Eccles RFC

Eccles 2XV hosted an experienced De La Salle team in a local derby on Saturday. The 2s fielding a young side with many out of position due to widespread unavailability, notably flanker Marius Pintilii and prop Chris Thomas forming a unlikely partnership at centre. 

Yet it was Eccles who made the fast start dominating the opening 15 minutes playing the majority of their rugby inside the opposition 22’. The continuous pressure was rewarded with a try from the returning Matt Lambert from close range, conversation missed 5-0.

Soon after the De la Salle openside was yellow carded for a high tackle. This appeared to spur on the visitors who came into the game, firstly from a penalty (5-3) followed by a quick fire double, the first, after a great line by the fullback; both tries converted 5-17.

Della continued to be dominant, until a kick to the backfield collected by Chris Thomas, now on the wing, charged inside before being tackled by the Della openside adjudged by the referee to be high and dangerous and he was sent off, changing the complexion of the game. 

HT 5-17

First half injuries to Freddie Oakey and Matt Hope meant that at one point there was 4 forwards in the Eccles back line with Kyle Pickford and Frosty joining Marius and Chris at wing and centre. Mat Swain, stood in the stands, recovering from injury and half way through his pint, answered the call and headed into the changing room to come to Eccles’ aid. 

Still waiting on Swainy from the changing rooms (probably to finish his pint) the second half resumed. Della continued their dominance scoring twice more without conversion 5-27. As the second half progressed Eccles began to ask questions of the Della defence. The referee issued a yellow to the Della Fly-Half and Tim Cullen, for reasons I still can’t understand. 

In the last 10 minutes of the contest Eccles started to finally get a grip of the game again, camping in the opposition 22’. This effort was rewarded with a try from stand in Scrum-Half Mat Swain after a series of pick and go's from the Eccles forwards, then a lunge from 5 meters out from Swainy. Unfortunately for Eccles it was a case of too little too late as De la Salle ran out 12-27 winners. The game was played in good spirits in large, some positives to build on for this young makeshift 2XV. 

FT 12-27

Try scorers - Matt Lambert, Mat Swain.