Kirky rallies 3rds to run Toc close.

Catches win matches!

A spring day, a fine pitch and a derby match! Perfect! Unfortunately the Skipper continues to lead the 3rds from 2 teams in front, the stand in skipper unavailable and Air Marshal Heath DSO and Bar finally confined to Bar the 3rds were lacking leadership but not  players. The Oswestry 15 having their ranks boosted by the typical home only types! Yes, you know who you are! No less than 25 able bodied and spirited Yeoman ready to do battle with Didsbury Toc H 3rds who pulled a fast one before kick off in crying off our 2nds V their 4^th team and packing their 3rds with 4^th team ringers! This may not make sense to some but it does to us and that is what matters!

Seeing an early opportunity to run the show Kirky seized the reins from a still pissed Stoney and did what he does best, he enjoyed the sound of his own voice! A less than enthusiastic Steve Darwin managed to avoid the warm up along with Clarkey.  No less than 10 subs! The pack was awash with experience inc Joe James recently rested from the ones, Stevie Darwin, Rambo, Kirky, Ray Wood Clarkey & Chabal etc not a line up to contest the 100metres though!

After the almost centurion partnership of Oswestry today we had halfbacks Stoney and Sutty not a chest hair between em and less than 40 on the clock! Experience upfront youth in the backs! Showtime! Unfortunately Toc forgot to read the script and with an ageless Rhys Wheeler running the show at 9 we were blown away  in the first 15 conceding 2 soft tries but not without the human cannonball Beggy leaving his mark on 2 opposition men!, I knew we were in trouble when encouraging the lads whilst they converted when Stoney asked which way are we kicking?

The boys were going down like ninepins! Clarkey caused the game to be held up whilst injured when people rushed on and covered him in wet towels and tried to keep him wet till the tide could refloat him!  After the second try it was a different story the pack regaining control and giving the backs some pill at last, unfortunately to score tries you invariably have to either keep the ball or pass it to a team mate! Without exaggeration we dropped or knocked on at least a dozen times in the first half alone the only happy chap being Tiny who was salivating at the thought of all those scrums!

Second half came, 5 changes fresh legs but what we really needed was sticky hands and despite dominating possession and territory we continued to knock on or drop the ball at will. Tiny came on and straight away rearranged the Toc looseheads bowel section, we really were going forward in the scrums now but as usual we waited for it stop till we used the ball, “ hint to Howard “ We were now so dominant Beggy was substituted as to be honest we all know he aint there for his attacking prowess. With Euan off the pitch we could now unleash Dangerous Dave! Now Euan isn’t scared of anyone in the world let alone anyone on a rugby field that is except Dangerous Dave! After 8 well spaced out stitches at Mac last year and all that through a scrum cap Beggy has refused to ever take the field with Dave again! But as Dave went to Oswestry he had to play!

Alas all that possession was lost when a still pissed Stoney kicked down Wheelers throat to cost us 7points. To the lads' credit we never game up and got a score late on through good support play from Colt, Stevie Gilbert, obviously not converted by Stoney. They say statistics don’t lie but balls to that, we deserved a closer score line at least!  Now as we all know Rugby is a team game and we all win together or lose together, Stoney you know I love you but that was your entire fault! Please stop drinking when the little hand hits 6 and the big hand hits 12!