Rugby Union: Caldy start to settle down for those home comforts

Oct 3 2007 by Colin Free, Liverpool Daily Post

CALDY returned to winning ways last Saturday in National Three North in their first of a trio of consecutive home games.

They welcomed back a number of injury casualties and produced a workman-like performance which meant that result was never in doubt.

The fact that they were able to prevent the visitors from scoring was down to some excellent defensive work, and a try in each half from number eight Loa Tupou and winger Ian Murray was supplemented by a penalty, a conversion and a drop goal from Simon Mason at full-back to complete the 18-0 scoreline.

A fine break from captain Sean Woof provided early excitement as Caldy kept the visitors in their own 10-metre area, and the home side produced some impressive forward drives with the desperate Harrogate defence suffering when number eight Ryan Peacey was sent to the sin-bin.

With one man down, they could not prevent Tupou from driving over for the opening score in the left corner. Mason did not add the extras from out wide but Caldy remained dominant in terms of possession.

Few teams at this level will not produce a purple patch at some point in the game and for the Yorkshiremen it came on the half hour, resulting in Paul White being sin-binned.

However, Caldy produced a fine move from a scrummage, approximately 28 metres from the Harrogate line. As the ball was passed to Woof, he played in Murray on the run around, who went in under the posts. Mason converted for a 12-0 a lead at the interval.

He then extended the advantage 12 minutes into the second half with a 45-metre penalty kick for 15-0.

Caldy continued to work hard and unforced errors from Harrogate prevented them from providing any significant threat.

Mason added a fine drop goal for 18-0 and Caldy had the game all but wrapped up.

When replacement flanker Matt Lamming was sin-binned on 29 minutes there was probably only one person in the ground (including the opposition), who thought that he warranted it and this stifled any momentum to produce further tries and hopes of a bonus try-scoring point.

Overall, it was a good performance with the only concern being an injury to player-coach Matt Holt, who limped off in the first half.

Ben MacPherson continued to impress at fly-half as indeed did Neil Dowridge at hooker.

However, there were good performances throughout the team that included replacement scrum-half Karl Porschke.

Caldy remain in league action against Preston Grasshoppers this Saturday at Paton Field (3pm). The Lancashire side are currently lying in third place, four points ahead of Caldy in fifth.

The final leg of the home run for Caldy comes in the National Cup when they take on National Three North opposition in the form of Leicester Lions.

Having enjoyed their run in the Intermediate Cup last season Caldy are naturally grateful to get a home tie and an opportunity to take on the Midlanders prior to their trip to Westleigh Park in November.

Elsewhere, the second team produced a very satisfactory victory away at Liverpool St Helens 37-7, with tries from Peter Wallace, John Close, Chris Young, Liam Gill and Brendan McGaffney. The scoring list for the Warriors would have been far too lengthy, as they produced a 101-3 victory over Tyldesley.

Sunday was ‘Chester day’ with all four junior sides, plus the Under-19 Academy taking on the Cestrians. Caldy U13s went down 35-5 at home but this was made up by the other results as the U14s beat the Cheshire champions 52 -12 and there were convincing wins for both the U15s and U16s at Hare Lane.

In the afternoon the U19s, with nine players back from injury, produced a good performance at Chester and were worthy winners 33-0 to secure third place in the A division of the Halbro North West Colts League.

The U17s went down 43-13 at Altrincham Kersal.