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SALE SHARKS TRAINING AT CALDY RUGBY CLUB

As part of their ‘Training in the Community’ programme, Sale Sharks full first team squad will be holding a public training session at Caldy Rugby Club on 15^th July from 2.30 pm. for two hours, with Head Coach Mike Brewer and his staff putting the squad through their paces. Local schools and clubs have been invited to take part in a unique afternoon.

The basic format of the afternoon will be to watch the Sharks train from 2.30 pm until 3.40 pm.  After that there will be a ‘participation’ activity, where several members of the audience will be selected to take part in a challenge versus Sharks players.  The participants will receive a voucher for “2 for the price of 1” tickets for the first game of the season against Newcastle Falcons in September.  After the ‘participation’ activity there will be an ‘Open Access’ session where the public can meet the players, obtain autographs, ask questions etc until   the Sharks players return to Carrington, at around 4.30 pm. There will be a photographer on site throughout the afternoon, taking pictures which will be shown on the club website www.salesharks.com.

Finally, there’ll be a competition to win four tickets in the Printerland stand for that first game of the season against Newcastle. 

All spectators are welcome or if you have any queries contact community@salesharks.com or call 0161 286 8888 ext 204.

Pre Season Training continues for the Senior Club this and every Monday and Thursday at the club 7pm start.

Caldy RUFC welcomes all players to attend training, newcomers more than welcome.

Last weekend saw Caldy’s home season come to an end with a close encounter and win against Harrogate by 26-22. The game was an excellent advert for National Two North rugby and hopefully a good send off for the home crowd as the summer beckons.

This weekend, Caldy face Bradford and Bingley at Wagon Lane, Bingley. The Bees, after putting up a late charge in attempting to avoid relegation, finally succumbed last weekend when they were beaten at home by Huddersfield and unfortunately will start next season in National Three North. Everyone at Caldy hopes that they make an immediate return as the league is all the better for having their club in the league.

Good news for Bradford is that they have recently announced that Nic Corrigan is to take on the role of Director of Coaching. Nic will be working with all sections to develop coaches and players to enhance the performance and health of respective Bees teams throughout the club. Nic is joined by Stuart Dixon who will continue as Head Coach for 1^st XV rugby working with Nic. Nic & Stuart will work to retain players and oversee the recruitment process for the campaign in 2010 – 2011.

Bradford had a number of comings and going last summer with the likes of Neil Spence, Steve Burn, Rob Wilson and Steve Brimmacombe who all joined Harrogate although Steve Brimmacombe did return to Bradford during the season.

Newcomers to the club included the likes of club captain and former Otley and prop Ryan Wederall and Tom Cokell and Tom Davidson both from Wharfdale.

On the playing front this season, Bradford have won 7 drawn 1 and lost 21 this season. At home this season, Bradford have won four games and drawn one. Thomas Davidson is their top points scorer with 184 points and their joint top try scorers are Ryan Wederall and David Ford with eight apiece.

Caldy have made a few changes this weekend as we have assisted the County side by releasing both Derek Salisbury and Jon Sewell. Jim Remfry is playing for his home county Hertfordshire as is Peter Ince who is playing for Lancashire. Lawrence Cray starts at prop and Craig Ross returns to the starting line up having impressed at the Caldy Sevens last weekend. Shaun Strudwick, Lewis Orme and Adam Aigbokhae are on the bench. The team is as follows:

MACPHERSON, SOUTAR, ROBERTS, WOOF, ROSS, VASEY, BROXSON, WOODS, DOWRIDGE, CRAY, ARNOLD, LYON, DICKINSON, SMITHSON SUBS: TURNER, STRUDWICK, ORME, KERFOOT, AIGBAKHAE.

 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THAT THE ANNUAL RUGBY CLUB DINNER TAKES PLACE AT THE CLUB ON THE 21^ST MAY (BLACK TIE) WHICH IS ALWAYS AN EXCELLENT NIGHT. PLEASE CONTACT JANE CORLETT AT THE CLUB OR AT JANECORLETT@TISCALI.CO.UK TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS.THE NIGHT IS A FANTASTIC CELEBRATION OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE ENTIRE RUGBY CLUB OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

 Next week sees the last Friday Feeling for a little while with the season review, please do not miss it!!!

Caldy RUFC is set for a bumper bank holiday weekend at Paton Field. The weekend kicks off on Saturday with the North of England Girls Tens Competition which sees 16 teams split between the Under 15s and Under 18s age groups playing for the coveted trophy. Teams from all over the North of England will be visiting the Wirral with the likes of Lichfield, Old Aldwinians, Glossop and Caldy all vying for the right to call themselves, North of England Champions.

Caldy 1^st XV host fourth placed side Harrogate in what is set to be a very entertaining game with the visitors on a ten game winning streak which included their well deserved victory over title contenders Macclesfield only two weeks ago. Earlier in the season, Caldy managed to beat Harrogate at their Claro Road ground by 19-3 and the visitors will be looking to gain revenge for that early loss. Last season, the two sides were involved in a spectacular game that Caldy ended up snatching by 44 points to 41 a game Backs Coach Simon Wright will never forget “I remember that Matt Holt and I, with half an hour to go in the game, were wondering how we would get home. We were 21 points behind with only twenty minutes to go and we made three substitutions which changed the game when we snatched the late win with a tremendous pressure kick from Gav Roberts.” Of this weekend’s game, Wright said “This is another huge test for our team which for the majority of this season has come up with the goods. It will require a top performance to beat a side which is only one place behind us in fourth.”

Harrogate have strengthened their squad in all areas with Director of Rugby, Mike Aspinall, making some astute recruitment from his former club Otley with the signings of centre Kyle Dench and dangerous winger Steve Parsons who has impressed all season. Parsons is in his second term at Harrogate and has an excellent National League record scoring 43tries in 82 matches. Other players to join include Neil Spence the Yorkshire open side flanker, Steve Burn and Rob Wilson all joined from last year’s Bradford and Bingley side. 

