Our mini and junior teams enjoyed a second week of competitive rugby on Sunday 9th May with fixtures against Trafford MV, Burnley and Winnington Park.
U7s v TMV (Home)
The sun was shining again on Gorton Street as the 7s took on a 25 strong TMV. Welcoming back some old faces, the Eccles outfit were quick off the mark after a sharp warm up from coach Benty. Lessons have been learned from last week as there was little diving to score and running backwards to find space! Running four concurrent games today ensured all of the lads had extended game time and you can see them progressing from play to play! Lockdown sessions have kept this group close and we’re very proud of the friendships and growing camaraderie.
U8s v TMV (Home)
It was more of the same for the under 8s with another brilliant performance this week. Following on from their first game against Bolton, every one of the Eccles team was fantastic this time out against a TMV squad boasting well over 30 kids. The passing, running, tackling and organisation were all brilliant - and coming on leaps and bounds every week. For the coaches it's great to see all the hard work on the training pitch during lockdown paying off. It's like they've never been away. Roll on next week.
U9s v TMV (Home)
Another excellent performance from Eccles U9s. Last week we had 7 players - this week we had 12 including two new players who attended the Inner Warrior event last week! Welcome Freya and Aila!
U11s v Burnley (Home)
A strong performance today against a big, physical Burnley side. The first 15 minutes was an eye-opener for the lads and a contrast to the previous game, Burnley proving to be a more aggressive side than Bolton last week. Tempers were running high from both sides and the ref's whistle had a good airing that's for sure
After a quick drink and a team talk to calm tensions the team turned their game heads on and played a full end to end game of proper rugby with plenty of action in the middle.
The size of the big lads didn't bother our boys with big tackles coming in from Seb, Fin and the silent assassin Kenzie. Harrison showed he has wicked pace with a few good runs gaining good ground. Billy proved again your best off out of his way, with a couple of strong runs through the middle of Burnley, and made a habit of clearing the ruck with ease.
The commitment and support throughout gave us the edge and the win in this very close game.
Massive shout out to Jamie, winning player's player and coaches player of the week in only his second ever game of rugby after scoring three impressive tries and keeping the coaches eyes peeled. Well done boys!
U12s v Burnley (Home)
U13s v Burnley (Home)
The sun was shining at Gorton Street this morning, paired with the fantastic condition of the pitch, gave the perfect combination for rugby. Eccles were quick out of the blocks with 3 try’s in 5 minutes. However, overconfidence may have played a part and focus dropped as Burnley responded quickly to even the score.
A well matched opposition made the Eccles lads work hard at the breakdown and in the tackle. Dom led the way with some superb tackles which were equaled by Oliver and Alfie who both got stuck in. Captain Michael dazzled spectators with some fancy footwork to beat 3 men and score. Not to be outdone, Ben showed that big lads can shift with some awesome running and at one point, ran the full length of the pitch to score, fending numerous opposition players in the process.
As Burnley fought back, Flynn ‘the power house’ carried the ball (and 3 opposition players) over the gain line which set up Ed, to pick up at the back of the ruck to run another try in for Eccles. More power was added to the team with the introduction of Tom, who, eager as ever, wanted every ball and continuously dragged 4 or 5 defenders with him to create space for the Eccles speedsters.
The work rate of Fin and Max could not be questioned all game, we saw this pay off as the ever present Owen released the ball to Theo who backed his own pace and raced past the opposition to score.
The final score doesn’t matter (we think it was a draw). What’s great to see is the lads backing each other up and coming together as a unit. These boys will go far, some great raw talent on display. To be a successful team, you need to back your mates and stand together. We are now seeing this happen with our lads.
P.S. fitness training on Wednesday lads. Welcome to the full-sized pitch!
U14s v TMV (Away)
Awaiting report
U15s v Winnington Park (AWAY)
U16s v TMV (Away)
The last meeting with Trafford was on 10th March 2019 when, after a closely fought game, resulted in a 24-15 for Eccles.
Even though this was an organised friendly match, right from the onset, Trafford showed they were taking no prisoners by scoring two tries, to take them 10-0 in the first five minutes. What proved to be the start of a highly spirited game led to two more corner tries, with a conversion, to take the score to 22-0, especially with highly effective use of the right wing, leading to a hat trick of tries for the Trafford winger. Strong efforts from Eccles, as they began to rally, kept Trafford from adding to the scoreboard before the break.
A powerful start straight from the second half whistle by Eccles led to a try from Vinnie Godfrey and conversion from Alex Strother, giving Eccles seven well-deserved points. However, a renewed surge from Trafford led to them by being rewarded another seven points collected. Capitalising on an Eccles error, they inflicted swift punishment for another seven points to Trafford, taking the score to 36-7. Soon after, an enthused home team added another seven points, despite a strong effort from Eccles.
A stunning try was scored by Tom Williams, after a phenomenal 45 yard run, shrugging off several players and the Trafford defence, just before the end of the second third of the game. At this point, of the game however, the home team were not pulled up for a number of offsides, high tackles, and lack of releases, by the referee. An unfortunate mid-catch led to a Trafford try and conversion straight from the whistle. Despite a resurgence in the Eccles attack during the final third, Trafford proved too strong, finishing the match victors, with the score finishing at 67-19.
