Sheffield RUFC 43 - 24 Macclesfield RUFC

Team Selection for Saturday, 28th March 2026

# Sheffield RUFC
15 Llew Smith (13)
14. Lewis Taylor
13. Matty Drennan
12. George Castledine
11. Will Smith
10. Callum Posa
9. Elliot Fisher ●

1. Ben Whitney ● (25: 75)
16. Will Archer ● (48)
3. Aaron Lonsdale (25;
4. Josh Redfern (74)
5. Dom Parsons
6. Alex Fawdry
7. Felix Crapper ● (58; 74)
8. Zak Poole

2. Rhodri Campbell (48)
17. Alex Reid (25; 75)
18. George Rogers ● (25;
25. Matty Adcock ● (58)
21. Noah Cowan (13)
● Sheffield RUFC Mini/Junior

One week on from our successful defence of our run of wins this season, we were to face another dynamic obstacle in the form of Macclesfield RUFC who before this match lay Third in the league, with this match in hand over Tynedale, last week’s opposition. With the injury to Chris Hooper last week and Jack Dawson being unavailable. Together with the continued injuries to both Cammy Catleugh and Jack Hedley, the back division required a deal of re-arranging. Will Smith was moved out from the centre to the wing, George Castledine moved from fullback to centre and Llew Smith came from the bench to start at fullback. The pack remained unchanged from last week against Tynedale and Noah Cowan replaced Llew Smith on the bench. Prop forward, Jake Hicklin’s recovery continues and he was to start in the front row for the 2’s.

Sheffield did not make an auspicious start to the match when Macclesfield kicked off and Sheffield lost the ball forward. Macclesfield attacked with the ball and then penalty advantage, which was eventually awarded, kicked to the corner. The lineout won Macclesfield went to work and crashed over, with number 8, James Oliver dotting down. Fly half, Ciaran Shone added the conversion and Macclesfield led by 7 points to nil with barely two minutes gone. Sheffield managed to get their cool back and after a penalty a piece Sheffield had a lineout just inside Macclesfield’s 10-metre. He ball won it went out to the backs, where Will Smith, playing on the wing, broke through the Macclesfield defence on half way, and despite the attentions on several of the visitors’ defenders, powered his way to touch down under the posts with eight minutes gone. Callum Posa. Added the conversion and the score we level at 7 points all. Sheffield were to lose fullback, Llew Smith on thirteen minutes to injury, to be replaced by scrum half Noah Cowan, requiring a re-adjustment, again in the back division.

The remainder of the half remained without either team adding to their tally. Sheffield would be somewhat disappointed with that, having twice more having gone over the tryline, but on both occasions the ball was lost forward in the act of scoring.

The second half began in a totally chaotic fashion, with Sheffield scoring with barely a minute gone, when Lewis Taylor broke free in centre field on halfway and again, scoring under the posts. Macclesfield responded immediately, with backrow forward, Harry Hughes going in under the posts barely a minute later. Sheffield came straight back again, when Callum Posa broke the defensive line and handing off to replacement scrum half, Noah Cowan, who again went in under the posts with Zak Poole in close attendance. All three tries were converted, Callum Posa for Sheffield and Ciaran Shone for Macclesfield to give Sheffield a 21 point to 14 lead, with just five minutes of the half gone. The battle raged on, but Sheffield found a way just seven minutes later, when Sheffield scored wide out on the left through replacement hooker, Rhodri Campbell from a driving maul. The conversion was missed, but the Sheffield lead was now 26 points to 14.

Sheffield kept the pressure on, and just five minutes later, centre Matty Drennan scored the fifth Sheffield try in roughly the same place as Campbell’s try. However, on this occasion, Callum knocked the conversion over to take the lead out to 33 points to 14. Macclesfield were never going to just lie down and let Sheffield run away with the game, and once again, back they came back. Attacking down the right wing on halfway, we saw Will Smith stick a hand out to knock the ball on and referee Ben Rayner went to the sin-bin for 10-minutes on sixty-two minutes played. Macclesfield used the man advantage and after a period of pressure in the Sheffield 22-metre saw fullback, Austin Keogh go over in the corner on the right. Ciaran Shone’s conversion attempt went wide, but Sheffield’s lead had been cut to 33 points to 19 after sixty-eight minutes.

Sheffield got back on the attack and were awarded a penalty in centre field, just outside the 22-metre, and a pragmatic approach was taken, with Callum Posa being asked to kick the penalty, which he duly did to move the lead out to 36 points to 19, a lead of 15 points, leaving Macclesfield to score three times in the remaining seven minutes to take the game away from Sheffield. However, just two minutes later the issue was resolved when Sheffield burst through the Macclesfield defence and Callum Posa scampered away to score out to the left of the posts. Callum converted his own try and the lead was now out to 43 points to 19 after seventy-five minutes. The scoring was not over, and Macclesfield were desperate to score a fourth try for a vital bonus point in the battle for second in the league with Tynedale, and to secure the play-off place. Just two minutes later, they did just that when right winger Samson Shute scored wide out on the right. Ciaran Shone could not convert and the score was 43 points to 24 with full time looming. Sheffield kick out and went in to celebration mode, having secured the Champions position and promotion to National 1 with 22 wins in 22 matches, and with 21 try bonus points.

Macclesfield RUFC Team: -
Forwards: - 1: Theo Hulbert; 2: Ollie Longmore; 3: Sam Gibson; 4: Toby Talbot; 5: Harry Harding; 6: Harry Hughes; 7: Louis Townsend; 8: James Oliver (Capt.)
Backs: - 15: Austin Keogh; 14: Samson Shute; 13: Samuel Adu; 12: Harry Blackwell; 11: Manu Shute; 10: Ciaran Shone; 9: Mason Winterburn
Replacements: - 16: Ted Broadley, 17: Tom Gardiner; 18: George Boughey; 21: Haydn Keogh; 20: Alex Davies

Match Officials: -
Referee: - Ben Rayner.
Assistant Referees: - : Tom Doig; Matt Daubney.

Up-coming fixtures: -