Just as they did at the Memorial Ground, LSH created a commanding lead by half time and then came close to being undone by a spirited Wilmslow revival in the last quarter. Between them ten tries were scored, six by LSH and four by the Wolves, securing them a losing bonus point, which was probably the least they deserved.

‘We knew from our previous meeting exactly how LSH would play and what they would do, said Wilmslow coach Giles Heagerty afterwards, but we just couldn’t consistently do what we’d talked about beforehand. It was probably the right result, he admitted, even though we showed that at times we are as good a rugby playing side as any in our league. It’s a hard game though and once again, we didn’t show the mental toughness to concentrate and to apply ourselves for the full eighty minutes. Some of the players need to consciously protect the ball better in contact situations, others have to avoid falling off tackles and they need to become harder with each other. Decent sides like LSH will fully exploit such deficiencies.’

It was a match that was effectively won and lost in a ten minute spell midway through the first half when LSH scored three tries in quick succession. Taking the ball cleanly at successive restarts, they simply broke through a Wilmslow defence which went awol in quick succession, passing the ball simply and accurately to supporting players. It sounds easy but in fact it just confirmed the ball playing talent and awareness of the Cunliffe brothers, Dave and Matt, centre Mark McCulley, scrum half Martin Gambles and their irrepressible white shark of a flanker, Paul Bamber.

To add to their troubles, it was also a day when the Wolves just didn’t enjoy the ‘rub of the green’. The pocket battleship on the left wing, which is Chris Lillie, was twice called back when the way ahead was clear. On the first occasion, it was because of a questionable forward pass and then in the second half, after referee Damian Hamilton had initially allowed advantage, the players were called back for a scrum with a Wilmslow put in. ‘You knew it just wasn’t our day, said team manager Grant McKenzie, when a speculative second half LSH kick ahead which was clearly about to be fielded by Elliot Brierley, rebounded ten yards backwards into the arms of Ian Stanley, LSH’s leading try scoring winger.

The Wolves started with an opening drive which produced an early penalty for Bob MacCallum and then they allowed a scuffed restart to bounce about in their twenty two. Nobody shouted or went for the ball and as they stood around gaping at it, the chasing LSH players scooped it up and a try followed for Paul Bamber. It was unbelievable!

Minutes later, Elliot Brierley took a kick ahead and when he was tackled, the pack produced quick ruck ball which made its way to Chris Lillie unmarked on the left wing. He had half the pitch to run but everyone knew that he would score and so he did. It was the high point of the Wolves afternoon as ten minutes later the LSH onslaught got underway. McCulley kicked a penalty when the Wolves offended in front of their own posts and in a twinkling three tries followed from Ian Stanley, Martin Gambles and McCulley. The best of them came when Stanley in space on the right wing put in a delicate kick ahead to get past Lillie and then to outpace Ben Day to collect his own kick and run in for the try.

The second half started with concerted pressure from the home side and Dave Cunliffe scoring their fifth try. At this stage, they were playing some impressive stuff and were only denied further scores by last gasp tackling from Wilmslow defenders. It was something of a surprise that they scored only once more through prop Ryan O’Toole.

In response, the Wolves played a full part when they had the chance. A delicately placed cross kick from MacCallum was taken by Lillie, who slipped it to Day and when he was stopped, prop Lewis McKay was up to grab the ball and drive over. McKay deserved his moment as he had put in one of his best displays in the tight, had shown everyone how to counter ruck and had been prominent with his ball carrying and loose play throughout. A further well placed kick by MacCallum with five minutes to go led to Alex Donaldson’s catch and drive try and when for once the restart was taken properly, it was followed by a majestic run from centre Mike Black from which Brierley scored.

It was a final flourish from the Wolves which had salvaged some respectability on the scoreboard against a competent well organised LSH outfit. There had been a lot to admire and enjoy but in the end they have to develop more of an edge in their play and to compete for the full eighty minutes, if they are to win matches such as these.