New Shirts, Same Story

Sound familiar? Yep, a strong Manchester team conspired to repeat the previous week’s events at their first home game of the season. If anything, this week's performance was even better than at Barnsley, with the Manchester scrum totally out performing their opposite numbers.

After a debate about the balance of the pack before the game, the scrum turned out to be the success story of the day! The established front row of Charlee Chambers, Megan Pancutt and Amber Smith being very well supported by Alyx Maw and Emma Broadbent, and Natalie Pearson proving to be an excellent and very aware No.8.
As a result Tyldesley & Waterloo were unable to secure any possession from the contested scrums throughout the game. Even in the lineouts, Tyldelsey were limited to a short throw in (at times very, very short…) Consistently the service from the forwards at set pieces provided an excellent platform for Amy Lees and Nieve Jones to release the backs.

Tyldesley’s defence however was tremendous. On several occasions one missed tackle was all that was needed for Manchester to convert their dominance into points, but the defence held firm. Although Manchester were not having to defend as strongly, it was evident from the occasional bursts that Manchester had to resist, that the visitors had brought a very dangerous back line.

After spending most of the first half confined to their own half, the visitors eventually managed to secure a reasonable field position within Manchester’s 10 metre line. A strong run along the far touchline was rewarded with a try in the corner; a classic against-the-run-of-play score but one which understandably gave Tyldesley the confidence to take the game to Manchester rather than soaking up the pressure as they had done.

And so it proved as a period of quality back play by Tyldesley was rewarded with a second try leaving Manchester rocking at 10-0 down as the half time break loomed. There was barely time to restart but unfortunately a decent enough kick off was well fielded by the full back. Whether it was a superb try or loose tackling depends on your point of view, but a converted try to close out the half immediately resulted from a thrilling 70 metre run to provide an unlikely looking 17-0 advantage to the battered (for half an hour at least) Tyldesley team.

Manchester regrouped at half time and the belief was certainly there that this game could be turned round. From the restart the forwards swarmed towards the ball deep in Tyldesley’s 22, with Alyx held up as she dived over the line. Not to be denied her first try, Alyx was on hand from the drive from the resulting scrum to once again take the ball over the line but grounding it this time, well supported by the rest of her pack. At 17-5 with almost half of the match to go, there were still grounds for optimism in the Manchester camp.

It was the next score that seemed to knock the stuffing out of Manchester however. Tyldesley had advanced into Manchester’s 22 and following an obvious knock on by their forwards both teams stopped playing awaiting the home scrum. The referee had been unsighted however and the expected whistle never came. It was a Tyldesley player who was the first to react to the non-event and she hacked on over the line for an undeserved 22-5 lead, leaving Manchester with a mountain to climb.

Cruelly, the team’s biggest advantage in the scrums was then denied when an injury to a Tyldesley prop resulted in her leaving the field. Tyldesley were unable to rearrange their pack or bring on a substitute that could play in the front row and the referee was forced to instruct uncontested scrums for the remainder of the match. It was ironic and perhaps inevitable that Tyldesley’s fifth-try bonus resulted from the base of one of these anaemic scrums. With that try the final score of 27-5 was arrived at to finish an unrewarding first home game for Manchester and leave Tyldsley & Waterloo to take the spoils.

The failure to convert the first half dominance into points cost Manchester dear once again. However, unlike at Barnsley where chances and open spaces were squandered, full credit must be given to Tyldsley for a very well drilled and committed defence that was able to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Photos from the game here>>>
http://picasaweb.google.com/115231797605651435788/RugbyMcrU18sVTyldsleyWaterlooSun31Oct10?feat=email#