West Park St Helen's v Manchester

West Park (St Helens) U12’s 21 vs Manchester U12’s 21 after the third of three halves!!

Maybe the awful weather kept some team members tucked up in bed ….. They missed 1st class sausage butties, though, and a very enjoyable, physical encounter which was the old fashioned game of 2 halves – or 3 thirds in this case.

Reduced numbers call for a hero to emerge – and he did. Elliot thought he was coming to watch Max have a mud bath, instead Jason cobbled together a kit and he took to the field. You hardly though he’d been away, and he capped it off with a typical gutsy, driving try – thanks’ Elliot, always welcome.

West Park had some seriously big forwards and they were winning nearly all of the scrums. Their handling in the backs, though, let them down a number of times – not least because the Manchester backs were up onto them very quickly. Twice Manchester capitalised on turning the ball over and moving up field. Both times we scored tries from Luke and Elliot, both converted by Tom J.

When Luke went over again shortly after the start of the second period it looked as though Manchester should go on to win, The second period was hard work for all the boys, but Manchester came away after two halves with a win.

We agreed to play a ‘third half’ as such to make sure that the West Park lads had the opportunity for more game time. Manchester started well but West Park lads had different ideas. In the past Manchester’s stamina has worn down opponents, but this time the home side were moving forward. In truth numbers will have played a part as we had one sub to their 5/6. Our make shift scrum was brilliant, but couldn’t keep the bigger lads at bay for ever. West Park roared back with a try in the second section, to make 'full time' 14 - 21.

West park scored 1 in the third to make it a deserved 21 all draw. Richard made the point to the lads that we conceded too much ball in the ruck area, where we allowed West Park to pick up possession on a number of occasions that we were favourite to come out with the ball.

All in all a very hard fought, credible, draw in a mud bath. Next up – Sale.