Matt Holt has decided to make a few changes to the squad that were involved last weekend. The team is as follows:

MACPHERSON, SOUTAR, ROBERTS, COOPER, MARTLAND, VASEY, BROXSON, WOODS, DOWRIDGE, SALISBURY, ARNOLD, COLLISTER, SEWELL, DICKINSON, SMITHSON SUBS: TURNER, REMFRY, LYON, NUGENT and WOOF

PLEASE NOTE THE KICK OFF FOR THE 1^ST XV GAME THIS WEEKEND IS 2PM

And the finale to the weekend sees the Caldy Sevens which is one of the best-loved and the longest continuous running 7s competitions in the country, the only one to carry on throughout the war years, attracting teams from all over the North of England. Thousands gather to watch this great rugby festival with sides battling it out for the honour of winning the Okell Shield. This year sees the Glasgow Hawks as the furthest travellers in search of the crown and they will be competing along with local sides that include New Brighton, Wirral and Anselmians. Tickets for the event are £8 for entry and £5 for concessions. Please come along it promises to be another cracking tournament.

The Junior Colts are at Anselmians this Sunday to face Macclesfield in the final of the Cheshire Plate. Good luck lads!!!

We have another Cheshire Cup Champion side with the Under 14s edging home in a dramatic game that either side could have won on the day.

A super day hosted brilliantly by our neighbours Wirral RFC who put on a great show for the cup final day. AK are undoubtedly one of the premier teams in the county at u14, and so they showed yesterday what stiff opposition they are. The ferocity of there tackling and rucking was as strong as any that the boys have faced. Some may say we let our selves down and didn’t play as well as we can but the reality was that the pressure applied by AK meant that we had to dig deep to overcome the intensity of their play and their strategy of attacking our 10 at every opportunity. This proved effective in cutting down our running game.

The boys uncharacteristically spilled the ball and gave away many scrums, fortunately we dominated at this and taking 6 against the head kept the game evenly matched. The quality of tackle from both sides was extremely high. However what I believe proved to be decisive was the strength of the squad as a whole. As the game entered the last quarter and changes were made, the boys coming on added to our play. Those that didn’t are and were as much of the win as those on the park because the game isn’t about only 15 players. Will T had very effectively nullified their attacking centre and his impact after returning to his natural favoured position was to be the tilting in our favour of control of the ruck area from AK. This should not detract from the considerable work and contribution made by everyone else.

The balance of power altered and penalties arrived which allowed Max S to step forward with great bravery and convince all around that the kick was in range, if only that had been the end. AK were to face a similar kick to end the match which neither side could watch. Fortunately for us they were unsuccessful in converting this and the Cup returns to Caldy. Isn’t the sign of a good team and squad one that wins the difficult games. However other teams will have seen progress against ourselves and we will need to set ourselves new goals for next season in order to move forward.

The Under 11’s attended two different festivals at the weekend.

The Gentlemen went to Hoylake, where they were surprised by sunshine and dry pitches - something of a rarity of late - and where they met some stiff competition. Some great rugby was played against some of Merseyside's best teams and the boys gained in confidence as the competition went on, culminating in an epic battle with Waterloo. Unfortunately the Gentlemen did not make it as far as the quarter-finals but head coach Ed had nothing but praise for the effort from all on the day.

The Players went to the brilliantly run and very friendly Wilmslow festival, where they met teams from near and far including visitors from Ireland. For the second tournament in a row, they were placed in a group with Macclesfield first team - the only team to beat us all season. It was beginning to feel as if fate had a helping hand when it came to the draw. The boys put on excellent performances against strong Lymm and Chester teams and, despite the tough competition, never looked like losing to either. However, Macclesfield proved too strong yet again; particularly in the opening exchanges. This was enough to knock us out. Macclesfield went on to win the final against the Irish Greystones with some ease. Like the Gents, the Players put up a strong performance and refused to give in until the final whistle. The coaches consider that all of the boys have improved this season at a faster rate than ever before. Well done to the whole squad!

The Under 10s Lions were drawn in a group with Ormskirk, Liverpool St Helens and a touring team from Ireland, Greystones “A”. Ormskirk failed to turn up and the group began with Greystones beating Liverpool SH 3 – 1. The Lions then played Greystones and led 1 – 0 until the last play of the game when the Irish side equalised. The Caldy try came from Will Haydon-Wood. This left the Lions needing to score more than three tries against Liverpool SH in order to progress. In a dramatic first half (6 minutes) Caldy rediscovered their best form and ran in 5 tries through Ross Atkinson, Will Haydon-Wood (2), James Holloway and Edward Azurdia . Liverpool SH played more determinedly in the second half and there was no further scoring. Atrincham Kersal were the opponents in the semi final and, despite enjoying most of the possession in the first half, Caldy only led 1 – 0 at half time, Ross Atkinson scoring the try. Kersal were much more in the game after the interval and scored two tries to win the match and eliminate the Lions. The disappointments of the Cheshire Cup and this Festival have created a somewhat anticlimactic end to what has been a hugely successful and enjoyable season for the Lions and the boys deserve congratulations for the effort they have put in and the results they have achieved. Thanks also go to the coaches for their time and commitment, and to the parents for their support.

Last weekend the U9s had three squads in action, one a Wilmslow and the other two at Hoylake. At Wilmslow, despite a big effort, we were not able to get out of our group, with only the winners progressing to the semi-final. At Hoylake both squads played some great rugby to make it an all Caldy Plate Final. The performances illustrate the great depth of talent and hard work by the children the U9s have to build on over the coming seasons.

Stung by their early exit from the Cheshire cup the previous weekend, the Under 8s arrived at the Wilmslow festival in determined mood (as far as you could tell anyway!)  The group stage pitted the boys against Ormskirk, Macclesfield and Altrincham Kersal.

First up were Ormskirk and for once the boys were into their stride from the off, creating a turnover from the first play, and converting that into a score.  With Louis Cowan (10 tags in one half!) and Toby Brown (12 tags) constantly disrupting the opposition attacks before they could get going, Caldy ran in ten tries to four for a comfortable victory.  There were two tries each for Adam Spence and Ollie Saverimutto while Harry Donelan’s selfless support running was rewarded when he crossed the line to finish off an excellent team move

Macclesfield were next up and while they posed a stiffer test the result here was never in doubt again.  More solid defence and excellent all round performances from Edward Tilleard, Adam Durband and Joe Gawith were crucial, while Jack Breheny chipped in with a couple of vital try saving tags.  The final score of six tries to two was probably a fair reflection of the balance of play.

