Thirds will continue in the League Next Season

Just to squash any rumours that may have been doing the rounds, Pat Leahy confirmed to me this morning that the thirds will still be in the league next season.

Regards

Caption Competition No 103

"Once you finished yours you can have mine if you want"

Thirds lose 29-14 to Didsbury

The thirds ran out of steam in the final ten minutes allowing Didsbury to pull clear. Up until that point it had been a close fought affair, with Buxton thirds getting to within 14 - 15. Skipper Mike Barber had a number of selection problems to sort out as he lost three players before the start for various reasons. The Thirds started strongly with a dominant pack getting the upper hand in the set pieces. Bearman, Uprichard and Austin outplayed their opposite numbers for most for the afternoon. Uprichard was a revelation around the park, attacking the lose ball and tackling around the fringes. But it was Didsbury who took an early lead through a well-worked move that left the Buxton defence flat footed. Once Weston, deputising at fly half found his feet however, he began to get the backs moving forward. Charles Fussell playing his first game for eighteen years was solid and composed in the centre and formed a useful partnership with Dan Gyte. Buxton’s first try came from a set piece move. After Barber had made some hard yards the forwards drove into the Didsbury twenty-two. From the resulting scrum Charles picked up from the back of the scrum and sent the defence to the right. He found Simon Fussell on his inside. Fussell crashed through the remains of the defence from fifteen metres to score a well worked try. Charles converted. Didsbury hit back and despite some excellent defence by Paul and Gyte they found gaps and worked their way over for their second. By now the dominance of the Buxton pack was such that Didsbury were avoiding scrums at every opportunity, opting for line outs when ever possible. Taylor who had an excellent half began to take control at the lineout, disrupting the opposition ball at every opportunity. The back row were working well together and covered acres of ground, Allen and Charles putting in some big hits and Fussell cleaning up the lose ball. At half time Buxton were still in the game. Some positional changes brought on fresh legs. Kidman picked up from where Taylor left off providing a good supply of lineout ball, while Dilworth slotted in at centre. Buxton scored next. A sweeping move started by Preece saw the backs up field. Dilworth found Dawson with a sweet pass but he could not quite round his marker. The ball was recycled and Buxton continued to attack. First Charles then Barber drove for the line but were held up. From the five-metre scrum Buxton used their superior power and drove the Didsbury eight back over the line, allowing Charles to pick up and score. Buxton were back in the game and they continued to press for the score that would give them the lead. Ritchie who had tackled well all afternoon cleared up some lose ball and Paul in support broke out of defence. Charles Fussell took a difficult pass and shipped it on to Gyte but Didsbury were equal to the task and snuffed out the attack. As time ran out Buxton wilted and allowed Didsbury two soft tries to take the game. Despite the score line this was another solid and brave performance from the thirds, they continue to improve and work well as a team.

Buxton were Bearman. Uprichard, Austin, Barber, Taylor (Kidman 40), Allen, S Fussell, Charles, Preece, Weston, Ritchie, C Fussell (Dilworth 40) D Gyte (C Fussell 60),Dawson, Geordie Paul

Thirds Denied in Epic Battle

Altrincham Kersal arrived late and with enough extras to film a biblical epic, but in the end this was more Thermopylae than Exodus, as Buxton with a mere one sub threatened the highflying promotion candidates with a shock defeat. When Phil Preece burrowed over after a classic dummy to bring Buxton with in four points with five minutes left on the clock the panic buttons were being pressed. As Buxton desperately tried to break out of their half Altrincham launched an attack. They were thwarted on the line, tried again on the blind side before swinging the ball open. The thirds ran out of defenders and Altrincham scored in the corner to make the game safe and to deny the thirds of a deserved result.

Playing with the conditions in the first half Altrincham made the most of their advantage and despite stiff resistance from the thirds were 19 –0 up at the break. They could have scored a fourth but for great defence by Bennison and Ritchie. Despite the score line Buxton were matching them at the set piece but Altrincham were quick on the counter. At times it was a fractious encounter. The match could perhaps be better described as going ten rounds, rather than two halves. Early in the first half a little altercation near the Buxton line was fuelled by the Altrincham call of “All in” and things threatened degenerate. Altrincham were being frustrated the paucity of their possession. Steve Gyte who was outstanding for 70minutes, Uprichard, and Fussell sorted out their opposite numbers and the pack began to drive Altrincham back, spoiling the quality of their possession. With Taylor and Charles causing problems in the line out Buxton were not short of possession. Support and recycling were much improved, Allen and Charles getting stuck in and Bosely making dents in the defence. As ever Dilworth acted like an extra back row and was in the thick of the action.

