SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER 2021
1XV
Eccles 12-37 Wrexham
3XV
Eccles v Sandbach
SUNDAY 17 OCTOBER 2021
LADIES
Eccles 0-52 Sale 1861
The game started with a monumental defensive effort from Eccles, as Sale carried hard to invade our 22. Sale’s efforts were rewarded with an early lead and Eccles flew back out in an attempt to level the scores. The physicality increased as both sides looked to make dominant hits, and errors were forced leading to multiple turnover balls. Sale were quick to capitalise running in a succession of try’s before the halfway mark. As an exciting initial half drew to its close, the Eccles skipper was removed from the field after a head collision and the team were left to rebuild for the second 40.
Unfortunately for Eccles, the injuries kept coming and although improvements and corrections were being made by the minute, the ladies were ultimately outclassed by a well drilled Sale outfit. Despite the result, the team remain positive and are dedicating the midweek session to some key work ons and building towards Crewe away this weekend.
U18 SENIOR COLTS
Altrincham Kersal 7-7 Eccles
Eccles fail to make pressure pay in close encounter with Kersal.
Eccles went into their final preliminary league game away at Altrincham Kersal looking to secure 2nd in the table with a victory over their winless hosts.
Missing a few of their regular starters, Eccles had a reshuffled back line which included Harvey & Harry out of the pack. With Tom also missing from the second row as a precaution following his kick to the head two weeks ago, it was always going to be a big ask to produce the flowing rugby that we had seen in earlier games.
However from the off Eccles intentions were clear for all to see. A perfect hanging kick off from Will B had the Altrincham wing forward nailed by George just beyond the 10m line, allowing the rest of the forwards to put their rucking skills into practice. For the next 10 minutes Eccles were camped on and around the Kersal 22 with a vast amount of possession but unfortunately had no reward to show for their dominance. Then following a good exit from the Kersal 10, Eccles found themselves in their own 22 and after a couple of scrums Kersal were on the attack.
The turning point of the first half fell to Kersal, as a knock on in the tackle by the home team left the ball on the Eccles side of the ensuing ruck. From the ruck 5m off their own line, Eccles saw their box kick charged down and as the ball bounce over the whitewash where an Altrincham player got to it first to touch it down. Although advantage had not been called over, the referee clearly believed that the attempted kick was enough to move on. The conversion was successful, 7-0 to the home side.
Eccles continued to apply the pressure within the AK half, and only some great defence kept the score line static. It was however Kersal who were to have the best chance to alter the score line before half time as a couple of quick passes down the blind side from within the own half set the winger clear for a 60m run in. Henry and Josh had other ideas though as they chased down the certain try, Henry from the opposite flank managed to get across to the winger 5m short of the line and bring him to ground, only for him to pop the ball up to a supporting team mate. By which time Josh was there to make the tackle on him, another quick offload and it looked like Ak were over the line, only for Henry to get back to his feet and put another tackle in which then resulted in an Eccles Penalty for holding on as the Eccles support were turning the ball over.
Half Time 7-0
The second half was much of the same as Eccles were camped deep in the Altrincham half and the home side’s endless tackling was keeping their noses ahead. Eccles looked close to scoring when Will S broke through the Kersal defensive line, only to be brought down inside the 22. Then from a set play, Eccles turned to the backs for the next onslaught. Harvey ran a fantastic diagonal line from centre to breeze through the AK defence only to be held up by the fullback, but with Josh on his shoulder a quick offload saw his team mate cruise under the posts and finally get the break that Eccles undoubtedly deserved. Will B added the conversion to tie the game at 7-7.
From the restart Eccles went straight back in to the home teams half and another lung bursting run from Will S who was again scragged just in time showed that the game was there for the taking. It wasn’t all going to be easy though as Kersal once again exited their 22 with a long kick that stayed in field and a foot race ensued. Harvey managed to win the race to the ball and secure possession for the hoops, who once more went about driving their way back towards the home sides line.
