Holmes Chapel 1st XV made it 3 wins in a row last Saturday, however they were only able to seal victory with the last kick of the match against an Eagle side whose performance made a mockery of their poor league position. Chapel were made to work extremely hard for this win and were grateful for the accuracy of Doug Canavan's kicking as well as a big effort from the forwards in the last twenty minutes. Big Darren Saffill was back in the team, packing down alongside Rich Cadd in the second row, and he was to play a crucial role in the victory.

Chapel started the game well as they looked to dominate the visitors in the forwards. Some early pressure led to a penalty attempt from Canavan sailing through the posts and giving the home side a 3-0 lead. The opening quarter continued to go Chapel's way and they had several chances to cross the line, however some determined defence from Eagle kept them out and they eventually had to settle for another Canavan penalty to extend the lead to 6-0. Despite being ahead on the scoreboard, Chapel were having a much harder time up front than expected, with the Eagle pack holding their own in the scrum and getting around the pitch in defence and attack. After half an hour it was the visitors who took the lead with the first try of the afternoon. A fast break from a scrum in midfield allowed them to breach the Chapel defensive line and run in for a try under the posts, converted for a 7-6 lead. This shook the home side and they piled on the pressure, determined to regain the lead before the interval. After a sustained period of pressure in which Eagle gave away a succession of penalties, Chapel sensed that a try was on the cards and tried to run the ball. Disappointingly, the chances were not taken as Chapel were denied by their own errors as well as some superb defence from the visitors. The half time whistle blew with Chapel still a point behind, and both sides had everything to play for in the second period.

It was Eagle who came out of the blocks quickest and after their flanker had taken a great catch from the restart, they made full use of the possession and extended their lead with another try, again converted to make the score 14-6. Chapel did respond with some good rugby of their own, Saffill continuing to pop up everywhere in both defence and attack, as they looked to reduce the deficit as soon as possible. Unfortunately, a loose ball in midfield was gathered by an Eagle player who outpaced the Chapel cover defence to touch down for the visitors' third try. The conversion was missed but Chapel faced a daunting task to come back from 19-6 down. The home side went back to basics, with the forwards trying to reassert their authority on the game. A Canavan penalty reduced the arrears but strong Eagle defence was denying Chapel many opportunities to launch an effective comeback. The home side finally started to take advantage of some good line-out ball as they drove Eagle backwards with attacking mauls. With ten minutes remaining, a series of short bursts from the pack created some space for Matt Bowden to break through in the centres and put Eagle on the back foot. Openside flanker Jim Bowbeer showed quick thinking to act as scrum half and spread the ball wide to where Chapel had an overlap on the right hand side. A miss-pass to Mark Mcenaney and a powerful finish in the corner put Chapel right back in the mix at 19-14 down, and despite the missed touchline conversion they fancied their chances of stealing the victory. The final stages of the game were played out metres from the Eagle line, with Chapel pounding away to try and get over the line. Although Eagle's defence was still holding out they were conceding penalties under the constant pressure and unable to clear their lines. Drive after drive was kept out by desperate tackling until right at the death Saffill used his strength to power over under the posts for a match-winning try. Canavan made no mistake with the conversion and Chapel had completed their nailbiting comeback.

Although they will gladly take the victory, Chapel will need a far improved performance against Knutsford next Saturday if they are to complete the double over their local rivals. Kick off is at 3pm and all spectators, both home and away, are encouraged to attend the game.

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