Mannerians 55 Dronfield 10

Mannerians 1st XV 55pts Dronfield 1st XV 10pts

It was a stunning turnaround in form that saw Mannerians blow local rivals Dronfield clean away at the Showground. A respectfully observed minute’s silence from the massed ranks of players and VPs in honour of one of Mannerians’ greatest servants, Les Rawson, set the tone for a show of club spirit and renewal of which Les would have been proud. From the first whistle to the last (after a slightly nervy start), co-manager Mike Dabell stood in amazed silence as the team at last produced the performance everyone knew they were capable of – with only the incessant clicking of his cameras distracting his awe.

Mannerians intent was soon on display, as Tom Crapper liberated from his wing and carving it up in the centres, battered his way through the Dronfield pack and found his former clubmate and captain, Will Moroney, blocking the path to the line. Despite a valiant effort, with more than a hint of the Light Brigade about it, Moroney was trampled under the Crapper hooves as the score board was called into early action.

Two Mannerians on the comeback trail, the much-missed Dave Boam and Tom Elsworth, made immediate impressions; Boam with the enormity of his tackles and hard-running, Elsworth with his celebrated change of pace. Not to be outdone, the scampering Tom Bell soon doubled the lead after a solid scrum saw play moved wide by Ed Hutchinson through slick hands, and Zac Dann slotted another fine conversion.

Dronfield kept themselves just about in touch with a penalty, before marauding running by Henry Lofthouse, skipper Will Brocklehurst, and Alistair Gregory led to a try for Dann. As the half drew to a close, Mannerians were all-action in their performance and a desperate Dronfield clearance found itself gathered by Elsworth’s apprentice, young flier Nick Foan, and he sped forward before slipping the ball to fellow colt Seb Cooke, who has shown huge commitment by shaving off his eyebrows to become more aerodynamic. Cooke spun a long, accurate pass to Elsworth, and he outpaced the defence to leave his team 26-3 ahead. The last act of the half saw Boam – in the running for man of the match honours – sent off for what was harshly adjudged to have been a dangerous tackle.

Coach Chris Weeks stressed the need for everyone to up their effort – were that possible – to compensate for the loss of Boam, as it was sure to give the visitors a lift. In the event, Mannerians did all that was asked, and then some, and more than doubled their tally in the second half. The opener came from club talisman Henry Bagshawe, the beneficiary of tremendous work by the seven-man pack – not least Ed Armstrong, Jimmy O’Neill and Ben Hopkinson – and Dann added the extras.

An Elsworth double, completing his hat-trick, quickly followed, as replacements Tom Armstrong, Dan Pledge and Paul Webster settled into the game, while half backs Cooke and Ed Hutchinson controlled the direction and pace of the afternoon on their own terms.

The impressive Crapper, who occupies defences far more than their coaches would like, added a second try of his own, finishing a move started by the forwards and executed by Hutchinson and Dann, who again converted to give a 50-3 lead with minutes to go. Dronfield grabbed a consolation, but the last word went to Bell, who launched a kick-and-chase, gathered his kick and touched down to close a fitting performance by the whole team.

Sitting in a darkened room when he was tracked down after the game, Dabell would only say “I’m still stunned. Now if you don’t mind I’m going to go and sift through 2000 pieces of photographic evidence. Has anyone got any Kleenex?”

Team: Bell; Foan, Crapper, Dann, Elsworth; Hutchinson, Cooke; Lofthouse, O’Neill, Armstrong E, Gregory, Boam, Bagshawe H, Brocklehurst, Hopkinson B.

Bench – all used: Armstrong T, Pledge, Webster