1st XV continue fine form

St Edwards Old Boys 19 - 27 Holmes Chapel

Holmes Chapel 1st XV travelled to St Edwards Old Boys last Saturday in South Lancashire & Cheshire Division 3, looking to continue their recent good form in the league. Without influential scrum half Ed Meyrick, winger Ed O'Hare took the number 9 shirt for what looked sure to be a tough encounter. Jim Bowbeer returned to the openside flank, with Ian Lightfoot restored to loosehead prop and Mark Mcenaney packing down at number 8. St Edwards' recent form has been impressive after a slow start to the season and they are particularly hard to beat at home, however, Chapel's dominance in the tight five forwards set the platform for a brilliant victory.

Chapel came out of the blocks immediately and tried to take advantage of a strong wind that was in their favour in the first half. After only a few minutes they had scored the first points of the game, a Doug Canavan penalty giving them a 3-0 lead following some strong running by Captain Matt Bowden. They continued to enjoy the territorial advantage and it wasn't long before they extended the lead. Following a Chapel knock-on near the home side's line, the St Edwards scrum was shoved backwards and Mcenaney drove forward before offloading to Jon Griffin in support. The ball was transferred to O'Hare who jinked past 2 defenders before delivering a scoring pass to Bowbeer to finish off the move. Canavan converted the try to make the score 10-0. St Edwards then started to come back into the match, using their inside centre and strong runners in the pack to gain ground. A series of Chapel infringements led to Bowden being sent to the sin-bin, and Chapel had to dig deep to keep the home side at bay. They had Steve Oliver to thank for a try-saving tackle in the corner, as well as some solid clearance kicks from Andy Fyffe. The lead was eventually narrowed shortly before half time when a turnover allowed the St Edwards backs enough space to break away and touch down for a try. The conversion was unsuccessful but Chapel's advantage had been halved to 10-5. However, they responded in the best way possible by wiping out the score almost immediately. St Edwards were penalised for holding onto the ball in the tackle and this set up the position for Chapel to launch an attack. The ball was spread wide and Lee Cagna finished superbly in the corner. Canavan's conversion attempt fell short but the half time score had become 15-5.

Facing the wind in the second half, Chapel knew they would spend long periods in their own half and that it was crucial not to panic or try and force anything. They concentrated on securing their own scrums and lineouts, while continuing to steal or disrupt opposition first phase possession on many occasions, particularly at the scrum. The "catch and drive" was also proving an effective weapon, expertly controlled by Lightfoot, and this helped Chapel dictate the pace of the game. A succession of penalties allowed Fyffe to kick Chapel upfield and set up good field position before Al Goodwin went on a charge into the St Edwards twenty-two. The ball was swiftly recycled and the backs made no mistake with a great pass from Bowden bringing Canavan into the line at pace from full-back. He side-stepped his opposite number before diving over the line, but went narrowly wide with his conversion attempt. St Edwards refused to give up and managed to keep the game alive with another try of their own, successfully converted to make the score 20-12. With 15 minutes to go Chapel scored their fourth try when Paddy Kennedy stepped inside his marker and was left with a clear run to the line. Canavan converted from under the posts to send Chapel clear at 27-12. A late score from St Edwards reduced the deficit once more, but Chapel kept things tight for the remainder of the match to secure a well-deserved victory.

This was Chapel's fifth away victory of the season which, combined with two draws, signals a massive improvement from previous years. They are back at Station Road this Saturday for the visit of Eagle, kick off is 2-15pm and all spectators are welcome to attend. A good atmosphere is also expected in the clubhouse afterwards for the Six Nations finale.

Holmes Chapel RUFC would like to thank Pochins, Wymans, and AUF Leasing for their continued support.