Buxton sustained a period of pressure early in the first half. Stratford punished Altrincham ill discipline with some raking touch finders and when Buxton were awarded a penalty within range,Tim “Johnny” Charles stepped up and slotted a difficult penalty. The points spurred Buxton on. They upped the work rate, with W Preece and Weston breaking the gain line they drove into the Altrincham twenty-two. Uprichard broke through a tackle and scenting glory backed himself for the line. He was held up short but the ball was recycled. The forwards piled over the Altrincham line but could not ground the ball. From the resulting five-metre scrum a controlled drive by the pack pushed the disintegrating Altrincham eight back and Charles picked up and scored. He converted his try. Buxton did not let up. McNicholas replacing Taylor stole lineout ball and Fussell latched onto the loose ball to tidy up. The pack rumbled up field. Dan Gyte crashed into defenders offloading to Bennison who made ground. Quick ball took Buxton to within five metres before the ball was knocked on. A massive scrum turned over possession, twice the thirds were thwarted but they continued to batter away. With forwards hanging off, Preece sold a dummy and darted through the gap to score. Charles failed with a difficult kick but the match was now in the balance at 19 –15. But Buxton could not find that extra gear and Altrincham snatched the try at the end that made the game safe. Disappointment at the result shows how far the thirds have travelled this season. It was a heroic effort. Certainly they need fear no one at home and if they can play with the same passion and commitment, should take the points next week.

Buxton 15 Altrincham 24
Buxton Thirds were :S Gyte (Allen 70m), Uprichard, Fussell, Taylor (McNicholas 40m), Allen (Taylor 70m), Dilworth, Bosely, Charles, Preece, Stratford, Ritchie, W Preece,Weston, D Gyte, Bennison

Buxton 15 Altrincham 24

Altrincham held off a brave and determined Buxton fightback to take the points in a fiery and uncompromising contest. Match report to follow.

Jonathon Dawson Writes

Simon,
As stated above i returned/staggered/veered back to the bus with you, armed with a large and small pizza, the latter being mine! I passed the large one to the rear of the coach assuming Ali would claim it,obviously not!! what happened next was akin to a pack of underfed forwards/backs who just stumbled upon a rather helpless/defenceless tasty chicken pizza!! what happened next is a bit of a blur in fact the entire coach journey back was a blur, or should i say bllurrghhh !!!.
I shared mine with members at the front of the bus.


bad points..............being fullback.....(need to watch what they do,although some would say i need to watch what wingers do and centre's also )...........playing rugby around a small silage pool!!!!!........

good points.....enjoyed being centre again.........was quite funny at times.......cringing as howard met his "old friend" and his girl in the upstairs bar...........being pissed with new friends...............mulled wine and baileys challenge ........southern comfort................singing like a bastard....
Jonathan

Buxton 7 Wilmslow 19

Its a cliché and its been said before this season but this was a game that the thirds should have won. Ten minutes of lost concentration in the first half shipped twelve points, gifted the game to Wilmslow, and left Buxton kicking themselves. Despite a walk to the pitch that involved wadding about in mud and clambering across a stream, and left one expecting to see David Attenborough hiding behind bush, Buxton began strongly and took the game to Wilmslow. A couple of line outs in their twenty two, Kidman excelling himself in the air, gave Wilmslow a real scare before they were able to clear their lines. They dragged themselves into the Buxton half and launched an attack from a set piece. Buxton’s defence was AWOL and Wilmslow helped themselves to seven points. A second try followed and it looked like there could be an avalanche of points. But the thirds dug deep and showed that they are developing into a team and not a collection of fifteen individuals. Allen and Charles rallied the defence, scything down waves of attackers, and Barber lead by example and with the ever-effective Dilworth launched himself into the fray heedless of personal safety. The front row failed to find the dominance of previous weeks. Bearman, Fussell and Austin struggled with the referee’s interpretation of the engagement. The Wilmslow captain later admitted that they had been practising all week to negate the larger Buxton pack, and to some extent they succeeded though Buxton still took several against the head. Outside the scrum chances were created, and a three on one overlap was squandered, and passes were spilled at the crucial moment. Edging themselves back into the game with Preece snapping at the heels of the pack like a Yorkshire terrier, barking out orders, guiding and directing the mauls, whilst outside him Stratford, battling all afternoon with a niggling injury was the calm at the centre of the storm. He probed the corners effectively, and scored Buxton’s try late in the second half. Dan Gyte won the man of the match for another outstanding display. He battered his way through defenders all afternoon, and hauled down runners with some superb tackling. Bennison was calm and assured at the back, Ritchie had made a break and put in a crucial tackle, Dawson found himself out of position in the centres but made his tackles. The second half was Buxton’s. Fresh legs in the form of McNicholas and Graham gave them extra impetus and they began to dominate even with Allen sin binned for ten minutes, getting the better of the set pieces and denying Wilmslow any quick ball. Austin was battering his way into the defence, and the use of the rolling maul became more and more effective. With ten minutes to go the thirds drove into the Wilmslow twenty-two after a searing break by Weston. The pack rumbled on, Allen getting to the line. The ball was recycled and Stratford stepped inside his marker to score from fifteen metres. It was a great effort but it was too little too late and Wilmslow bagged the points.
Buxton were: Bearman, Fussell, Austin, Barber, Dilworth (McNicholas 50m), Allen, Kidman, Charles, Preece, Stratford, Richie (Graham 55m),Weston, Dawson, D Gyte, Bennison.