This took the boys into the final group game against Altrincham who had also won both of their previous games and proved to be tough and skilful opponents.  The game itself was a little scrappy and, with defences on top, and possession swung from one side to the next.  Altrincham were ahead twice but were pulled back and in the end Jack Gibson’s mazy solo try to pull the score back to two each proved to be the critical moment of the game.  With the final whistle leaving both sides level on points, Caldy ran out group winners thanks to their try scoring efforts in the previous games.

The semi final saw the side run up against the home team who had won their group comfortably and this showed in a determined performance which stretched the boys all the way to the final whistle.  More superb tagging from Louis, Adam D and Joe never gave Wilmslow any easy opportunities and a brilliant double by Adam S and a typically strong and determined effort from Ollie took the boys through to the final by three tries to two.

Lymm consistently turn out strong sides and it was no surprise to find that they were waiting to meet us in the final.  This was a strong Lymm side but in the end they were made to look comfortably second best by probably the most complete performance of the day.  Constant pressure from the Caldy defence (with Edward, Jack G and Jack B to the fore) produced a number of turnovers and was capped off by some excellent running with the ball in hand. 

Harry was again rewarded for his hard work for the team with a well deserved try while Toby’s ability to pick the gaps in the defensive line brought him a try that was even applauded by the Lymm’s coach.  Lymm as ever proved to be tough but sporting opponents but in the end the Caldy side were just too good and the final score of six tries to one did not flatter the boys’ efforts at all.

This was a super return to form for the under 8s and wiped away the disappointment of the previous week.  It was also a great tribute to the ability of Brad and Robin to lift the boys and turn that disappointment into the drive and determination to show just what a good team they are.  The win was a credit to the work of all of the coaches throughout the year but especially it was a fitting way for Brad to sign off from two hugely successful years managing the age group which has brought five festival wins in two years.  Now, bring on contact rugby next year!

The Caldy Leopards squad went into the Hoylake Festival with the knowledge that it would be the last chance for them to take tags off the opposition, because next year its “contact “!

Eleven of Caldy selected under 8’s, took on Ellesmere Port in the first match, and went straight on the attack, the ‘ Tagonator’ , David Barry, ripped into their attack and soon they were on the defensive, as Jake Bickerstaffe showed superb skills scoring 3 tries in a 7 to 2 victory, and the squad were off to a flyer !

Up next was a combined Hoylake and Helsby side who proved to be stern opponents, Joe Byrne entered the fray and showed some fantastic defence. Even the landing of the air ambulance helicopter on our pitch couldn’t put the boys off! After a short delay the game resumed with Mathew Waddington, Cameron Jacobie and Will Edwards all scoring great tries which resulted in another win 10 to 6.

Next came Macclesfield, a very well organised team, with a brilliant defence. Edward Fleming stunned onlookers with a scoring run which took him the full length of the pitch, a quite brilliant try. Despite another fine performance, with Elliot Wynne also showing great form, the game was lost 8 to 4.

The lads’ next game pitched them up against Waterloo, another fine team, which despite a 10 to 4 loss, showed a ‘never say die’ attitude from the lads to make all parents and coaches proud. James Youngson and Charlie Prothero kept Waterloo on their toes and played very well, but it just wasn’t to be.

With a slim chance of still making the plate final, they took on Bowden, in their last ever competitive match in ‘tag’ rugby. Every squad member got to play in this one, and every player showed just what the last couple of years have been all about. With everyone showing their skills, with Oliver Wiggins in great try scoring form. It was nip and tuck until the very last second, when Bowden ran in a try; the result was a 9 to 9 draw.

The lads had given their all and made every parent and coach very proud. It was rewarding for all that each game was met with positive comment from opposition coaches and referees alike.  A memorable end to tag rugby for the boys, well done to all.

The Tigers had their last day of tag rugby at the Hoylake festival, and a long day it turned out to be.

The boys had to wait until midday for their first match, against Sefton who had already had two matches to get their powerful runners warmed up. It was no surprise that the boys started slowly, and Sefton were two tries up when play was suspended to allow an air ambulance to land on the pitch.

Ben had his tag blown off by the down-draught from the rotors, making him probably the first rugby player to be tagged by a helicopter. Play resumed and the second half saw a spirited come-back by the Tigers. New Tiger Josh scored a fine try, and all the boys pulled together and played some great rugby to win the match. The tables were turned in the next match against our hosts, who went on to share the Hoylake cup with Waterloo. The Tigers led at half-time, but it was Hoylake who fought back to take the win. A disappointing game to lose, but the boys were playing extremely well, determined in defence, and putting together some lovely moves in attack.

With only the pool winners going through to the Cup final, there was no room for error and the Tigers had to make sure of winning their remaining games to get through to the Plate final.

They carried on the flowing rugby to beat a good Wirral side, and in the fourth match, against Northwich, the floodgates opened. The boys ran in twelve tries, including scores by new Tigers Edward, Tom and Nick, and conceded none until the last play, when Northwich produced some good running and passing to get a well-deserved score. The final pool match brought the Tigers up against a well-drilled Waterloo side for a close and entertaining game of rugby. The boys were by now playing very well together, and in the last few minutes built up a clear lead to make sure of the win, and to take second place in the pool. So the Tigers were through to the Plate final, giving no respite to the supporting mums and dads who were adding to the lively and passionate spirit of the festival.

The final match was against our old friends from Macclesfield, and was a cracking game to end the season with. Both teams played excellent rugby, scoring eighteen tries in the game, and there was only one score in it until the final play, when Macclesfield turned the ball over and scored, leaving Tigers runners-up for the second week running. All the mums, dads and coaches were very proud of the way the boys played. The rugby was first-class, and the team spirit was exceptional, especially as the squad had four new members from the week before. The festival was hugely enjoyable, and I'm sure there will have been quite a few hoarse voices on the Monday afterwards.

And finally for my quote of the week “Hard work and togetherness. They go hand in hand. You need the hard work because it's such a tough atmosphere... to win week in and week out. You need togetherness because you don't always win, and you gotta hang though together.”

Last weekend, the Past Players and Captains witnessed a changing of the guard as Caldy beat a young Waterloo side who have already been relegated to National Three North and sees Caldy replace them as the highest ranked side in Merseyside. According to press reports, it will be all change at Waterloo next season with a new Chairman and Committee and we wish them all the best in their challenge to return to National league Two next season.

