Macclesfield 28 – Hornets 24
By David Wilkinson
The Hornets travelled up to Priory Park from Weston-super- Mare for the first time in their 62 years as a Club. Macclesfield welcomed them in their 150th year, with a hope of a possible win. Although the teams were separated by four places, Macclesfield were fielding a strong squad with a big crowd of over 1000 to cheer them on.
Hornets kicked off, but immediately infringed with a high tackle. A lineout to Macclesfield was the end result, which was executed with precision; the ball was passed right to left reaching Jamie Harrison on the left wing. Jamie appeared to be boxed-in, but he cleverly stood-up his opposite number before using his pace to get around him. He then cut back inside side-stepping his way to the line, scoring on the other side of the pitch after beating seven would-be tacklers. It was a sensational start, and a favourite for Try of the Season, Macclesfield were seven points to the good after less than 4 minutes.
Harry Hughes gets the first
Hornets won a lineout from the restart, but Macc stole it, and applied pressure. At a scrum in the visitor’s half, the Boys-in-Blue were destructive, driving their opponents back. A penalty ensued, which set up Macc in an attacking position. It looked like a training ground move from the lineout, with the angles of play switching through forwards and backs; Harry Oliver burst through on an acute angle, slipping the ball to Harry Hughes in the tackle on the try line; his excellent conversion making it 14 – 0, after just over 8 minutes.
Following the restart, both teams seemed to make mistakes with the gusty wind. Macc won a scrum in their own half, but this time the visitor’s were more solid. Macc got back into an attacking position in Hornets’ half, and looked dominant until they got turned-over at a ruck. Hornets had a sustained period of possession, going through the phases. Macclesfield gave away a series of penalties, at the last one the Visitor’s went quickly from 10 metres out, and got sufficient players behind the ball to get over for the score, 14 – 7.
Dan Leake sprints 90 metres to score
The visitors kicked deep after the restart winning a scrum deep into Macc’s half, they went through several phases, getting very close to scoring in the middle of the park; but they chose to throw it wide. Macc’s defence forced Hornets into giving a looped pass, which finished in between their Full Back, and their Left Wing; Dan Leake had telegraphed the pass and was there to catch it, and run the 90 metres to score 21 – 7.
Hornets couldn’t believe their luck from the restart. A ruck was formed from the catch, but when the ruck set, the ball squirted out of the side, landing at the feet of a grateful Hornets Open-side Flanker. There was a yawning overlap on the blind-side, and the visitors executed it very well for the Right Wing to score, 21 – 12.
Ben Blackburn crashes through
The Boys-in-Blue continued to have the ascendancy in the scrum, twice they pushed Hornets back, the second time a Prop popped out, but the Referee decided to play on. Macc piled on the pressure, almost scoring, but for a fumble on the line; the visitors got a little relief until Macc attacked again from the lineout. Play shifted left to right with another forward charge from Ben Blackburn, but a dummy run in the next attack was adjudged to be crossing and Hornets were allowed to clear. It had been a good half for Macclesfield, they had been unlucky to concede the second try and could have bagged another couple themselves.
Macc continued where they had left off, attacking with vigour. Harry Oliver had a strong run to take play deep into Hornets territory, but when a fumble foiled the attack, the Referee brought play back for a penalty advantage. Again Macc were on the charge, but a pod of three forwards all missed the short pass, or the short pass missed them, and Hornets hacked clear. The ball was kicked back deep by Macc, and the Hornets Full Back spurned a bit of ping-pong, surging into Macc’s half. There was a fortunate half-interception, but the ball reached the speedy Hornets Left Wing, and it took a last-ditch tackle by Harry Hughes to prevent the try. Macc tried to clear from the lineout, but Hornets were in prime position for another rumble, which had been their go-to at the lineout. They executed very well, with a controlled maul that edged its way to the line, with their burly 2 finishing it off with a charge to the line, 21 – 17.
Caption “Tackled!”
Not for the first time Hornets won a turnover through their strength and organisation at the tackle, by holding the tackled player up. There was a protracted period of play where neither side could gain any kind of momentum, with all the rugby being played in the middle of the field, this resulted in some tetchy play including a hand-bag session of pushing and shoving. Macclesfield then had a sustained period of attacking play, where they went through the phases, switching attack from left to right, gaining ground with every carry, until the ball was eventually lost. The-Boys-in-Blue had been strong all afternoon at the scrum, and again at the second time of asking the Referee’s arm went up, the penalty put Macc into the 22. At the lineout Ben Blackburn just managed to keep possession, under immense pressure from the equally tenacious Hornets’ pack.
Harry Oliver breaks through to score
The forwards went through three phases before Harry Oliver stepped up as first receiver, he signalled to the blind-side, which appeared to be well marked, but he found a way through, and got over the line. The conversion was difficult, wide out, and off his wrong foot. He’d missed one early in the season from that same position; that at the time would have given Macc the win. After training the following week he hit ball after ball, from that position, until every ball was converted, and then did the same the following week. There was no mistake on Saturday, even though his standing foot slipped, 28 – 17 with 13 minutes to play.
Macclesfield continued to attack, but the Hornets swarmed at a ruck, and won the ball back. A penalty then got them into Macc’s 22, but their go-to catch and drive was halted, by some disruptive mauling from the Macc forwards, and when it collapsed they could have killed the ball, but they didn’t. The Hornets got the play going again, and after three more phases got close enough for the backs to find a gap and get over, 28 – 24.
James Oliver on the charge
From the restart Macc went straight into the attack, determined to play out what was left, in Hornets’ territory; after a 20 metre driving maul, they got very close, but Hornets would win the ball back. Trapped in their 22, Macc gave them no space, Hornets being forced to kick for their wing to pick up the ball wide-out, but it went into touch. Again Hornets’ tenacity got them the ball back again, but the Boys-in-Blue were determined to keep them pinned in their half. Time was up, but Hornets had the scrummage, it made no difference! Macc’s dominance at scrum-time sealed the day, they drove the Hornets off the ball, and hoofed it into touch to seal a very well deserved win.
Harry Oliver on one of his many carries
It had been a very competitive contest; Macclesfield had probably played the better rugby, but Hornets’ mauling and general tenacity had been outstanding. The Macclesfield coaching team will have been very pleased; the set-piece play was, by far, their best all season and the defence looked solid. Wins are hard to come by, for promoted sides, in this league, as such gritting it out will have given the boys a massive lift. Harry Harding will have been pleased with his performance, marking his 100th appearance in Blue. Next week they will go to Bournville with high hopes of another win, should they do so, they could even trade places with their Birmingham rivals.
