Sat in TCs sprots bar (out new club bar) some of the players were joking about my match reports from last year and how I would start this one…..As a light breeze softly glided in over the west Lancashire’s rolling hills, or is it east Lancashire? I actually sat there then for a few minutes trying to think of something else dramatic and ridiculous that would set an amazing scene, I’m sure you get what I mean though. I actually thought last night “right ill just get straight into the game” yet here I am already rambling on, so here we go…….

As the September sun shined brightly through inconsistent clouds of a Lancashire sky, a league of gentlemen made their way onto the green pastures of the beautiful Blackburn pitches…… right ill stop !!!!!!

Blackburn kicked off and the intensity was exactly where we needed it to be, Sean Livingstone took the ball in strongly and new scrum half Sam Norris danced from the back of the ruck making 20 meters. After a couple of strong runs, we won a penalty right in front of the posts and Ellery Hodson made it 3-0. From the kick off Hamish Rendell smashed into the Blackburn forwards sending 2 flying backwards into the beautiful pastures of Blackburn, Cal Gale then followed that up with a great 35 metre run sending us 10 meters from the Blackburn line. Good work from Sam Norris and Chris Highton, stopped the rush of blood to score by slowing us down and it was Chris Highton himself who was driven over to make it 8-0. 10 metres in from touch with a swirling wind was a big ask to covert and it remained 8-0. 5 minutes later we were under pressure as Blackburn started to work themselves into the game. Under pressure we won the Blackburn lineout and Ellery Hodson put in the first of many good kicks by putting us 10 meters into the Blackburn half. From their great work from Kev Rothwell and Owen Williams saw us steal the second lineout in a row, good work from Blackburn though saw them steal the ball two phases later. Blackburn were now growing in confidence. When this happens in a game you need something big to happen in defence, someone to make a big impact in defence, in Michael Jessiman, Cal Gale and Hamish Rendell we have of the bast. Captain Michael Jessiman started the impact with a huge hit on his opposite number 8, from the next phase Cal and Hamish combined with a one up one down text book tackle which sent the Blackburn forward back seriously 6 or 7 metres, you could see it then, the Blackburn pack looked like they wanted no part of that physicality, from that ruck the scrum half had nobody to pass to and we turned over the ball. Sam Norris saw an opportunity and raced 20 meters and with Blackburn struggling to defend gave away a penalty again right in front of the posts, Ellery Hodson again obliged to make it 11-0. That penalty was born out of good defence and a great run, we made them give that penalty away, we forced them into it, brilliant!

Blackburn though found another gear and were camped inside our 22. One thing I’m proud of is our defence, we were complemented on it by other coaches last season, coaches on the side-line during a game actually complementing the lads, that to me meant so much. It something we’ve worked so hard on, our defensive pattern, where and when to defend in certain ways and more importantly being aggressive. I actually never think anyone will score against us within 15 metres of our try line, 20 to 30 of course you expect it, but so intense and organised is our defence within that 15 meters we look like a wall. Another massive hit from Cal Gale saw the ball spilled by Blackburn and Ellery Hodson kicked us out to the halfway line. From the lineout we turned over the ball and Rob Gatefield made a good run and fed Jake Peake who fed Geoff Fielden but he was tackled, great work though from the backs as we started to grow even more in confidence. More great defence minutes later especially from Logan Singleton on the wing saw him together with Jake Peake drive the Blackburn centre into touch. The half time whistle went shortly after.

We had a little game plan which we spoke about before the game, it was to physically take a certain Blackburn player out of the game, we didn’t know anything about him I just thought stop any threat before it becomes one. It worked perfectly, the Blackburn number 10 was not in the game at all, we ran at him with physicality and pressured him which made him stand further and further back, the little plan worked. Straight from the kick off the number 10 caught the ball and Michael Jessiman slammed into him, that was it, the 10 was out the game, this may sound bad but after that tackle I knew we would win, we had basically bullied a player out of the game. 10 minutes later we were 30 meters in our half, Cal Gale drove forward with Owen Williams and Sean Livingstone taking us forward in the next two phases. After Thomas Wexler had put in a good run, Sam Norris darted forward, he then fed Ellery Hodson who did some great work to put Cal Gale into space, Cal then smashed through the Blackburn scrambling defence to score a great team try with a great finish from Cal, Ellery converted to make it 18-0. You’ll remember I mentioned a few lines ago about our defence within 15 metres of our line and I’ll stick by it even though we conceded, thing is it was a penalty try. Did we deserve it I’m not really sure even now, we were at fault though but it just seemed a little harsh especially as it was 10 meters out and we had only infringed twice, anyway it was now 18-7. Minutes later Michael Jessiman again showed his class by busting through 4 tackles 40 metres out to score 5 metres from the touch line, 23-7. Under pressure again from the kick off it was Michael Jessiman again who took us forward with a great kick which was knocked on deep into the Blackburn half. Great work from the backs nearly saw us increase our lead but a good idea of a kick from Jake Peake, was foiled by the Blackburn winger. A great tackle from Logan Singleton though saw us win a scrum. From the scrum good work from Logan again took us forward, 35 metres out it was Michael Jessiman again who burst through two tackles, dummied another and passed to Rob Gatefield who scored in the corner to finish off another well worked well earned try, 28-7. Five minutes later Sam Norris made it 33-7 by racing in after picking up a loose ball and he again raced into the same corner. Some great work by Owen Williams and Hamish Rendell nearly saw us again score in the same corner but good Blackburn defence kept us out.

A great performance from everyone got us that result, every single player put everything into the game. Michael Jessiman was immense in every part of the game, Sean Livingstone put in a great performance in the front row, Kev Rothwell and Hamish Rendell were so physical in defence and attack. Dom Anderson who won most improved player of the year last season was again making a great impact with some great runs and his %100 lineout.

Man of the match though, chosen by the players (as everyone is) is Cal Gale, his runs always took us forward and some of his tackles surely created more hills in the Blackburn countryside, such was the force he drove players into the ground and his try was simply brilliant.

Thank you to everyone who came to support us it’s so much appreciated!

Next Saturday we are home to Ormskirk, kick off 3pm.