Match Preview

Today we welcome League leaders Douglas. Their impressive, unbeaten start to the season came to abrupt end at Widnes last week. (We travel to Widnes next Saturday and it would appear that there are no easy games in this division.) Whilst our 25 points at Bowdon reflects our good play, the lack of consistency is costing us dear. It is a measure of the task today that Douglas put 61 points on New Brighton in September and, until last week, were unbeaten home and away. In the past, Douglas have not always come to the mainland with a full strength side, but that does not seem to be the case this season.
Games between the two clubs have usually been high-scoring and invariably end with the home side winning. Last year we won at Malone Field 31-12, but lost the return, 20-40. In 2014-5, it was 45-32 and 37-16 respectively. We have to go back to March 2014 to record an Anselmian win on the island, when we prevailed 26-22, having won the previous autumn at Eastham 33-27. It remains our only “double” over the Manxmen.
Whilst Anselmians were being punished for lapses in concentration last week at Bowdon, Douglas were losing narrowly at Widnes and will surely be focussed to extend their, already, five point lead at the top of the table. Anselmians have played some lovely flowing rugby at times this season, but have been undone by paper thin defence and lack of application. No such errors must occur today or they run the risk of creating an unenviable record of four consecutive defeats of over fifty points.