Apres Match

Man of the Match - Dan Gyte

Twat in the hat - Captain my Captain, for throwing all his toys out of his very large pram, and almost getting red carded (and for stopping ex captain my captain from punching his opposite number.)

Letting the side down - Next Captain my captain for being sin binned for a football style tackle.

Mentioned in disptaches - Gytie for winding up the ref from the touchline, TC for failing to hear Phils very clear and concise instructions about which way the rolling maul was going.

Some thoughts about a night out in Wilmslow

Difficult owing to the lack of pubs, only counted three.

The mystery of the disappearing Pizza? So who did eat Ali Bearman’s?

Gyte, power knapping on the return journey.

James Weston refusing to drink his forfeit in court. And what did he do with those shoes?

Mass spectrometers. Just how interesting are they?

Thirds lose 19 -7 to Wilmslow

Match report to follow

Rugby players should have hepatitis jab, say scientists

Report from the Guardian 1 March 2007

Ian Sample, science correspondentThursday March 1, 2007The Guardian

Professional rugby players should receive mandatory vaccinations for hepatitis B before embarking on a sporting career, to reduce the chance of spreading the disease, scientists said yesterday.
The warning follows research into the prevalence of hepatitis, a potentially lethal liver infection, among people who play contact sports. The study identified a risk of the virus being spread among sportsmen and women through contaminated sweat.
The virus is usually carried in infected blood, putting needle-sharing drug users and those having unprotected sex most at risk. But scientists believe the virus can also be passed on through other contaminated body fluids. The virus attacks the liver and can cause lifelong infection, leading to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death.
In the study researchers took blood samples from 70 Olympic wrestlers aged between 18 and 30 and tested them for traces of the hepatitis B virus. In interviews more than a third of the men said they had suffered bleeding or weeping wounds during training and competitions. While none of the men had an active hepatitis infection, traces were detected in the blood of nine (13%) of them.
Further tests revealed traces of the hepatitis virus in eight, or 11%, of the men. The levels of virus found in sweat closely matched those found in the men's blood.
Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine yesterday, Selda Bereket-Yücel at the Celal Bayar University in Turkey said no previous studies had been conducted to look for hepatitis virus DNA in sweat. "The results of this study suggest that sweating may be another way of transmitting hepatitis B virus," she said.
In light of the study, the researchers called on professional sports bodies to include hepatitis virus tests at the start of players' careers before urging them to be vaccinated. The researchers conclude: "Clinicians and staff of athletic programmes should aggressively promote hepatitis B virus immunisation. The advice of sports organisations should be changed, making hepatitis B virus immunisation obligatory for contact sports."
Around one in 1,000 people in the UK are thought to have hepatitis B, according to figures from the charity the British Liver Trust. An estimated two billion people are infected worldwide and there are 300 million carriers of the virus. Many people do not realise they have been infected owing to the slow development of symptoms or having none at all, according to NHS Direct.
A spokesman for UK Sport said ethical questions arising over human rights would have to be carefully considered before mandatory tests were brought in, adding that the research would need to be well-proven to justify the move.
Mark Thursz, a consultant hepatologist at St Mary's hospital in London, was cautious about the findings. "It is hard to imagine wrestling without spillage of blood so I think the risk of transmission via sweat should be dismissed or at least played down. On the other hand, the need for testing and vaccination in contact sports should be encouraged," he said.

British Lions call 99 vs South Africa

Arsenal v Chelsea was Nothing!