BackSat 17 Sep 2022 · Regional 1 North West
Northwich
1st XV
37
40
Tries: C Greene (2), J Jones, L Mckay (2), H LewisConversions: D Day (5)
MATCH REPORT - 1ST XV V NORTHWICH 17TH SEPT 2022
Darren Lewis
NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED - NORTHWICH 37 v MANCHESTER 40
A terrific game of rugby for the neutrals in the crowd although there were precious few of them to be seen but all the same it was a match played with skill by both teams, lots of intensity and with the result in doubt for pretty much the whole game.
Manchester were in control from the start and had opened up a 14 – 0 lead within the first 15 minutes with two tries from Charlie Greene and looking fairly settled but Northwich were allowed back into the game with some big carries and smart offloading.
Northwich have done some recruiting following an unhappy season last year and their overseas contingent started to make an impression on the game breaking up Manchester’s fluidity and causing too many errors to creep in – they put Manchester on the back foot too often causing hurried passing or poor decisions and breaking up the game plan. It wasn’t long before they managed to crash over the whitewash near the posts and score to keep in touch.
A quick reply with another try in the corner from Josh Jones extending the lead to 19 – 7 didn’t settle the nerves though as Northwich started to dominate and with Manchester regularly losing possession and territory when the lineout didn’t work or was judged to have been not straight the struggle got tougher. A Northwich purple patch saw them score 17 unanswered points - two converted tries and a penalty – to take a 24 – 19 lead into half time with Doug missing his opportunity to pull back a fairly simple penalty for Manchester.
Another penalty extended the Northwich lead but the half time talk started to work and Manchester gradually took back control and replacement Lewis McKay eventually bulldozing his way over on 55minutes and then the conversion from Doug Day pulling the score back to 27 – 26.
The game could have gone either way at this point and Northwich scored both a drop goal and converted try to extend their lead to 11 points with only 10 minutes to go.
It says something about a team that they don’t give up in circumstances like this and Manchester just never gave up. Northwich barely touched the ball legally for the next period and had to defend controlled, aggressive attacking rugby and with the clock running down Manchester finally got another converted try – Lewis Mckay - to at least secure 2 match points. There was still time for the restart though and Manchester had other ideas. The ball stayed live and the referee couldn’t blow for full time and for 7 long minutes Manchester pounded the Northwich defence without making any mistakes. Penalty after penalty were rightly awarded to Manchester – phase after phase – inch by inch the try line came into sight and on the balance of performance throughout the whole game finally Manchester and Harry Lewis finally found a gap in the black defence to score and cause jubilation for the travelling supporters and a certain amount of angst for the home crowd.
A game not for the faint hearted but another big step for the Manchester team and their self belief that they are now competing in the right league.
Manchester were in control from the start and had opened up a 14 – 0 lead within the first 15 minutes with two tries from Charlie Greene and looking fairly settled but Northwich were allowed back into the game with some big carries and smart offloading.
Northwich have done some recruiting following an unhappy season last year and their overseas contingent started to make an impression on the game breaking up Manchester’s fluidity and causing too many errors to creep in – they put Manchester on the back foot too often causing hurried passing or poor decisions and breaking up the game plan. It wasn’t long before they managed to crash over the whitewash near the posts and score to keep in touch.
A quick reply with another try in the corner from Josh Jones extending the lead to 19 – 7 didn’t settle the nerves though as Northwich started to dominate and with Manchester regularly losing possession and territory when the lineout didn’t work or was judged to have been not straight the struggle got tougher. A Northwich purple patch saw them score 17 unanswered points - two converted tries and a penalty – to take a 24 – 19 lead into half time with Doug missing his opportunity to pull back a fairly simple penalty for Manchester.
Another penalty extended the Northwich lead but the half time talk started to work and Manchester gradually took back control and replacement Lewis McKay eventually bulldozing his way over on 55minutes and then the conversion from Doug Day pulling the score back to 27 – 26.
The game could have gone either way at this point and Northwich scored both a drop goal and converted try to extend their lead to 11 points with only 10 minutes to go.
It says something about a team that they don’t give up in circumstances like this and Manchester just never gave up. Northwich barely touched the ball legally for the next period and had to defend controlled, aggressive attacking rugby and with the clock running down Manchester finally got another converted try – Lewis Mckay - to at least secure 2 match points. There was still time for the restart though and Manchester had other ideas. The ball stayed live and the referee couldn’t blow for full time and for 7 long minutes Manchester pounded the Northwich defence without making any mistakes. Penalty after penalty were rightly awarded to Manchester – phase after phase – inch by inch the try line came into sight and on the balance of performance throughout the whole game finally Manchester and Harry Lewis finally found a gap in the black defence to score and cause jubilation for the travelling supporters and a certain amount of angst for the home crowd.
A game not for the faint hearted but another big step for the Manchester team and their self belief that they are now competing in the right league.
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