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?