With time running out, Will S made a third break for victory only to be brought down by what seemed to everyone as a high tackle right in front of the posts. Having gone down awkwardly though , the game stopped for a few minutes for the player to be treated and carried off the field. During the time that lapsed for the injury, the referee seemed to have forgotten about the high tackle and restarted the game with a scrum. Thus removing the visitor’s chances of kicking for 3 points and taking the lead with just minutes remaining.
Further onslaughts of the AK line persisted, but all were in vain. 7-7 did not reflect the game and the dominance that Eccles showed. Kersal defended fantastically, even if not always legally.
Man of the Match - Will S, who is going to have to wait a while to emulate his performance again though as he has been ruled out for 6 weeks following his knee injury.
Full Time 7-7
U17 JUNIOR COLTS
Eccles 33-12 Clitheroe
The game started well for Eccles with constant pressure from the pack on the Clitheroe defence with Eccles poor discipine preventing them form turning pressure into points. The breakthrough came halfway through the first half as a charged down clearance from Clitheroe was cleaned up by Alex Strother to score under the posts. 5-0 HT.
The second half began the way the first ended with Eccles on top but unable to create anything meaningful. It was Clitheroe that took advantage when the opportunity presented itself, despite some great last ditch defending from Eccles the ball was spun out for Clitheroe to score. 5-5.
Eccles hit straight back, as Charlie Cox had a break, beating 3 defenders before finding the off load for Tom Williams to score. Converted. 12-5.
The end to end action continuned and moments later Clitheroe hit back with a well worked try. Converted. 12-12.
Despite this Eccles continued to implement their physicality on a tiring Clitheroe defence and following a penalty Noah Farr ran one under the posts following a show and go. Converted. 19-12.
Noah’s try opened the floodgates for Eccles as Matthew Reed pounced on a loose ball to score and convert. 26-12.
Then it was again the turn of the forwards to score through Joe Mountcastle who pushed his way over. Converted. FT 33-12.
🏆 Lancashire Challenge Cup
U16s
Sefton 24-29 Eccles
Eccles under 16’s made the trip to Sefton, Liverpool, looking to get their Lancashire Challenge Cup charge back on track on Sunday and couldn’t have got off to a worse start when they failed to deal with the kick off, allowing the ball to bounce, compounding this error the fast-reacting Sefton back capitalised on the indecision and kicked through to touch down next to the post with seconds on the clock! An easy conversation meant the hosts went into an early 7-0 lead.
Eccles' dazed start continued when the restart kick off bounced into touch giving Sefton the lineout but some strong defence from the forward pack forced an error to give Eccles the scrum from a knock on. High body positions and early pushing gave Sefton an advantage which meant the ball broke to the home team but more tenacious tackling from Jack L and Matt H forced another handling error and this time Eccles moved the ball across the line and were only denied a try from some last-minute defensive tackling. Eccles won the resulting penalty at the breakdown and some quick thinking from scrum half Joe D saw him take the restart quickly and courageously dive through the defenders in the corner to score Eccles’ first Try, injuring himself in the process; the conversion narrowly missed making the score 7-5.
It was Sefton’s turn to restart the game and Eccles took the ball well but a loose carry meant Sefton regained possession in a dangerous position and another error from a Sefton kick gave the home side a gift to go over in the corner; an excellent kick added the extras, taking the score to 14-5.
Sefton launched the ball straight into touch from the kick off. Eccles executed the line out expertly and some strong running from Josh and Cael set a platform for Matt H to break the defensive cover and a try looked on the cards when Finn galloped clear on the flank and was only stopped by his opposite number barging him into touch. Sefton won the line out and another deep kick was taken well by Sam D. A pattern of play was emerging with the hosts looking to kick at every opportunity in response to Eccles line speed pressure.
Eccles were again dominating possession and moved the ball from left to right but another unforced handling error meant the opportunity was missed. Eccles determination saw them win the scrum against the head but another dropped ball in the next phase again let Sefton off the hook and proved costly when Sefton kicked through from the scrum, which Eccles dropped. When a foot race developed the referee decided a Sefton player had been tackled without the ball and home side took advantage of a quickly taken penalty to touch down next to the posts to take the score to 19-5.
