A freezing, wet, cold walk in the park

Squad; Frank (The Terminator), Harrison, Hudson (The Jet), Tom (The Beast), George (Boomerang), Bailey (The Bulldozer), James (The Invisible Man), Henry, Zac (The Fox)

For many of the boys these were very familiar conditions, coming on the back of the tour to Scarborough. To their credit they think nothing of it while the parents huddle up with their flasks in the grandstand! Well, apart from the odd complaint of being a bit cold, wet or unable to feel their fingers. But let's not worry about that.

After some communication difficulties between North and South Manchester it became clear that they weren't even aware that we had dared to make the trip! However, as always, our hosts proved to be truly hospitable and the day turned into a 3-way fixture also involving Glossop.

Having travelled even further than us to be there, Glossop were keen to put in a performance but they hadn't reckoned for the confidence of our boys. It is rare that our Under 7's are prepared to tolerate a competitive game but the first half didn't quite pan out as expected. The tagging of our boys was notable by its inconsistency. It is a sign of the standards we've set that a 6-4 half time lead was a disappointment. Some hard talking at half-time had the desired effect and thankfully both The Terminator and The Jet were on their game, ending with 4 and 3 tries respectively in a 10-7 victory.

The second game was against our hosts, who stepped onto the pitch looking somewhat concerned at the size difference between the two teams. This was a game in which 'The Fox' might have been the tallest player if he was on their side! Interestingly our boys seemed to take the win for granted and once again made things hard work for themselves. What is fantastic to appreciate is the depth of quality we have in our squad. With 'The Terminator' removed at half time with only 2 tries to his name it was up to others to close out the game. In an astonishing performance 'The Beast' stepped up to the mark. With 4 tries in a 13-9 victory he was unstoppable, confidence oozing from him throughout the game. Ably supported by 'Boomerang' with 2 tries this should have been a much more comfortable victory and the boys will need to show more focus for the Rochdale Festival. To his credit, James 'The Invisible Man' Barwell announced his presence with sheer persistence - despite being tagged before the line on a number of occasions he was not to be denied and secured his try midway through the second half, darting through to make the points secure. With both 'The Fox' and Harrison securing a try in each game and Bailey completing another bulldozing effort straight through the opposing back line the scoring was distributed throughout the squad with 8 different scorers in the second game. As the pressure built towards the end of the game Henry returned to the pitch to stiffen the defence and ensure we closed out the victory.

These were the kind of performances we expect from our boys but there are tougher challenges to come. The try scoring and creative play are an established feature of our game but it will be the defensive line and tagging abilities that define our season. The Rochdale festival is upon us. You know what you need to do boys.