Moor have a habit this season of allowing the opposition to get away and then having to chase the game and usually ending up on the wrong side on the scoreboard, but at least coming away with bonus points. This week, against local rivals Didsbury Toc H, this was again the case, except this time they left empty-handed – agonisingly so.
Moor kicked off on a perfect day for rugby with a larger than normal crowd of spectators in attendance and kept their opponents pinned down for the first few minutes, but eventually Toc broke out and on the ten minute mark, were awarded a scrum ten metres from the Moor line. Winning this, the ball was spun along their three-quarter line and then switched back inside, creating a gap in the Moor defence, finishing with an unconverted try. Play was then confined for the most part somewhere between the Toc 10-metre line and the Moor 22, and although the latter edged the possession stakes, the visitors kept them contained and whenever Toc were on the attack, there was always the feeling that their strong running backs just needed half a chance and they would be through. With twenty-five minutes gone, Moor attempted to run the ball from deep within their own territory, but lost it following a final long pass, which was pounced on by Toc, who then set up their own attack and in contrast, using short passes between both their forwards and backs, managed to evade the cover and score their second try near to an upright, making the conversion a formality. Moor did rally after this setback and for the last ten minutes prior to half-time, were camped in the opposition’s half, forcing Toc to defend near to their own line. During this period, the home side were awarded a couple of penalties within range, but instead of kicking for goal, chose to kick to touch and from the last of the subsequent lineouts, set up a drive which ended with Toc having a man sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on. From the resultant penalty, Moor again kicked to touch, won the ball at the lineout and set up another series of drives, only for the ball to come flying out from a ruck, which was kicked ahead by a Toc player and following a favourable bounce, collected to score an unconverted try in the corner. Still with a man-advantage, the hosts finished the stronger at the interval, but with nothing to show for their efforts and a comfortable 17-0 lead for the visitors.
With Moor now playing catch-up yet again, they did dominate the second period, but not before their opponents had scored their bonus-point try. This came immediately from the restart, which Moor failed to adequately control, handing possession to Toc, who quickly recycled the ball, allowing their centre to ride some half-hearted tackling and score under the crossbar, followed by a conversion. From then on, Moor did have the majority of position and possession. Their opening score came, again from the restart, when they won a lineout, followed by a penalty, which was quickly taken along their three-quarters and ended with left-winger Myles Maclagan sprinting in to score an unconverted try in the corner. Not long afterwards, Moor were held up the Toc line and in so doing, were awarded a penalty which was kicked to touch. On winning the lineout, another catch and drive was set up and when this was halted, the ball was passed to the blind side, where centre Adam Heal collected and scored, followed by a conversion from fly-half James Brady. Another restart and another score, this time to Toc when they kicked a penalty goal from the Moor 22 and as it turned out, although this was the last time that they troubled the scoreboard, it was decisive in preventing Moor from earning a losing bonus-point. At the start of the last quarter, the visitors had a pass intercepted on their own 10-metre line by Maclagan who raced in to touch down between the uprights, giving Brady another conversion and setting up a final nail-biting last twenty minutes, as the home side, now with their tails up, went looking for further scores. On numerous occasions they found themselves held up on the opposition’s line or forced the latter into taking drop-outs from behind the line. However, credit to Toc as their defence held and Moor only had themselves to blame when they lost both attacking lineouts and rucks in the last five minutes in their eagerness to score. The final whistle brought a 27-19 victory for Toc and disappointment for Moor as they ended the match without anything to show for their endeavours.
Moor do not have a game this Saturday and return to league action at Trafford MV on Saturday 2nd November, k.o. 2:15 p.m.