere in the club things did not go quite so well with the Seconds going down 32 - 7 at Trafford Metrovick and the Thirds loosing at Home 74 - 7 to Birkenhead Park.

It is a crucial time of the season coming up for all Ormskirk teams as vital points can often be picked up during the harsher playing conditions and festive season so maximum effort by all players to attend training from 24 Nov 09 should be enough to keep us in the mix towards the latter end of the season.

Ormskirk visited Heywood Road the former home of Sale Sharks and clearly the finest ground in the league , for their game against Sale. Having lost their last two league matches they were looking to get back to winning ways, but were not helped by the number of senior players either not available or injured.

They kicked off and won the ball immediately, taking the game to Sale. The introduction of Pope to the front row stabilised the scrum and enabled Ormskirk to dominate the early exchanges, causing the Sale forwards to give away a penalty just inside their own half which Armstrong converted. Further pressure resulted in Sale losing position and loose ball was hacked forward by Andy Wilson who then outpaced the defence before deftly controlling the ball over the line and touching down for a try which Armstrong converted. Sale reduced the deficit following a transgression by Ormskirk.

Armstrong restored Ormskirks 10 point lead with a further penalty as Ormskirk continued to control the game. However, disaster fell just 5 minutes before half time when Ormskirk conceded 2 tries in 4 minutes due to in-experience and some missed tackles, and to make matters worse they lost Luke Parker with leg injury. Armstrong reduced the arrears to one point at half time with a long range penalty, but the half time score of 16-17 was a poor reward for their general play.

They began the second half as they started the first, harassing Sale in all parts of the field and while not looking like scoring a try restored their lead with 2 further penalties by John Armstrong. The followed another 5 minutes of madness when they conceded 2 tries following basic errors and missed tackles to let sale take a 29-22 lead. Ormskirk tried to force the game and in doing so gave away penalties which allowed Sale to close the game off at 35-22 despite Ormskirks best efforts.

This was a poor reward for their performance over the whole game, during which there were many plusses, but they must learn to be smarter and keep their concentration and then winning times will surely return. Ormskirk will be looking to bounce back when they play host to Hoylake this Saturday at Green Lane, 2:30pm kick off.

Six Ormskirk Colts Through To Final North Of England Trial

The success of Ormskirk RUFC Mini & Junior section carries on, no fewer than 6 of last years colts squad have made it through to the final selection trial for North of England Squad. Though a few of the boys have now moved on they all learned their skills on the playing fields of Green Lane.

The six lads are
George Rees Wynstanley College Ormskirk Senior Colts
Ross O’Neill Merchant Taylors Ormskirk Senior Colts
Scott Redfern Myerscough College
Scott Briggs Myerscough College Sale Academy
Ally Sutherland Myerscough College Sale Academy
Chris Thompson RGS Lancaster Sale Academy

We at Ormskirk wish these every luck at the final trial this coming Sunday 15th November 2009

The club bar will be open this week for:

Wednesday: Champions League Football

Friday: Leicester v South Africa (7.30pm)

Saturday: England v Australia (2.30pm) & Wales v New Zealand (5.15pm)

 All welcome

You have until 31st October to pay your annual subs. As agreed at the AGM in July (See below), there will be a late payment surcharge if you fail to pay before the 31st October.

Please pay Andy Wroe, Anna O’Malley or give your money in over the bar - your early payment means we have a decent cash-flow to help us through waht will be a difficult season financially……Thank You.

4.6 The Annual Subscriptions shall be (late payment in brackets):
(a) Vice President Depends on subscription category
(b) Playing Members - over 21 years £70.00 (£80.00)
(c) Playing Members - 18 to 21 years £20.00 (£25.00)
(d) Playing Members -17 to 18 years £20.00 (£25.00)
(e) Playing Members – Ladies £70.00 (£80.00)
(f) Playing Members - Ladies 18 to 21 years £20.00 (£25.00)
(g) Playing Members - Ladies 16 to 18 years £20.00 (£25.00)
(h) Full time Students attending a full time
educational establishment £20.00 (£25.00)
(i) Life Member Nil
(j) Social Members £30.00 (£35.00)
(k) Pensioner Members (over 65 on 1st September £15.00(£20.00)
(l) Mini &Junior Section Members (5 to 17 years) £10.00
(M) Mini and Junior section parent(s), guardian(s) or carer(s) £20
(£25)

A very tough day at the office for both the First and Second Teams who came up against two very well organised Wirral outfits. Both teams were well beaten by better sides playing a more dynamic, fast brand of rugby. The Firsts lost 44 - 7 bringing to an end their unbeaten run and the Seconds went down 40 -14. It may just be a coincidence, but last week was the worst attended training on a Tuesday and Thursday evening since July 09 and it is now a test of true character to see if both teams can pick themselves up and come out fighting next week.

The Thirds went down 39 - 7 against Ruskin Park but the Fourths were more successful with a walkover against Furness who could not field a side.

On a more positive note a good night was had by all at the “8’s not late” night and a particular thanks must go to Barry Whalley for running the raffle that raised enough to buy the great food organised by Robby Robson who as ever went that extra mile to ensure a great spread was laid on.

