Chapel were in high spirits turning up to Northwich after a convincing victory against them at the start of November, and were hoping for another of the same suit. The squad turned up in numbers with an alternate starting lineup which had been affected by the attendance at training.

There was blue sky among the clouds, but a fierce wind would prove difficult for both sides as the game kicked off. A big starting push from both sides saw the Chapel boys with the ball, and great work at the lineout from front jumper Joe Foulkes saw the side stealing possession on numerous occasions. The ball was shipped through the backs but handling errors cost the side, resulting in numerous scrums. This was a reoccurring issue and saw the sides having to frequently stop play for scrums. From the scrum, Chapel scooped up the ball and hit the ruck. The ball was shipped along the back line, where it found Jed Wragg who put it across the line for Chapel’s first try. Conversion scored by Jack Cottam. The game reset and this time Northwich were on the offensive. Some good offload play on their part saw them on our line, and when the ball was shipped out, Joe Foulkes dived to get his hands to it but it was knocked on. He was subsequently shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock on. Northwich recovered from this and managed to score their first try. The kicker missed the conversion which kept Chapel, led by Captain Dom Moss, ahead by a nose. Restarting once again and Chapel were determined to extend their lead. Hard work was shown by the likes of Dan Martin and CG4 (Conor Gavin) in the rucks and crash balls. Their efforts paid off, as the ball was shipped once again to Jed Wragg, who sped around 3 defenders before being caught by one. The ball was offloaded to Jack Cottam on his inside who was also caught short and had to offload once more to Jim Moss who put the ball across the line for Chapel’s second score of the day. Try converted by Jack Cottam. The game restarted once more for the half, and with Northwich determined to get another score back on them, their efforts in the scrum brought them their final try of the half, as it was sent to the backs and crashed over the line. Conversion kicked, half time finished 14-12.

Northwich kicked off for the second half, and tensions were increasing as the Chapelsquad were determined to kill off the game with a couple more tries. Errors at the breakdown saw them giving away a penalty, which was kicked to put Northwich in front by a single point. Chapel were determined more than ever now, but discipline showed to be a problem with the side giving away more and more penalties. A quick tap saw the Northwich backs charging at their opposing numbers, only to be stopped dead in their tracks by Dave Steer with an incredible tackle that left the player dazed. The ball was dropped in the contact, only to be scooped up by an ever prominent Jim Moss, before being offloaded by Callum Grant smith to take over the whitewash for Chapel’s third try. Conversion kicked by Andy Davies. The restart came and on the day of their 50th anniversary, the Northwich squad looked determined to regain and take the lead. Putting on fresh legs for both sides was a must if they were to stay in the game. Good passing play and support on the breakdown saw Chapel break through the line, and Joe Maddock was the one to take the ball across the line once more. Conversion missed and Chapel felt a little more comfortable to be leading by 11 points. This was shortlived, as Northwich pushed back, with some good offload work and some missed tackles on Chapel’s part, the home side saw themselves just 5 metres from Chapel’s line, where early engagements and a collapsed scrum saw the decision go against the table toppers, and Northwich were awarded a Penalty try. Conversion kicked. The game restarted again, and once again Northwich were back on the offensive, determined to take the game back. Decision after decision went against the visitors, allowing Northwich to edge closer and closer to the leader’s line, with the referee also presenting a yellow card to Dan Martin and a Northwich player for repeated warnings and fighting. The packs once again found themselves just short of Chapel’s try line, were scrumming was about to take place again. Early engagements and lift of the legs from the Hooker saw Northwich awarded a second penalty try with just 30 seconds to go. Conversion Kicked. The game kicked off one last time, and in one last effort from Chapel, the ball was kicked out for a lineout. It was a scrappy one, but Chapel managed to contain it and ship it along the line, only for Jack Cottam to be taken over the line by the Northwich wing, ending the game.

Final Score, 29-26

The game turned out to be a sting for the lads but they kept their heads held high, with Captain Dom Moss saying “It was a disappointing effort from the side today, but we know we can play better than this as proved by our previous performance against the side. All we can focus on now is getting down to training and putting out a win next week”.