Syston quite a few, us not so many

And thats just the 1st team players I'm talking about.

We lost, but I don't know the score.

Well we went from having 31 names listed on the website on Thursday, to having 12 stout hearted fellows from the Ath take to the field on Saturday. I know that there are some teething problems with availability via the website, but surely there has to be a better way than this? The stout hearted fellows who played were Alan Lee, Simon Wells, James Lapworth, Jon Ackerman, Dave Clarke, Duncan Rees, James (flanker), Ali Ship, Liam Sharp, Nick (centre), Steve Cozens, Rob Vass,
Rich Cliff, and some other old bloke.

Anyway, the situation was resolved by a cock up & fall out down at Aylestonians. They had offered a game to 8 Old Newts players who didn’t have one. Then when the Newts lads arrived there it turned out Stones 1s refused to travel to their away game and so they had 20 bodies for their 2s game and the 8 Nets players were being shafted. Via the Mighty Thor we got in touch and they came and helped us out - we were very VERY grateful. I heard last night the Stones captain resigned as a result of what had happened.

We needed every body we could get as the Syston 3s team ended up having rather too may 1s & 2s in it for it to be called a 3s side. It was a rather “naughty boy”ish thing for them to pull on us and we spent much of the first half losing set piece ball, and trying (with varying levels of success) to tackle the constant wave of attackers.

In the second half we made much more of a contest of it. As we only had 3 FR players, and they were getting tired, we asked for a short period of uncontested scrums so out visiting prop (from Newts) could get a breather. This turned into a full half of uncontested scrums and meant we got ball with which to attack. Liam, Rich & Nick (at 10, 12 & 13) made ground through jinking runs, ably supported by Steve C, Ali Ship, James L, Rob V and the Newts back as subs rolled on & off and we spent a good long while camped in their 22. Through a combination of good Syston tackling, unfamiliarity in our ranks, and a touch of white line fever, we were unable to convert this to a try, and in the end conceded 3 breakaway tries in that half. Dave C, Akerman, James, Alan Lee & Si Wells all kept getting stuck in and we certainly let Syston know they’d been in a game.

Hopefully next week the likes of Liam, Nick, James (the flanker) Ali, et al will get more time on the pitch in a structured fashion without having to look at constants substitutions. Continuity of play always helps, and these fellas looked good once they had the ball in hand.

Next week for the 2s it’s a home league game against Leicester Forest, so let’s get down a bit earlier, sort positions and set piece plays before KO and show them what we are made of, eh ? !!!!!

Well played to you all, and H Z B !!!!