Process and progress

The opening Wolves try came after just eight minutes when Andy Walker, playing at out half, threaded through a perfect little grubber kick, which forced the Rochdale defence to concede a lineout close to their line. Everyone expected a catch and drive by the Wolves and sure enough it was well executed and it was hooker Alex Donaldson, who received his team mates’ plaudits for the touchdown. We then had to wait to the last play of the first half for the Wolves’ second try from Matthew King. This was created from a midfield scrum from which the ball was twice quickly recycled. Full back Ben Day made the extra man in the line to release King with a perfectly timed pass. Number 8, James Keys scored the third fifteen minutes into the second half as he judged his run absolutely right to take an inside pass on the Rochdale twenty two. The powerful Ulsterman was unstoppable as he galloped in under the posts. The Wolves dominated most of the last quarter and two Andy Walker penalties followed as the visitors infringed trying to win back possession.

From a Wilmslow perspective, these were the highlights of an afternoon during which the Wolves also conspired to make things as difficult as they could for themselves. North 1 West may not be amongst the highest leagues in the land but it produces plenty of players, who go on to greater things, and it’s at a level where any mistake will be capitalised on by opponents. Midway through the first half, possession from an untidy ruck saw the ball passed to Matthew King, standing all alone on the left with his fellow backs all lined up on the right. Fearing a hammering, he took his eye off the ball, which was then seized upon by the visitors. No further invitation was needed as they passed the ball neatly to right winger, Thomas Andrews, who held off the cover defence to score in the corner. Soon after a clearing penalty gave Rochdale a line out on half way from which they moved the ball incisively and with good support running. They were only stopped just short of the Wilmslow try line. Initially, the Wolves defended the attacking scrum well but Rochdale were patient and space was made for left winger, Oliver Coldman, to stick out a telescopic arm for their second try and a briefly held 10-7 lead. Even when the Wolves, not without alarm, had restored their position to lead 25 – 10 late in the second half they still failed to close out the game when a not particularly difficult clearing penalty failed to find touch. After several phases, Rochdale forced a scrum ten yards out from which their open side, Leo Frechou, found acres of space to run in for their third try. Wolves’ flanker Ross Mitchell was particularly peeved at the outcome as, unnoticed by the referee and touch judge, he had been illegally held by his opposite number as he tried to cover across for the tackle. Tough but that’s rugby! If the roles had been reversed and a match winning Wilmslow try had followed, the perpetrator would, no doubt, have received the man of the match award. Throughout, the visitors had looked dangerous with ball in hand and had they not knocked on in several promising positions, the Wolves could easily have been in more trouble than they were.

Afterwards, Wolves’ coach, Giles Heagerty, said that he had talked to the players beforehand about concentrating on getting the ‘process right and allowing the outcomes to follow’. At times this was done as the Wolves strung together some very good phases of play. Heagerty in his match notes had also talked about TCUP, thinking positively under pressure, and it’s in this regard that these Wolves are still clearly work in progress. The impossible misdirected or dropped pass, the squint throw in, the missed tackle, the poor restart, the turnover in the ruck and the disrupted scrum are all symptoms of an improperly functioning TCUP. If this team can more effectively apply themselves to reduce their error count, then they do have the potential in their ranks to develop into a decent side. That is the challenge.

With all of the four teams below Wilmslow in the league losing, a four point gap has opened up below them. Next week, they go to a struggling Carlisle, where a good result would move the Wolves closer to mid table comfort.