Crap!

Buxton 0 Aldwinians 56

After all the progress in the run up to Christmas and a magnificent defeat to Wilmslow 15-7 in the last match of the year, the Thirds were expecting to build on the momentum and deliver if not a victory then at least a stirring performance on Saturday away to Aldwinians. It was not to be. Just as the skippers SatNav (CrapNav) was way off target, so the Thirds managed to collectivley and individually produce their worst performance of the season. At times the tackling was non existence as the Aldwinian centres carved up space and allowed their speedy fullback to roam at will. Buxtons much vaunted pack struggled to find their form and the line out stuttered along inconsistently. With little possession to work with it was a long hard afternoon. Aldwinians still stung by their defeat at the end of last season and harbouring a collective feeling of ill will towards the Thirds, started in combative fashion.Dan Gyte making his first start at 10 was on the receiving end of treatment in the opening five minutes and nursed a leg injury for the rest of the match, bravely carrying on. Jack stepping up for his first taste of senior rugby put in a brave performance on the wing and there was a brief glimpse of the pre holiday thirds for the fifteen minutes before half time when they managed to put together some moves and secured possession to create some scoring chances. They were not converted and as the second half began with an Aldwinian try it was going to be a long second half.

What lessons can be learn't? Well if its an away game then we need at least thirty minutes to get warmed up properly and run through some moves. But more importantly we need some self belief and self confidence. It seems sometimes that we are beaten before we take to the field. It did not help only having 15 players but the reality is that we will be going away again this season with a bare 15. We need to start believing in ourselves individually and as a team. When we ran at them we knocked them back. I doubt we will play as badley again but that is little comfort, and we will need to be focused and full of self belief as we have to beat Carrington this coming weekend. And its away. And will someone please get rid of the skippers satnav.

Buxton Thirds were.

Bearman, Fussell, Austin, Taylor, Burton, Allen, Rabbitts, Chapman, Ritchie, Gyte, Jack, Edge, Ford, Purvis, Gardin.