This weekend sees the 1^st XV make the long trip to Westoe to face a side that visited Paton Field back in September in the first game of the season. Over the season, Westoe have improved week in week out and stand in 6^th place with fourteen wins and 13. Westoe are always a strong side at home with nine wins and four losses there this season.

Westoe (kick off 3.30pm) were promoted last season from North One Division. Westoe had an excellent season last season beating the likes of Hull, Middlesborough, Sheffield and Birkenhead Park to top spot in their division. Westoe are based in South Shields in the North East and have recently recruited a new Director of Rugby Andy Howells to guide them through National League rugby. Andy has a wealth of experience having already both Darlington Mowden Park and Blaydon over the past two seasons and knows all about the rigours that this league brings and no doubt will have his charges prepared for the season ahead when they arrive at Paton Field this weekend. Howells has also used his contacts to secure the services of Newcastle Falcons scrum half Hall Charlton as their backs coach for the coming season whose experience will be vital.

Westoe have seen somewhat of a changing of the guard this season. Following their promotion, they have recruited well with Howells bringing in three players from his former club Blaydon in the form of Charlie Raynor an excellent fly half and goal kicker and the Clark twins who play on the wing or in the centre and are very quick and dangerous. Howells has also managed to recruit three players with experience at Newcastle Falcons in the shape of Michael Ellery who plays in the back row, Matthew Shields an England Under 18 prop and Dan Rayson who is a centre or full back. In addition, they have signed scrum half Peter Phelan an Irish Under 21 International and lock Ian Robinson from West Hartlepool. They have maintained the bulk of their squad from last season including their uncompromising prop and talismanic captain Gareth Nesbitt.

Jack Collister was the only player to pick up a knock last week and he misses the trip to Westoe, Alex Martland comes into the squad. The following side has been selected:

MACPHERSON, SOUTAR, ROBERTS, WOOF, KERFOOT, VASEY, BROXSON, WOODS, DOWRIDGE, SALISBURY, ARNOLD, NUGENT, LYON, DICKINSON, SMITHSON SUBS: SEWELL, MARTLAND, TURNER, INCE, COOPER

Last weekend, the 2^nd XV fell just short in their effort to finish third when they lost to a strong Preston Grasshoppers side at Caldy. Unfortunately, that loss signals the end of the season as Chester 2^nd XV cannot raise a side for this weekend.

The 3^rd XV had no game last weekend and this weekend they are at home to League Champions Northwich 2^nd XVin the final league game of the season, in the knowledge that will finish in second place. An excellent effort boys.

The 4^th XV did not have a game last weekend and their season is now over with no further games planned. Many thanks to everyone for their efforts this year especially Dave Harrison who has been excellent in keeping his squad together. Lets hope we start next season like we have finished this season.

Last weekend our Junior Colts were unfortunately knocked out of the National Plate at the semi final stage having travelled up to Doncaster for the game eventually losing 3-19 to Old Northamptonians. Well done to everyone involved in getting this far. The Junior Colts still have one chance of silverware when they face Macclesfield at Anselmians next Sunday.

The final full weekend of the Junior and Minis season is here.

The mini's are all at the Hoylake and Wilmslow Festivals this week.

 - Good luck to all the Caldy teams!

In the Juniors, it's another mixed weekend.

 - U13s are at home to play our friends from Wirral RFC.

 - U14s are at the Cheshire Cup Final at Wirral RFC - kick off 2pm. All welcome.

 - U15s are due to be playing New Brighton away.

 - U16s are at home playing Whitchurch.

The U15s girls and the U18s girls are at home training.

Enjoy your rugby and good luck to the U14s and all the minis at the Festivals.

Last weekend was a busy weekend for the Minis Section with the Cheshire Cup Festivals taking place and in the Junior Section only the Under 13s has a game.

Chester chose one of the best days of the year to host Caldy Under 13s and Northwich. Their large squad helped them to field two complete teams: Chester B vs Caldy and Chester A vs Northwich. Both were good, fast-paced games and there was remarkably little between any of the sides. Caldy emerged the winners of their clash (22-7) but Chester B competed until the end. Northwich beat Chester A (21-0) but again it was a very close game.

The Caldy game opened with strong running from the Caldy back line. The centres played well and got good ball from the half-backs. The pitch was big enough to put the wings into space but good Chester tackling kept them out until a break through the centre enabled Caldy to score the first try (with the conversion, 7-0). The forwards were pretty evenly matched with Caldy giving away possession due to infringements around the rucks and mauls. Finally the space opened up on the wing and strong running gave Caldy their second try (12-0). Chester took one try back before the end of the half (12-7), but Caldy looked to be in control.

In the second half, more pressure from Chester was resisted, with all of the backs making hard yards and the forwards pushing through the Chester defence. All the Caldy players put their bodies on the line and did a shift in the rucks and mauls - all Caldy sides aim to play fast, quick-ball rugby and it was great to see. Eventually the Chester tacklers tired and another break through the centre gave Caldy a more comfortable lead (17-7) and another break out wide gave them a hard-earned victory (22-7).

On Sunday Caldy hosted the last U12 Cheshire Festival as the U12 Cheshire Cup next season will be a knock-out played throughout the season.  Fortunately the weather was fair, all the teams who entered turned up and we were set for an excellent day's rugby.  Caldy had 2 teams competing , one in the main Cheshire Cup competition and one in the Challenge Cup.

The team in the Cheshire Cup were drawn against Wilmslow, Northwich and Congleton.  Our first game was against Wilmslow and the boys got off to a great start playing some excellent rugby to win comfortably by 3 tries to nil.  After a break and several changes to the team our next game was against Northwich.  Again the boys played very well and Caldy ran out very easy winners by 7 tries to nil.  Our last group game was against Congleton and again the team was much changed, although this time we struggled to repeat the same level of rugby as before and at half-time the score was nil - nil.  Following the half-time team talk, the boys upped their game in the second half to win the game by 3 tries to nil.  So, we topped the group having scored 13 tries an conceded none!

In the quarter final, we were up against Crewe and Nantwich, who were joint winners a couple of years ago.  A tough game was anticipated and that's exactly what we got.  After 7 minutes each-way where defences dominated the score was nil - nil.  The decision on who progressed to the semi-final was decided by who scored the most tries in the group games and fortunately Caldy had scored 2 more tries than Crewe and Nantwich.  During this game Caldy suffered their one serious injury of the day when Declan Simpson broke his collar bone as a result of a tackle.  Best wishes to Dec for a speedy recovery.

