A win on the road

Blue and Gold triumph in tough test
Holmes Chapel travelled to Trafford Metrovick on 19th September to play their third league game of the new season. Holmes Chapel had won two on the bounce against Congleton and Lymm and were looking to replicate England’s win from the evening before. As Holmes Chapel had not faced any Trafford Metrovick side for many years they were a somewhat unknown entity; so Dom Moss’ men entered the tie with an air of caution.

Just prior to kick off the sun had come out and conditions were almost perfect for a fast flowing game. A few changes to the Holmes Chapel side saw usual fullback Jack Cottam take the number ten jersey and last season’s loosehead prop Dave Steer return from injury (embarrassingly a cricket related one). The visitors kicked off the first half and the Holmes Chapel pack chased down Cottam’s looped kick. A period of intense rucking and mauling followed, with the referee very keen eyed around the breakdown. Both sides gave away penalties for holding on the floor and diving over the top of the ruck. The game went from bad to worse for Chapel when the referee, unhappy with perceived backchat from the men in blue and hold proceeded to march them back ten metres. Holmes Chapel struggled to adapt to this style of officiating and were penalised several times for similar offences. It looked as if Metrovicks could capitalise on Holmes Chapel’s gaffes but it was not to be. The Chapel pack cleaned a ruck out sufficiently enough to allow scrum half Andy Davies to pass the ball out to Cottam. The back line then sprang into action for the first time in the match. The young fly half miss passed to the heavily whiskered Joe Maddock; who drew his man and helped the ball along. The final piece of the move came together when winger Ali Lightfoot was able to sprint round the outside of his opposite man and theatrically dive over the line.

After this try the game returned to its earlier form of forward dominated rugby. A period of lovely backrow play allowed captain Dom Moss to exchange passes with last week’s man of the match Callum Grant-Smith. The scrappy flanker had just enough in his locker to score his second try in as many weeks. A period of intense scrummaging followed which ground down both sets of forwards emotionally and physically. The stress was evident on both sets of players who were becoming agitated with constantly resetting scrums. However it was the Chapel scrum which was the more dominant of the two and it looked as if it could be used as a real weapon, until a Trafford prop was sinbinned for killing the ball in a ruck. The referee had no choice but to remove the contest from the scrums and this caused the game to lose some impetus. The first half came to a close with Holmes Chapel having the advantage.

The second half carried on in a similar vein as the first and both sides struggled to get into any kind of rhythm. Holmes Chapel made use of their extensive bench and brought on replacements in the weary pack. Tom Emerson came into the front row to make his first appearance of the season and Mark McEnaney joined the second row. When the ball was played out to the backs Chapel looked dangerous on occasion. Last season’s top try scorer Jed Wragg touched the ball fairly infrequently during the game but was ruthless when he did. Wragg opened his seasons tally with a well worked try after finding a gap. Unfortunately Chapel did lose their discipline in parts and replacement flanker Joe Foulkes was shown a red card for his use of the boot. Jack Cottam scored his second try of the game after getting the ball from the back of a ruck on the half way line and Andy Davies was able to add the extras. The final whistle blew with Holmes Chapel emerging the victors. Final Score Trafford Metrovick 3rd XV 12-33 Holmes Chapel 1st XV. Jack Cottam was awarded the man of the match for his assured display in a less than familiar position.

Holmes Chapel Squad
1. Dave Steer
2. Neil Almond
3. Will Mitchell
4. Connor Gavin
5. Dan Martin
6. Dom Moss (c)
7. Callum Grant-Smith
8. Jon Griffin
9. Andy Davies (vc)
10. Jack Cottam
11. Ali Lightfoot
12. Jack Baskerville
13. Joe Maddock
14. Harry Jeanes
15. Jed Wragg
Substitutes
16. Tom Emerson
17. Elliot Whitty
18. Mark McEnaney
19. Adam Armitt
20. Joe Foulkes
21. Ollie Lawrence
22. Mike Cottam
23. Gavin Paton
24. Nathan Stewart