Eccles were lacking composure where it mattered, becoming their own worse enemy with repeated unforced handling errors. When the restart didn’t travel the required 10 metres it meant the advantage was again with Sefton. Lucas superbly charged down another kick which bounced to safety giving Sefton the line out which they won and though easy yards were made Sefton were bundled into touch following the next lineout.
A penalty for Eccles for not releasing at the breakdown gave Sefton the ball back and although Matt H stripped the ball to launch an counter attack, another loose carry lost the visitors the advantage. A scrappy passage of play meant the ball changed hands a lot although Sefton were lucky not to concede a penalty with the referee deciding a trip was accidental. Eccles again lost the ball giving Sefton the scrum but possession was soon regained and a good break by Leighton followed by a kick through gave Eccles hope and a try looked to be on the cards when Jack C gathered the ball but grounded just short of the line. Eccles once again lost possession in the next phase which gave Sefton the line-out on their own 10 metre line. Eccles smelled blood and some aggressive tackling regained the ball and Jack L gave the team a vital try dead on half time to move the score to 19-10 at the interval. HT 19-10.
Replacements were made and the second half started with Eccles knowing if they cut out their own errors, hold on to possession and cope with the Sefton kicking game then they would be able to turn the score line round. Some strong running from Harry immediately put Eccles on the front foot and they were stopped just short of the line when Joe went for the short side play which forced the home side to drop out from under their own posts – the kick was returned with interest from Finn and more good back up play allowed Leighton to carry a defender over the line with him to score under the posts; Jack L added the extras to move Eccles within 2 points at 19-17.
Eccles were in the ascendency now and a good driving run from Abraham kept the visitors on the front foot and another handling error just yards from the goal line prevented Eccles from another score. Sefton were being forced to kick every time they got possession now to clear their lines. When Eccles were penalised in midfield the momentum moved to the hosts who again kicked through on the far touchline and a couple of ricochets and a fortuitous pass gave the Sefton winger space to score in the corner although it proved to be too far out for the conversion; score now 24-17.
Eccles did not allow this setback to deter them, in fact it appeared to spur them on. More strong play from Jack C , Matt G and James kept Sefton on the back foot and last gasp defence kept Eccles from scoring again. This was short-lived when, from an offside penalty, some smart fast play through hands allowed Lucas to stride in out wide but the conversion was pushed just across the posts moving the score back to a 2 point game at 24-22.
The momentum was with Eccles. Sefton seemed to be flagging now and kicking the ball at every opportunity to receive the pressure. The Eccles defence really had the bit between their teeth. Eccles weren’t willing to let this game slip and Leighton took a leaf out of the Sefton playbook by pinning them in their own half with a booming kick downfield and when Sefton dropped the ball from the line out to give Eccles possession, it only seemed a matter of time before Eccles would take the lead.
Another dropped ball by Eccles gave Sefton the scrum but when Joe pounced as the ball exited Sefton returned the favour and Blake smashed through the defence to set up a scoring opportunity. When the ball went to Leighton he still had a lot to do but again he took the defenders with him crashing over the line, under the sticks, to put Eccles in front for the first time to allow Jack L a straightforward kick to move the score to 24-29.
Eccles managed the rest of the game really well with cool heads and some strong forward play protecting possession, forcing Sefton to concede penalties in an attempt to get the ball back. When the referee informed the players there was only 20 seconds remaining to play Eccles retained possession from the line out and James lofted the ball into touch and someone’s back garden. FT 24-29.
Chayse was injured in the warm up and unable to play but other than this bad fortune, the whole travelling squad of 21 made a contribution to a memorable, exciting cup game, which was a close contest right to the very end, played in a good spirit with loud touchline support for both teams. Eccles made hard work of it at times, with all four of Sefton’s tries coming from a failure to deal with kicks and numerous handling errors wasting good positions and gifting possession which could have more serious consequences next time out. However, fighting back with 3 second half tries showed good character and should give the team the confidence to kick on to next week's game away at Southport.
