A few of us went down to London to watch england destroy France!! Thanks to Budgie for the great hotel and the river cruise. A good time was had by all but a question, who came out with this famous saying? "Is the Pope Irish"!!
Also who's lady friend exclaimed with a full mouth "its a long time since I had a black one"!!
Drink in London can put all but the determined drinker of by its price but after going to Limerick it seemed quite resonable!
Photos might follow
Buxton 3rd XV 12 v Burnage XV 5
And we should be off the bottom as OB's conceeded. Sandbach got stuffed 80 odd 0. Great result. Match report to follow.
Buxton 3rd XV 12 v Burnage 5
After the battling performance in defeat against third placed side Marple last week the thirds picked up where they left off and won a hard fought and at times niggly affair at a windy Sunny fields. Again calls from the two's and calls to go off shopping meant that there were more new faces to fit in, but skipper Allen is practised at bringing players together at short notice and it was the team spirit,pride and desire to win that brought them through to victory. Helped by an influx of youth that gave the team some pace out wide and of course the hard core of experienced (old) forwards it was a proved to be winning blend.
After a frenetic opening few minutes the match settled down with Buxton using the elements to probe the corners. Allen leading from the front and with Chapman taking the ball round the fringes Buxton began to build a platform. Burton and Woodward were in support, keeping moves going and MaDonald and Rose provided solid targets. Buxton opened the scoring after twenty minutes. The forwards took the ball deep into the Burnage twenty two and a series of drives saw first Chapman and then Allen making the hard yards before Ritchie flicked the ball out to the waiting backs. Nichols with options outside dummied and drifted past his marker to score under the posts, with Kyle Mellor converting. With their confidence rising Buxton maintained the pressure. With the line out functioning well, Woodward taking plenty of the opposition ball, the thirds were dominating territory. A break from Taylor found Fussell in support and he drove for the line with the rest of the forwards piling in.The move was stopped just short of the line but the ball was recycled quickly and Woodward blasted over from short range to extend the lead. A lapse in concentration just before half time gifted Burnage a soft try and with the elements against them in the second half 12- 5 seemed a slender lead and scant reward for their first half efforts.
The second half saw a titanic battle as Burnage used the wind to drive Buxton back into their own twenty two. Rose and Allen lead the way defensively organising the forwards and the Burnage attacking tide was stopped and turned back. Frustration on both sides saw a rash of penalties and some in discipline by Buxton gave away vital possession and territory on a number of occasions. The battle up front eventually took its toll with Burnage having to concede uncontested scrums for the final twenty minutes and with their superior fitness, Buxton began to win the battle of the breakdown with the flying Gyte forcing errors on the ground and snapping up anything loose. As Burnage tired Buxton's backs turned defense into attack. Gardin and Purvis combined to open space and the youthful enthusiasm of Jack Smith and Bradley Burton on the wings was blunted only by last ditch tackles. With five minutes to go the forwards took charge again and controlled the ball through a series of phases until with the forty minutes up Nichols kicked the ball dead and the thirds could celebrate a hard won and well deserved victory that should lift them off the bottom of the league.
Buxton were:
McDonald (Chapman 40m), Fussell, Rose, Woodward,Burton, Allen, Chapman (Gyte 40m), Taylor,
Ritchie, Nichols, Smith, Gardin, Purvis, Mellor, Gyte (B Burton)
