Mavericks Cut Loose Despite the Mud

The Mavericks turned out in force yesterday to play Old Parkonians 2s in the rain and mud at Townfield Lane. Whilst this could have been a day for tucking it up the jumper the away side were having none of it, and managed to play some very impressive expansive rugby.

Parkonians were bolstered by a cadre of players from Port Sunlight and showed from the start they were up for the contest. The first 15 minutes of the game were pretty even. Ryan Williams signalled his welcome return to rugby with some elusive running, which eventually created a first try out wide: finished off by Craig Brookes who forced his way over the line from a centimetre out. (He rarely misses them).

Slightly sloppy (but forgivable defence given the conditions) allowed Parkonians back into the game to bring the score back to 7- 5. But under an assault of strong carrying through the forwards and fine handling in the backs, the home team’s resistance was increasingly broken down for the balance of the game, and they were not to score again.

That’s not to say it was all one way traffic. Parkonians regularly took the game to the Mavs and the away team’s defence had to be secure in order to prevent the opposition making greater inroads into the game, and gaining confidence from that. Yet I cannot think of a single one-on-one tackle that was missed, with the pick of the bunch coming from Nev Pickard against a full on charge by Parkonian’s massive eight Jack Johnson.

Dan Jenner had a great lineout game and carried intelligently from the base of the scrum. After a bit of an absence from the club, Mason Tyler-Holland returned from naval duties to run the game at 10 and show us what he offers. Tom Redfearn somehow managed to step his way through the mud to good effect (it must be those knees of his). Not to be outdone by the fine finishing of Matt Brookes and Martyn Brown, Del Alderson showed that he can exploit an opportunity as well as any youngster. Finally, young Sam Braithwaite marked his debut for the seniors with a very sharp performance that revealed a great instinct for getting on the ball, combined with a fantastic work ethic. Well done Sam!

This was a fine display from the Mavericks and speaks loudly of the strength in depth available at Anselmians - and the spirit within the team. The youngsters that turned out yesterday will surely play at a higher level, grateful of the experience handed down to them by their more seasoned team mates.
Hats off to Old Parkonians for their graciousness in defeat in what proved to be a tough day for them.

In a game in which all of the players set a very high standard – very impressive in the conditions – the team chose John Bentham as man of the match for the rampaging runs that left tackler after tackler trailing in his considerable wake.