The semi-final was a repeat of last year's semi final against Stockport.  Another close and tough game ensued which was nil - nil at half-time.  In the second half, Caldy gained the upper hand and scored the only try of the game with 2 minutes to go.  This was sweet revenge for last years narrow defeat!!

So, Caldy progressed to the final of the Cheshire Cup and still hadn't conceded a try along the way!  The final was against last season's winners, Macclesfield and a very tough contest was anticipated.  That is exactly what happened, the first half being extremely close until the final seconds of the half when the larger Macclesfield forwards managed to force there way over the Caldy line for a try.  The pattern of the second half was similar and Macclesfield scored a second try again through their forwards for a 2 - nil victory.  

Despite losing in the final, the Caldy boys all aquitted themselves extremely well are very much looking forward to next season when they move to Junior rugby on full size pitches.  This should certainly suit Caldy with their abundance of speed and mobility!!  On a final note, Callum Ridgway was selected as Player of the Tournament, his prize being a trip to Twickenham and some coaching from a certain Lawrence Dallagio.     

Everybody in the squad for the Challenge Cup arrived early and ready to play. So with some great motivational speeches by the coaches, the usual sluggish start didn’t happen this time around. The first game was against a mixed side from Marple and Stockport and the boys came flying out of the blocks and scored a try within the first two minutes. The whole team played as a unit and it would be unfair to single out individual players for praise. Needless to say, after this quick start, a further four tries ensued and the game ended in a 25-0 victory for Caldy.

The second game was a derby game against Wirral and it was obvious from the off that they were not going to be a pushover, with some fierce tackles and lots of aggression in the loose. However, every player rose to the occasion and Caldy went over for a try in the first half. This seemed to knock the wind out of Wirral and in the second half a further two tries followed, leaving Caldy with a 15-0 victory.

The third game saw a very large and well organized team from Duckenfield and it appeared for the first few minutes that Caldy may struggle against the bigger pack. Although this was not the case and soon tackle after tackle was being made with lots of parents shouting “around the legs” as our players went in. Shortly before the end of the half Caldy scored and this only served to intensify the match. In the second half Duckenfield played like demons and it was obvious that both teams saw this as the match that would decide who went into the final game. Caldy camped out around the Duckenfield try line only to be blocked time after time by the stoical Duckenfield defence. Duckenfield then broke away and scored a very good try were the ball went through several sets of hands. Caldy didn’t let this get to them and from the off went back to phase after phase in the Duckenfield half of the field. Unfortunately, despite this relentless attack the game ended in a fair 5-5 draw, with both teams giving their all and both sets of coaches agreeing that was the game of the day.

One further game against Chester proved one game too many for Caldy, as they met a well organized and very quick Chester side. The first half ended with both teams not having scored any tries and both just cancelling each other out in the middle of the pitch. In the second half Chester’s team play seemed to get stronger and Caldy seemed tired. This led to Chester scoring the first try. Thereafter Caldy were chasing the game and as a result left gaps for the Chester team to exploit. Chester didn’t miss this opportunity and went on to win the game 15-0 and eventually the tournament.

Due to the fact that Caldy and Duckenfield had the same amount of points when the competition ended there was a try count and Caldy were eliminated due to Duckenfield scoring two tries more over the course of the day. All the boys left battered and bruised and the parents hoarse but they can all be very proud of the way they played throughout the day.

Overall, an excellent day and well done to all the boys in both squads.

Caldy Under 11s visited Winnington Park on Sunday for the Cheshire Cup. We appeared to have received the 'draw from hell' with Macclesfield 1, Stockport and Bowden in our group.

The boys played consistently good rugby in the group, managing to lose to Macclesfield, draw with Stockport and beat Bowden. This was enough to see us out of the Cup competition and into the plate with Stockport.

Our quarter final match was against Duckinfield, who had beaten us in last year's Plate final. The boys were determined to show that last year was a stroke of bad luck and, after a very slow start, ended up as convincing winners.

The semi final saw us back with Stockport and, despite being camped on their try line for much of the first half and for the early part of the second half, we gave away a try resulting from a very good breakaway. The boys showed great resolve to turn back and score a try in return almost immediately and kept the pressure on from there looking for the second. The match ended following one of our wingers being bundled into touch about five metres from the opposition try line. It felt rough to be knocked out of the competition on a 'first try' rule, when so much of the game had seen Caldy in the ascendant. Stockport went on to win the Plate.

The final of the Cup saw Macclesfield run in as well-deserved winners over Altrincham Kersal, whilst the Bowl was won by Bowden. Therefore our group produced the winners for each of the three competitions.

Winnington Park looked after us very well for the whole day. The pitches were in good condition and the back-up teams did an excellent job. The team was well supported on the day by an enthusiastic and sometimes vocal (mainly the girls!) group of parents, brothers and sisters.

Despite coming home empty handed, we lost only a single match all day to the eventual competition winners and we all learned many valuable lessons for the Wilmslow competition next week.

The vagaries of the draw found the Under 10s Lions, yet again, in the group of death with Macclesfield, Lymm B, Stockport and Wilmslow.

The opening match was against Macclesfield and with a sense of “deja vu” a slow start saw the Lions trailing 0 -2 at half time. Caldy gained the upper hand in the second half and reduced the deficit thanks to a Matthew Underwood try but despite good pressure the game ended in a 2-1 win for Macclesfield.

This meant the Lions needed to win their remaining three group games to be sure of progressing in the competition.

All three games were extremely competitive and each resulted in a 1 -0 win for Caldy.... v Lymm B (try-scorer Will Haydon-Wood), v Stockport (try-scorer Ross Atkinson) and v Wilmslow (try-scorer Robin Lowndes).

These results put the Lions into a quarter final against Lymm A where they were comprehensively beaten 0 -4. The four earlier tough games no doubt had a bearing on the result but Lymm were much the better team and eventually went on to win the competition. To their credit the Lions battled until the final whistle and there was no disgrace in losing to such an accomplished team.

Whilst it was disappointing not to progress further the boys gave their all and the captain Ross Atkinson led by example all day long.

