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ANSELMIANS V LIVERPOOL ST HELENS 			   23RD September, 2017

ANSELMIANS V LIVERPOOL ST HELENS 23RD September, 2017

jamie kimpton27 Sep 2017 - 08:31
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On Saturday the 23rd September, a date that will live long in our memories, Saints welcomed the League leaders Liverpool St Helens to Malone field.


Liverpool who had begun their season with 3 bonus point wins were looking to maintain their 100% record against a Saints team that had started the season brightly with two wins from two, before faltering and losing at West Park the last week. Over the pre match lunch, one of Liverpool supporters explained that their success was based around their extremely large pack but that if they had a weakness it was that up against a talented side that could run the ball they could struggle with their mobility. He must have been psychic.
Saints, who were playing up hill and against the breeze in the first half, began brightly and on 5 mins they were awarded a penalty under the Liverpool posts. A certain 3 points were gambled when Saints ran a quick penalty that unfortunately ended in a knock on. From the resulting scrum Liverpool cleared their lines with a kick to the halfway line. A couple of breakdown’s later and Liverpool’s talented scrum half Wilson broke clear, evaded a couple of tackles and went in under the posts for a ty that was duly converted to give Liverpool a 7 point lead. Saints had gone from a penalty under the opposition posts to conceding a try within the space of 2 mins.
It was looking ominous for Saints and the supporters and alumni on the line, who have witnessed some below par performances in recent seasons, braced themselves but they need not have worried. From the restart saints won possession and following a line out on the right hand side of the Liverpool half, the ball was moved swiftly by the Saints backs across the full width of the pitch stretching the Liverpool defence and creating space for Costello to go over in the corner to make the score 5-7
On 15 mins saints lost Meredith due to a head injury so saddler moved to scrum half and Hough came on the centre. Saints had started brightly but with the changes they appeared to go up a gear. On 22 mins yet another flowing backs move saw Saints go over in the left corner only for the ref to rule it out for a forward pass. Three mins later another flowing move saw Saints again on the Liverpool line only for the final pass to go to ground. It was now all saints and how the score was still 5 – 7 to Liverpool was a mystery that Sherlock Holmes couldn’t have solved. It took until the 30th minute for Saints to convert the pressure into points and go into the lead. From a line out the ball was moved across the backs before Russell at centre kicked through into the Liverpool corner. The Liverpool full back gathered the ball and looked up to see his opposite number Taylor gleefully bearing down on him. His hasty attempt to kick the ball away was efficiently charged down by Taylor who followed up to score and then for good measure kicked the conversion from the touchline. 12 -7 to Saints.
The dam had now been breached and the torrent that was Anselmians descended on Liverpool. On 33 mins, the Saints line out that had been a concern over the previous three weeks but in this game was a strength due to excellent throwing in by A***S, produced yet again quality ball and the ball was moved across the width of the pitch and then because they could they moved it back again before Hough was put over in the corner for his second try. On 38 mins a Saints penalty miss had the supporters settling for a half time lead of 17 – 7 but Saints players had other ideas. In this mood they weren’t settling for anything. Saints caught the restart; Cummings was put away on the right and looked certain to score until he was tackled on the line. Liverpool won their lineout and cleared the lines with a kick into Saints territory but you could almost hear the collective Liverpool groan of as Bramhall caught the ball in play and 30 seconds later Liverpool were conceding a penalty under their posts. The supporters didn’t even have time to comment before a quick penalty saw Costello go over to give Saints a 22 -7 lead at half time. In previous seasons half time has been an excuse for some supporters to head to the bar for brandy’s and to stay there. No one was leaving this match. In fact the crowd seemed to grow as word spread something special was happening at Malone field.
Saints began the second half just as they had finished the first and any thoughts of a Liverpool rally were put firmly out of mind when on 48 mins a disrupted Liverpool scrum on the halfway line resulted in their scrum half Wilson chasing a bobbling ball back towards his own line with a smiling Liam Sadler breathing down his neck just daring him to pick it up. He eventually obliged and was duly clattered. The loose ball was nonchalantly flipped up to the blur that was Cumming as he raced by and who seemed certain to get the try that would have capped an excellent performance before he was pulled down short of the line. No matter he calmly presented the ball to the following support which must have seemed to Liverpool as consisting of the entire Anselmians team and Hough went over in the corner. 27 –7. Credit to Liverpool though as you would have expected of the league leaders they kept playing and on 60 mins a series of pick and goes from their pack produced a converted try to make the score 27- 12. Saints did not seem to notice they had conceded a try and just carried on regardless. Two mins later another swarming Anselmians attack saw A***S go clear and with the Liverpool line one yard away and not a Liverpool player in sight he appeared to drop the ball. It made no difference the ref had spotted an earlier Liverpool infringement and Taylor slotted the penalty to make the score 30 -12. Some sort of try Euphoria was taking hold of Saints and from the restart they moved the ball down field and Hough went over for his hat trick. 37 -12. In the 70th minute Liverpool produced another forwards try to make the score 37-19 but their efforts were in vain. No one would have blamed saints for seeing the game out but the Saints deluge had now become a Tsunami and on 75 mins Lamming was stopped on the line but like clockwork the ball was recycled and Russell went over in the corner. 42 -19. Still there was more to come with the Saints coach shouting for 50 straight from, yes you have guessed it a restart, saints moved down the field and Taylor went over to score his second try which he duly converted. Final score 49-19.
It was an incredible team performance. A special mention is due to the Saints pack. The Liverpool pack consisted of a group of large powerful men who were definitely no strangers to a pie. Personally, I would only have run into them if I was driving someone else’s 4 x 4 but time after time the Saints pack led fearlessly by Nick Hearn stopped them in their tracks. At the break downs Saints were invariably first on the ball with Lamming and the rest of the back row winning several key penalties as Liverpool were penalised for holding on. The lineouts were exceptional and the scrums solid ensuring our group of talented backs got the ball quickly and cleanly for them to rip through the opposition. The Liverpool scrum half must have been wondering how every ball he received seemed to have an Anselmians back row attached to it.
Over the past few seasons the phrase “Men against boys” has often been used by the Anselmians Alumni (old members) to describe heavy defeats at the hands of opponents. I think what best sums up this performance is a comment from the Liverpool camp after the match “Congratulations on a superb display. It was men against boys out there today” So congratulations the MEN of Anselmians and on behalf of the supporters thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable day
P.S
In an after match interview A***S revealed why he dropped the ball. “When I am under cover I don’t like to draw attention to myself so I didn’t want my name listed in the try scorers and please don’t use my name in the match report.
“Don’t worry Ant” I said

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