Score:- Anselmians 19- Liverpool Collegiate 5
Try:- Leo
Conversion:-, n/a

Team ; starting Positions indicated.
Backs :-Dan(centre) , Fintan(scrum half), Finlay(full back ), Leo(fly half), Harrison, (centre), Nial (wing), Dan Kavanagh (wing)

Forwards: - Oli (2nd row), Finbar(prop) , Sonny(hooker), Jack, 2 Anselmians

November 2nd and a good step into the wind and rain portion of the year. Luckily no-one had told the weather forecasters and we were treated to a dry, hot sunny morning at Anselmians, Eastham.

At the allotted meet time of 10:30 the vast crowd of collegiate supporters were checking their watches with concern, with only 3 players present and correct. Time ticked on and in trickled some players, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8……9…….10. Hans strode off to the Anselmians’ club house and car park looking for players like a shepherd searching for his tardy flock. At the stroke of 11, Finbar trotted up with a sheepish look on his face to make Collegiate’s starting thirteen a mere eleven. Luckily the home team had a few to spare and pressed two of their forwards into joining our motley crew. Due to the lack of forward players we agreed to non-contested scrums.

So Collegiate U12’s first Eleven plus two, kicked off on their first match on a full sized pitch with it all to do, and do it they did. The first half saw the territorial dominance at least 75-25 in Collegiate’s favour. We were strong in the rucks and fearsome in the tackles and kept on assaulting the Anselmians’ line only to fall short time after time. Both Leo and Finlay had good runs at the broken field, but too much lateral movement and not enough forward gain, saw us squander our attacks. The first half ended frustratingly 0-0, but a definite moral victory for us.

The Anselmians’ coach obviously delivered a better half time team talk than John as they came back a stronger unit, and shortly after scored their first with a strong forwards run. We regrouped, but there seemed something missing and after Oli went off injured they scored a second. A third put us almost down and out but we rallied with some fantastic runs by Fintan and Niall down the right wing and completed the match with a penalty starting in our 22, Fintan out to Leo who beat the entire 13 Anselmians players to score in the top left corner.

Full time whistle blown, and a sad defeat, but what really upset the Collegiate’s parents was the disgusting and over the top Wirral tax. £1.70 each way through the tunnel. I ask you!

Although we missed a lot of our usual players, it was good to see new recruits, Niall, Jack and Dan Kavanagh get stuck in and show us with their raw talents and a full squad, we will be winning these matches in the following weeks.

There was no man of the match awarded, but I’d like to mention Leo for his energy, strong running and tackling, Harrison for his tackles, Finbar for his mighty shoves up front and Nial for his excellent 2nd half performance.

Match correspondent, (and Dan’s dad),Aitch

Liverpool Collegiate RUFC

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