Try-fest in re-arranged league game at Tyldesley.

Moor visited Tyldesley on Easter Monday to play a game that was cancelled in January due to wet conditions underfoot but three months later the contrast could not have been starker, with bright, warm sunshine and a bone-hard pitch; conditions ideal for running rugby. And so it proved to be, as a try-fest was to unfold; fifteen in all, with the Green Lane side just failing to upset the formbook and providing a highly entertaining spectacle for those watching.

Both halves were to follow a similar pattern, with the home side opening a healthy lead only for Moor to reduce it before each whistle. The key to Moor’s play was their back-row who constantly battled for any loose ball and provided a platform to unleash their lively three-quarters, which meant that they had at least 60% of the possession throughout the game. It was poor defensive work that was to be their downfall however, together with the fact that they won virtually no line-outs and were always under pressure in the set scrums.Tyldesley opened their account within 5 minutes with an unconverted try, but full-back Zander Claassen levelled the score when he jinked his way over for a try shortly afterwards. The home side then scored three further tries in the half, two of which were converted, to a Jim Hine try and two penalties by Martin Snidall, to make the interval score 24-16 to Tyldesley.

Typical of the almost cavalier style of play was one the home side’s tries. The ball had been lobbed along their back line but hit the forehead of one of the attackers, bounced forward and whilst the Moor defenders stopped, thinking that it had been knocked on, the Tyldesley left wing ran on to the ball and scored unopposed under the posts.Tyldesley repeated their try count in the second half, converting all, whilst Moor outscored them with five but could only convert one. This was mainly due to the home side managing to score under or near to the posts, whilst the visitors were forced to score wide out. Again, Moor did not help themselves with some slack defence, giving their opposition too much room at times and missing crucial tackles.

With 10 minutes to go, Tyldesley had stretched their lead to 52-26, Moor’s tries coming from wingers Nick Hawke and Ivan Smetana, but a grandstand finish was to ensue as the hosts began to tire and with perhaps one eye on their Twickenham final, allowed the opposition to take control. Three tries in the last five minutes were to be Moor’s reward, but proved too late. The scorers were Nick Smith, Martin Shelley and Jaz Kondratowicz, with Shelley converting his own, as Tyldesley ran out 52-43 winners and set them up for a league-decider next week against top-placed Vale of Lune.

Next Saturday, Moor play away at third-placed Kirkby Lonsdale, k.o. 3:00 pm.