🏆 Lancashire Challenge Cup
U14s
Sedgley Park v Eccles
Awaiting match report
🏆 Lancashire Challenge Cup
U13s
Eccles 4-19 Ashton
Tough match for the U13’s this week against a strong squad from Ashton. Whilst physically smaller than us, Ashton’s speed and fluid play had us on the back foot from the start. Some striking performances from George who is really finding his role in the middle and some tough tackling from Harrison and Josh, managed to keep our spirits up. We had a valuable lesson from Ashton and took it to training on Wednesday.
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U12s
Eccles v Sedgley Park
A very strong start for the U12's against a larger Sedgley side today.
The boys were on top form showing that the basics in training are paying off with an early try from Bryn.
Passing and catching were on form with great offloads to keep the momentum and the trys going.
Fin gave us a great lead with a flurry of trys that were well earned after running through the full Sedgly side single-handed.
Jamie Foggon scored an impressive try after catching the ball from the kick off and ran the full length of the pitch, dragging several of the Sedgley players with him.
Edward, Monty and Kenzie were tackling like nobody's business.
We started to tire in the 3rd quarter which gave Sedgley the chance to bring it back, but after the last break the boys picked themselves up and finished strong giving us the win.
New lad Jamie showed he's strong, fearless and committed and impressed enough to win man of the match in his first game. Well done Jamie, keep it up.
FT Eccles 9 tries - Sedgley Park 7 tries.
U11s
Eccles v Sedgley Park
The second 15 minute period was more of the same from Eccles. They dominated the breakdown and tackled ferociously. In attack we passed the ball down our diagonal line and were able to find the space in the corners. Lots of players being involved in play helped to make this an enjoyable experience.
Unfortunately in the last 15 minutes, with the game already won in the players heads, they didn’t play to the high standards they had set in previous halves. We allowed Sedgley to score more tries from a slow defensive line and they exploited the gaps. We were also a little selfish in attack when other players were in better positions.
However, overall, we are delighted with the development this Under 11s team is showing. Their teamwork is fantastic. Well done to Seb, Vincenzo, Leo, Jesse, Caleb, Mackenzie and Max. The score line is not important but I'm informed it was in the region of 20 tries for Eccles and 8 tries for Sedgley Park.
A special mention to the Sedgley Park players who played for us today. Thank you. Coach Pietro.
U10s
Eccles v Sedgley Park
Due to unavailability and illness of players Eccles fielded a team of 9 players against 15 from Sedgley Park
It meant that all of the Eccles players were on the pitch for the whole of the 3×15 minute games with no subs.
Undainted by this, the Eccles team were showed tenacious tackling, jinxing runs, general resilience and high spirits.
The third game was blown early after 10 mins following an injury to one of the Eccles players, with Sedgley slightly edging it at the time of conclusion.
Once again the Eccles players were a credit to their club today. They were determined, resilient and despite being very tired, whilst Sedgley were continually refreshing their team with new legs ,Eccles dug in, defended and tackled till the last whistle.
Homework for our next game is our defensive line. Our players tend to be like iron filings to a magnet and stick together-they need to remember to keep their distance so they can support their teammates and be in a position to receive the ball run down the wings.
Man of the match was Harley - terrific game with some excellent runs and some good tackling.
All in all, an excellent game of rugby for both teams well done Eccles. It's a week off games and training next Sunday and then a spooky and scary home game to Liverpool College on the 31st October!
U9s
Eccles v Sedgley Park
U8s, U7s, U6s, U5s Minis.
Eccles v Sedgley Park
First run out for superstar Will scoring a hatful.
Press up warm up for future number 8 Charlie.
Joseph visualising a winning try
Max checking in with Dad before he touches down.
Awesome Augustine on the attack.
Tiger crawls in the cage
Coach Jamie and the 6s. One sock down is a thing.
Copy Coach Greg!
U5 security marshalling the troops.
