Halbro Trophy
Vale of Lune 3rds V. Ormskirk 2nds
Another week, another lesson for Ormskirk’s second team, who on Saturday received their latest torrid lesson in the rugby school of hard knocks, but showed true grit and bravery to give their hosts a real scare!
An away trip to the outskirts of Lancaster that was to be more of a battle that expected, these two teams met less than a month ago when Ormskirk’s 2nd team dominated an easily won game. However history was not to be repeated this time, a number of players being unavailable saw a second team that was strengthened with experienced third team players. The day got underway to a bad start, when one of the ‘Kirk’ convoy had a blow-out on the motorway, all safe and well having changed the tyre and redistributed the cars weight they arrived ten minutes before the already delayed kick off. With next to no time to warm up or prepare for battle, the game kicked off and the trouble began. From the off the home team ran in a plethora of tries; missed tackles, poor defence and bad communication rather than a difference in ability to blame for ‘the Raiders’ disappointing start. As if only to make thing worse, one of ‘kirks’ fifteen men and key line out jumper was cruelly sidelined after a injury to his ankle during a tackle and with no substitutes Ormskirk were forced to continue a man down.
At this point in time, it looked like Ormskirk, similar to their first team the week before, had hit a new low; half time came and the away side came together with the odds stacked against them 36 – 0, having had 6 tries run past them, three of which had been converted. It would appear that the combination of wisdom of age, spirit of youth and a combined ability meant that this team was down but not out. Half time words of wisdom came from the stand-in skipper Brennan and experienced hooker Povey; Ormskirk took to the field in the second half with a new fight and desire to win.
After battling in the front row Blackwood and Litherland finally steadied the scrums, the likes of Walker, Jackson and Crosse started to make yards and the backs started to execute some brilliant runs; but most of all everyone of the 14 players upped their efforts in tackling and overall defence. With the leaking defence patched up, the second team when about lessening their defeat with some well deserved tries. Vosloo and Povey scored once and the youngster Gregg snatched a brace, all the tries were masterfully converted by stand-in skipper Brennan.
There is not a lot one can say about a game that start in the way that Saturdays did and it is possible that the less said the better; for a team to concede this many points is no good sign. However if the first half is put down to the delays in transport and a team selected from limited resources who had mostly never played together then the fight back, though not a win, may be considered as a positive or even a victory, as these fifteen players stood at half time facing a whitewash and it is to their credit that they addressed their weaknesses, identified their problems and came back fighting!!!