The Under 9s sent two squads to the Cheshire Festival at Chester last Sunday. The Lions squad got off to a flier winning their group comfortably scoring 10 tries and conceding only one in the three group games. Progressing to the main Cup competition the squad then beat Sandbach 1-0 to reach the semi-final. Despite a huge effort, spending the whole of the second half literally pounding away on the Bowden try line, the Lions went down 1-0.

The Tigers squad initially struggled in a difficult group, but found better form having progressed through to the Vase competition. In the quarter final they comfortably beat Northwich to set up a semi-final against Sandbach. A comprehensive 4-1 saw them through to a the final to play Wilmslow. Unfortunately, after conceding an early try the Tigers battled bravely but eventually went down 3-1.

Throughout the day the effort of both squads was outstanding. It was sad to see the tears at the end, but all the coaches and parents were justifiably proud of the quality of play and commitment throughout the festival.

Following the Under 8s squad’s victory at the Hinckley Festival, the Cheshire Cup was met with a mixture of expectation and nervousness.  The Lion’s group matches pitted them against sides from Bowdon, Winnington Park and Chester.  There was the traditional slow start against Bowdon before the boys finally got into gear with strong performances from a number of the team, most notably Adam Durband who, as a second half substitute, came on to grab six tags and a try as the Lions ran out winners five tries to one.  Winnington Park provided stiffer opposition in the second game but excellent all round performances from Joe Gawith (six tags and two tries) and Toby Brown (seven tags, one try) helped to overcome the opposition five tries to three.The final group game against Chester was a more straightforward affair and there were a number of notable performances in the ten tries to four victory.  A hat trick each for Ollie Saverimutto and Jack Gibson, combined with determined tagging from Jack Breheny and Edward Tilleard were the pick of the team, although there were some small defensive lapses which proved to be a sign of things to come for the quarter finals of the cup competition.  Because the Lions were in a smaller group they had a long break before their quarter against the second Bowdon side, and this might have caused the boys to switch off a little.

Bowdon won the toss and took the ball, always a worry when the first try rule kicks in.  The Lions though managed to turn the ball over before Bowdon scored, but then wasted the opportunity through careless handling, giving Bowdon the chance to score first.  The boys got back into the game quickly with a great solo try from Adam Spence but then poor defending saw them playing catch up again.  The game was notable for some “unusual” refereeing decisions, most notably when Harry Donelan’s excellent support play was denied the try it deserved as three Bowdon players made no attempt to retreat from an offside positions – Harry was penalised for delaying the pass!  A second try for the Lions brought the scores level, but the emotion of the occasion overtook some of the team and as discipline faltered and momentum was lost through constant breaks in play they were unable to score the crucial third try.

Losing on the first try rule is always a difficult thing to take, but in truth the team just did not perform well enough in the game to earn the right to go through to the semi final.  The weight of expectation may have taken its toll, but the boys will come back stronger for the experience and will hopefully go on to succeed in the Wilmslow festival next week.  Brad and Robin again worked hard to inspire the team throughout the day and they were left feeling as down as anyone when the final whistle came.  The tournament itself was superbly organised and run by Macclesfield RUFC, with Sandbach running out as Cup winners, beating Hoylake in the final.

Bright Spring sunshine welcomed the Under 7s at Bowdon RUFC – perfect rugby weather and not a volcanic dust cloud in sight.  A total of 32 teams had entered the Cheshire Cup and were split into 8 pools.  Taking a leaf from Sale Sharks, all teams had cool names from the fierce Tigers, Dragons, Lions and Alligators to the more tame Badgers.  We fielded 3 teams - the Cheetahs, the Cobras and the Coyotes. The Cheetahs day began with a very unlucky match vs. Bowdon Unicorns. We were leading 2-1 at half-time and were 4-3 up thanks to some great tries (well done to Henry who scored 2) only to lose 5-4. Stockport Lions were next up and this time the Cheetahs were hungry for a win. A few errors from both teams at the start soon gave way to a ding-dong game where the score went 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2.  We got the better of them by half time (4-2) and ended winning 5-2 – Great Result. The Cheetahs final game was against our neighbours from Hoylake.  The lads put on a great display of cup rugby and ran out winners 6-4. Caldy Cheetahs finished Runners-Up in their pool and went into the Cheshire Plate quarter final vs Helsby.  It was a super game and we looked destined to win as we were the better team.  Half time it was 2-2 and it was 4-3 to us when Helsby scored a try in the last play of the game resulting in a 4-4 draw.  Caldy went through to the Plate semi-final on a count back of tries scored, having scored 15 to Helsby’s 11. They beat Wilmslow Tigers in the semi-final on try count back 5-5 after a thrilling match of great rugby.  Both teams showing excellent skills in both attack and defence and even though the heat was telling and we had some tired bodies the commitment was fantastic.  This was one of the best games Caldy have played and everyone was really proud of their efforts. The final was against Marple and again was an excellent game played in great spirit.  It was a fitting end to a great day that we ended up sharing the cup as no-one deserved to lose. This was a real team effort and everyone contributed to our success.  Well done to all!!

Cobras’ first game of the day was a whopping 12 try thriller against Crewe and Nantwich.  Unfortunately the result went against us with the final score 8-4 to Crewe. The next game was against Macclesfield and the boys played well with lots of great tagging and passing.  A couple of knock-on's gave possession away and the final score was 6-1 to Macclesfield. Having lost two the Cobras wanted to beat Stockport Tigers.  All the boys showed good tagging skills and some lovely passing and angled running.  At half time the Cobras were leading but Stockport managed to come back and squeeze a draw 4-4. Caldy Cobras finished 4^th in their pool and went into the Cheshire Shield quarter final vs. Anselmians.   In a close game the boys grabbed loads of tags and made lots of good passes.  Anselmians managed a couple of late tries to beat the Cobras 6-4.

The Coyotes first game was against the stripes of Helsby.  At half time we were leading 2-1 thanks to tries from Adam and Josh but the match turned and Helsby ran out winners 4-2.  The second game was against Macclesfield and it was a very close and quick game.  There were several speedy runs from both sides with Caldy making two fabulous try saving tags when Macc were within feet of our line.  The match ended 3-3. The Coyotes faced Lymm Greens for their final pool game.  Again good skill was shown by both teams but Lymm managed to find gaps and their speedy wingers took a 5-1 victory over the Coyotes. Coyotes finished 3^rd in their Pool and went into the Cheshire Vase quarter final.  They played Hoylake and lost 4-1. It was a fabulous day’s tag-rugby for the boys – they all had great fun, enjoyed the sunshine, the rugby, the laughs with their team mates and the wins as well as the defeats. We’d like to thank all the coaches for their great effort in coaching the U7s section (not just the ones who were at Bowdon today) - it has been a great season with all the lads learning new skills, making new friends and dragging their parents out of bed on Sunday mornings.  Long may it continue.

