Chorley 5 Preston Grasshoppers 20

Injuries take toll in brutal encounter

Was so busy last week I didn’t have any time at all to do the match report. I hate missing them when we lose, as it looks bad just doing them when we win. Anyway, last Saturday saw us with a 20-5 defeat against Preston Grasshoppers (PGH), this was two completely different halves. PGH dominated the first half and we dominated the second. The game itself was definitely the most physical of the season, within 10 minutes two of the PGH props had to go off injured, this saw the game go into uncontested scrums with 70 minutes to go. I honestly lost track of the number of injuries that both teams had. It was penalties that cost us, in the first half we gifted PGH 12 points. PGH spent the first half within 30 metres of our line for probably 35 minutes of it, it was only our defence that stopped them clocking up more points. They actually made the same mistake we did in the second half. White line fever set in and at times they had 3 and sometimes 4 man overlaps, but still they wanted to try and score with trying to bust over around the rucks, as I say, we did exactly the same in the second half. I sometimes look at us defending and feel so proud of how we have improved it and how every single player buys into it. It’s ok saying that we’ve coached it and put sessions on, but it’s the lads that do it, they are the ones who put absolutely everything into it. 

As the second half saw us 12-0 down, we had to start well and start well we did. We were camped in the PGH half just like they were in ours in the first half. we also copied them with the white line fever as well as we constantly took the option of driving over, rather than give the ball some air. At times we had 2 and 3 man overlaps and twice unbelievably, 5 man. It happens though and it's something that can cost teams lots of points, it did us, as we should have definitely scored two tries and to be fair PGH should of as well, but it was not to be. When PGH did get into our half they came away with yet another penalty to make it 15-0. A try then followed from us as Isaac O’Grady was driven over but just as it looked like we could get back into the game, PGH broke in open play and made it 20-5. Some bad injuries saw a PGH player have to go to hospital and an awful one for us as we lost Isaac O’Grady with a really bad broken leg. Isaac is really popular in the changing rooms and it was great to see him at the Leigh game on Saturday. We wish all the PGH players a speedy recovery and obviously Isaac will have us all around him helping him with whatever he needs.

Graham  Crane