Sun 5 Oct 2025, 14:00
A coach trip to Oswestry this week for the Eccles U18 Colts. A wonderful sight, to walk into Eccles RFC Clubhouse and see 30 blurry eyed young men eagerly awaiting the Sunday morning transport to
Shropshire.
Eccles started poorly and conceded a try within the first couple of minutes, but, with a quick regroup (and a few choice words from coaches under the sticks), the lads stepped up to the challenge. Within minutes, the opposition were on the back foot. Dom led the way with a masterclass in tackle technique and power, which gave the team the confidence boost needed. Others followed Dom’s example, and it appeared that the opposition was unable to match our physical dominance in tight play.
Graft, focus and determination paid off. The hard work was rewarding, and Eccles managed to get in front 19-21 before going on to loose 57-21 FT.
Today was all about the team; coaches purposely took a squad of 30 to bring our newly formed team closer to each other, to build a one-squad mentality. Every player got on the pitch (a massive headache for coaches), but this is a nice problem to have.
Too many excellent personal performances to list, but to mention a few, Joe “no one gets past me” Ruddock was exceptional. Kade covered every blade of grass, showing his dedication and itness, and Dom showed great commitment, maturity and communication.
Try scorers: Elijah, Dan, Mason
Conversions: Codi, Owen
We are now becoming more settled as a senior squad. We knew this would take a few games to bring us closer as a unit. All team selection for matches, going forward, will be a 23-man squad to ensure game stability. Coaches will select players based on commitment to training and a game-safe environment. We will rotate each week so that every player has equal playing time throughout this season.
P.S. Some of the singing on the coach back to Eccles was atrocious!