REMINDER FOR CALDY SEVENS - 2ND MAY

WRISTBANDS ARE STRICTLY LIMITED IN NUMBER AND ORDERS ARE DEALT WITH ON A FIRST COME - FIRST SERVED BASIS. IF YOU INTEND TO PURCHASE WRISTBANDS FOR THE MEMBERS MARQUEE, WE ADVISE THAT YOU DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AVAILABLE ONLINE OR FROM JANE CORLETT AT THE CLUB

 And finally for my quote of the week “"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." General Dwight Eisenhower

REMINDER FOR CALDY SEVENS - 2ND MAY

WRISTBANDS ARE STRICTLY LIMITED IN NUMBER AND ORDERS ARE DEALT WITH ON A FIRST COME - FIRST SERVED BASIS. IF YOU INTEND TO PURCHASE WRISTBANDS FOR THE MEMBERS MARQUEE, WE ADVISE THAT YOU DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AVAILABLE ONLINE OR FROM JANE CORLETT AT THE CLUB

Last weekend the 1^st XV travelled to Rugby Lions and produced a patchy performance against a strong Rugby Lions side and eventually won 27-25 after a rousing comeback from their hosts. Rugby were excellent hosts last weekend and it will be shame if they are moved into National Two South with our league being stronger for their presence.

Caldy is set for a big day this Saturday with the Annual Past Captains and Players Dinner taking place which sees 130 of our most influential past players meeting up and sharing tales of games gone by as well as those infamous tour stories. As well as a fantastic Wylie luncheon, there will be special pre game performance from our excellent club choir, Off Pitch, directed by our very own Jan Lyon.

On the pitch, it’s derby day this Saturday as Caldy 1^st XV host local rivals Waterloo in the first ever league encounter at Paton Field between the two sides. Caldy are expecting no less of a challenge from the boys from Blundellsands, despite their precarious league position and their result last weekend when they were beaten by Broadstreet. In the previous game this season, despite Caldy coming out on top, the 1^st XV were given a rough ride from their Merseyside neighbours. Before the game, there will be a 10 a side fixture for Caldy Girls against Waterloo Girls. Please come early to support our Girls who have had another excellent season.

Waterloo have undergone much change this season with the advent of mywaterloorugby.com which gives the fans an opportunity to pick the team as well as make a number of other decisions as to the clubs progress. There is a change at the top as former Welsh international lock Steve Moore has taken the role of Director of Rugby and appears to be making some considerable progress in steadying the ship.

This season, it appears that Waterloo have relied on their impressive backs with Liam McGovern, Liam Reeve and James O’Brien scoring the bulk of their points. James O’Brien is their top scorer with 118 points out of which he has scored 16 tries so far this season from the left wing/full back. He will be looking to put pressure on Paul Arnold and Greg Summers at the top of the try scoring table. Liam Reeve at outside centre is a dangerous runner and has four tries to date this season. Probably their most popular signing of the season has been the return from Birkenhead Park of talismanic back rower Njike ‘Cheeky’ Tchakoute. Caldy supporters will also recognise Steve Ross, brother of our own Craig, who signed from Caldy during the summer and has started on the wing for the last three weeks.

Matt Holt has virtually a full pack to choose with Jake Lyon and Ben MacPherson both overcoming knocks which kept them out of action last Saturday. Shaun Woof is on the bench to start the game along with JJ Dickinson. Paul Arnold has recovered from the illness which affected him last weekend and will be looking to add to his tally of 23 tries this season. The side is as follows:

MACPHERSON, SOUTAR, ROBERTS, COOPER, KERFOOT, VASEY, BROXSON, WOODS, DOWRIDGE, SALISBURY, ARNOLD, NUGENT, LYON, SEWELL, SMITHSON SUBS: TURNER S, INCE, DICKINSON, COLLISTER and WOOF

The 2^nd XV got back to winning ways last weekend when they beat Altrincham Kersal and even better news was the return of Jim Remfry whose managed another 60minutes and Alex Martland who looked like he may be out for the season but returned with a try. Shaun Strudwick returns to the starting line up having been injured for the past few months. Liam Devaney picked up an injury and is unavailable this weekend as is Adam Aigbokhae who is away playing rugby league with the Irish Students. This weekend, Caldy face a crucial fixture in their bid to finish in the top three when they face Preston Grasshoppers this weekend at Paton Field. The team is as follows:

WYLIE, BROADHURST, YOUNG, BARNISH, MARTLAND, VORA, ORME, CRAY, STRUDWICK, REMFRY, LYON, BROWN, DOOLAN, MCNALLY, BAILEY SUBS FROM; SALISBURY, BUCKLEY, RUSSELL, POTTS

The 3^rd XV beat Sefton last weekend in a tough fixture and will now hope to maintain their 2^nd place in Miller Homes League 3 West when they face Northwich next weekend in their final game of the season.

The 4^th XV have a pool game this weekend when they face Prenton 4^th XV looking to maintain their excellent recent form.

The Junior Colts played and beat Waterloo last weekend in readiness for their National Under 17 Plate Semi Final when they face Old Northamptonians at Doncaster on Sunday. Good luck boys!!!

Last weekend, Caldy Juniors and Minis had a relatively easy weekend with only two teams the Under 13s and Under 14s playing whilst they were on tour.

Everybody in the Under 14s arrived early at base camp Headingly and with the library closed we headed to the lounge for a pear cider or three. At about 2am the boys were tucked up in their cots and one was left to foresee a hard day ahead!

So with a 7:30 start and Caldy to play our hosts Harrogate in the opening fixture of the day there was a fair amount of fog that would be added to our traditional slow start to such festivals. We weren’t to be disappointed as Harrogate took the lead, however our captain of the day J Bradshaw was in no mood to allow this lethargy to continue and dragged his team mates out of this haze and his immense drive and try, kick started a much better 2^nd half and this was finished with a match winning try from Ben Atkinson as he received the short ball and burst through the defence with the last play of the game.