We have had confirmation this week that the committee have agreed to Hire the Flood lights for at least another 8 weeks so it is now up to all senior players to make use of them and take advantage of the great coaching on a Tuesday and Thursday evening to collectively improve as players to keep the season on track.

We have been given two tickets (courtesy of Paul Keech with thanks) to watch the above game and they will be raffled on Saturday evening once all teams are back in the club house.

All funds will go towards buying food this saturday night that will be served at 1845 hrs at the “8’s not late” evening to be held at Green Lane so do not be shy with the quid’s when asked to buy a ticket to also have a chance of a great night out at Sale.

Ormskirk extended their unbeaten start to the season to seven games with a convincing 46-20 win against Oswestry at Green Lane on Saturday 17th October 2009

A hat-trick for back rower Andy Wilson was the stand-out performance as Ormskirk ran in eight tries.

The result keeps Ben Davis’ side at the top of South Lancs/Cheshire One on points aggregate after Bowdon maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a win at home to Sale.

Ormskirk raced into an early lead on Saturday as John Curley touched down in the opening five minutes of the game. The home side’s pack had driven up the middle of the pitch and fly-half John Armstrong spun the ball out to Curley’s centre partner, Ray Doolan.

Doolan attacked the space out-wide and just as three defenders tried to stop his progress he skilfully off-loaded to Curley who had a 30 metre sprint to the line.

Armstrong then extended his side’s lead by catching the opposition off-guard and setting up a try for winger Luke Parker. Having been awarded a penalty in Oswestry’s 22, Armstrong shaped to kick for touch but instead took a quick tap and as the defence rushed up he chipped the ball into the try area for Parker to gather and touch down.

The home side continued to dominate proceedings for the remainder of the first half with hooker Rai Chambers finding Cliff Kirby at the lineout with great precision and skipper Davis and Glyn Roberts making inroads into the Oswestry defence from the back row. Winger Ben McCarthy and Wilson grabbed tries before half-time to give their side a healthy lead.

In the second period the visitors threatened to come back into the game with a couple of tries but Ormskirk’s pace out-wide was a constant threat with Armstrong frequently setting up attacking plays from anywhere on the pitch.

Wilson grabbed his hat-trick with a superb display of support running as the agile back-rower finished off breaks from McCarthy and Curley.

In the final few minutes, the impressive Doolan, who had been switched to the wing, crashed over for Ormskirk’s final try after cutting an inside line to claim a well deserved score under the posts.

All players/members/supporters/friends are welcome at the Clubhouse after the rugby this Saturday - 24th ctober - syat behind for a few hours and socialise with plaers from the other senior teams in the Club………….and then go on Deany’s mad and mysterious Ormskirk pub crawl (if you’re up for a challenge??!!)……….

We hosted Fleetwood for our first match of the new season on Sunday 4th October which was great as it gave every available player some game time. David & Joe making their debuts where fantastic but the whole team played well to open up a 24 - 0 lead by half time. Fleetwood came back strongly at the start of the second half with a try and conversion before we got back into our stride to win 45 - 7. Top tackler this week was Kai.

No training this Wednesday due to high school open evening but we are training at St Helens road on Sunday morning with an away game at Hutton in the afternoon.

Please e-mail MIKE NEWTON if you would like tickets for the Wales and Ireland games at twickenham next year

A good home crowd watched the First Team beat Oswestry 46 - 20 to keep them at the top of South Lancs/Cheshire Division One. Full match report to follow from James Illingworth.

The Seconds travelled away to Whitchurch looking to re-find some early season form and came up against a very young but determined side who playing in front of quite a large Home Crowd on a fantastic pitch proved to be tough opposition that defied their league position. In the end Ormskirk who were the more cohesive Team and had enough experience and know how to close out the game to win 25 - 27, although if the Home Team can field that team for the rest of the season they are sure to shoot up the league table. The visiting Ormskirk on reflection will be very pleased with the result as two tries for Nick Merrit and one each for Andy Montrose and skipper Barry Whalley got them back to winning ways.

The Thirds went down 35 -14 to Widnes despite tries from Mark Jackson and Mike Moore that keeps them dangerously close to the relegation zone.

The 4th’s claimed a last minute 10-10 draw against Fylde as 17-year-old Danny Barton kicked a penalty to level the scores to continue their good home form.

It is a massive week for the young First Team with their first real test coming up at the weekend against a tough Wirral outfit away to see if they really have what it takes for promotion this year. The Seconds play Wirral seconds at Home which will show which club has genuine strength in depth. The Thirds have an equally tough away fixture against Ruskin Park, with the Fourths hoping to continue their home form against long travelling Furness.

Regardless of the results next Saturday 24 October 09 will see the re-launch of the Kearney inspired “8’s not late” theme where all Ormskirk players and supporters are encouraged to take advantage of the club facilities at Green Lane for a few light refreshments for a couple of hours after the final whistle.

As ever, before next Saturday there are some hard yards to do at training on Tuesday and Thursday evenings under flood lights at 1900 Hrs sharp to ensure the best preparation for the weekend.