An hour and a half wait until the next game meant that we were still sluggish when we faced a large team from Morpeth and despite dominating the game we were unable to convert the pressure into points and a nil nil draw was to be the final result. A result, which was probably to cost us silverware at the end of the day. Again, a long wait and then came Harrogate twos who had some decent players and showed the strength in depth that Harrogate could boast. However, the boys had shaken off some of the previous evenings’ tiredness and produced the best performance of the day with James, Jack Danby and Kriggy getting on the score sheet. There was some fantastic rugby being played but the injuries were beginning to mount and with probably the two hardest fixtures left to play things were beginning to look shaky.

The next game was to confirm our fears as we took on Pocklington who provided some of the stiffest competition we have ever faced.  Their heavy reliance on getting the ball to the left-winger who had sensational power and speed was their apparent MO of choice. This belied a team packed with ability and a number of other quality players, who got little chance to shine with such a simple but effective game plan. The match ending 0-21 didn’t show the effort and commitment demonstrated by all with the amiable ney angelic Andrew Ridgway leading from the front.

By the end of the day both our opponents and ourselves were physically tired and so a battle of heavy weights who we knew well was to ensue. Whilst Ruthin probably consider themselves unlucky not to have won, Caldy were stoic in defence and dealt with everything that was thrown at them resulting  in another nil nil finish with Max Porter sustaining a very nasty sprained ankle after his man of the match performance in taking the game to Ruthin on repeated occasions.

So as we collected together a very bruised and tired group of boys we had enjoyed our rugby and the hospitality of our hosts on a long day.

Day 2 Yarnbury 7 v Caldy 46

After a night of minimal sleep the wounded list was only a surprising 3, Jacks Ferris and Danby and team captain Max Porter who had all played brilliantly the previous day were to sit out but witness a fantastic display of rugby by the remaining squad. The first half included a period of some magnificent rugby as the boys utilised a full range of moves, open, blind, long and short that was too much for our spirited hosts to deal with. The tries came from the backs but Atkinson captain for the day took up the mantle of leadership and showed that he could also inspire his team.

Cross played his best game and was hitting his jumpers with pin point accuracy and was unlucky to have a pre planned move unfairly adjudged not straight which would have been the try of the day.

3 tries from Bridson who had looked down and out at one point Saturday was to enjoy the wide-open spaces that his pack created for him by sucking in the defence. Dougie collected a brace with probably the try of the match as he backed his speed to take the outside line and run 75 meters to score in the corner despite some dogged defence. Tom Roberts helped him self to a well deserved score after a great weekend on the wing and Isaacs with two damaged ankles deserved his for the huge tackle count that he’d made throughout the weekend and his never say die attitude.

What tour would be complete without a customary cameo from Rizzla the Sizzler. He left it late but when it came it was from his top drawer? He collected the ball on the full from a restart and was at full chat. The defence understandably looked horrified by the apparition that was Rizzla on the hoof as he broke tackles and looked to be heading for a glorious touchdown only to spill the ball in the contact. This burst fired him to barge his way past his team mates and to dump the ball carrier with the tackle of the weekend. It raised cheers from both sets of supporters and the referee. A poetic finale to another great weekend with Caldy UXIV’s

Last weekend saw Caldy U13s embark on the Two Roses Tour: the Harrogate Junior Rugby Festival (Yorkshire) and a friendly game against Burnley RUFC (Lancashire). The sunny weather proved to be a real advantage for the fast, open game preferred by the U13s.

At the Harrogate Festival, the Under 13s had two strong teams to play - the hosts Harrogate and a visiting team from the North-East (Middlesborough). The first game was against Harrogate who were semi-finalists in the Yorkshire Cup this year and have been finalists in previous years. Caldy opened the scoring from the off with a blistering run through out-stretched Harrogate arms. Caldy took the lead and didn't look back. A great try down the left-hand wing and a penalty try for taking out a Caldy player (twice) as he chased a kick through gave Caldy a seemingly safe 19 point lead. Harrogate then pulled themselves together - scoring once before the break. It was 19-5 to Caldy at half-time. The Harrogate coaches must have given an inspirational half-time speech because they came out after the break and tore into the Caldy defence. The Caldy line held until the big Harrogate right-wing broke through to score their second try. The Caldy lads knew that they had a game but held out to win 19-10. Against Middlesborough, Caldy took command early and leapt to a 12-0 lead with tries down the left wing from good support running and a break up the middle. Middlesborough were not going to lie down though and they fought back to level the scores at half-time: 12-12. In the second half, the better organisation of the Caldy backs and cohesion of the Caldy forwards proved decisive. Four more tries, two from the forwards and two from the backs, secured the win - and the Festival trophy. Middlesborough struck back with one try and the game ended 36-17 to
Caldy. Caldy lifted the Harrogate Festival trophy - making four trophies in four years for this age group. The evening in Leeds was long and full of celebrations.

On the Sunday, the U13s crossed the Pennines into Lancashire and headed for Burnley RUFC. Burnley are a very friendly club and welcomed Caldy with open arms. The Burnley team were big and strong but many were recent converts to the
oval ball game. Some of the Caldy lads (and parents) looked a little tired but they blew the cobwebs away with a dazzling display of attacking rugby. Five tries in the first half gave Caldy a commanding lead (29-0) but Burnley stuck to it and got two tries themselves in the second half. Caldy ran through some new combinations and gave all the lads a good run out. Caldy finished with a flourish and four more tries - winning 53-12 in the end. The U13s tour finished with three wins from three games - including one trophy - and maintained a three year record of not losing a game on
tour.

This weekend in the Junior Section, the Under 16s do not have a game and the Under 15s are training on the beach. The Under 14s are training at home in readiness for their Cheshire Cup Final next weekend and the Under 13s are playing Chester B at Christleton RUFC.

The Minis Section will be fully focused this weekend on bringing home some silverware with each section visiting the far corners of Cheshire in search of the Cheshire Cup. At Paton Field, the Under 12s will hold their annual Festival for the last time and the Cheshire Cup changes format next season. Please come along and support the future of our club.

The Under 15s Girls are due to play Preston Grasshoppers this weekend.

And finally, my quote of the week “The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better.”