Saturday 28th. February 2015
North 1 West
Wilmslow 26-25 Eccles
Wilmslow had to thank their diminutive fly half Ollie McCall for getting them out of jail against Eccles. Well into the last five minutes and with play in the Wolves twenty two, they got turnover ball which they ran and kicked to around halfway. McCall then made a searing break through the heart of the Eccles defence and with just the full back to beat, he timed his inside pass to Richard Hughes perfectly for the centre to run in under the posts. Lawrence James converted and the Wolves now had a one point advantage.
From the restart, they probably played their best rugby of the afternoon by skilfully running down the clock with a series of faultlessly executed pick and drives until scrum half Ollie Wilkinson knew it was time to put the ball out of play. It was McCall's last appearance for the Wolves this season before setting off on a world tour and you could scarcely imagine a better script for him to end on.
Whatever your allegiances, you had to feel for the Eccles' players, who had got so close to yet another upset. Despite winning half their matches since the beginning of November, they are still trapped third from bottom in the league. This was consequently a game they simply had to win and, although nobody's favourites to do so, their players clearly believed they could. The first half though went the Wolves way with three well taken tries and at 19-0 at the break the visitors looked a beaten side. All that changed though in ten mesmerising minutes at the start of the second half as they capitalised on Wilmslow mistakes to score three tries in rapid succession.
At 19-17, it was now anybody's game and two more scores, a penalty and a try followed from counter attacks to put a famous win within their grasp. It had been a tremendous fight back and nor could you say their lead was undeserved. The current Eccles team is not a pretty side but it does scrap for everything around the fringes and on the floor, disrupting the flow of a game, getting into your face and slowing down the ball. They concede their fair quota of penalties in close play but on the other hand they're also past masters at getting away with quite a lot, making them extremely awkward to play against. It was very nearly enough.
The Wolves, of course, were just as much their own worst enemy. They wanted to play quick fast rugby, putting plenty of width on the ball, believing that they would be able to run the feet off their opponents. Unfortunately though, in their haste they just spilt too much ball, whether or not an Eccles hand was interfering with it or not.
They scored their first try after twelve minutes, whilst Eccles had a man in the bin for a dangerous tackle. Good scrum ball flashed crisply along the line where Sam Cutts made the extra man for the try, converted by James. On the half hour, a long clearing kick from James got the Wolves back in Eccles territory. They pressurised the defence, McCall charged down an attempted clearance, got his toe to the ball and was first to the touchdown. A typical opportunistic try from the out half. Prop Adam Taher then got a yellow card but whilst he was off the field, hooker Max Harvey made a powerful surge from the lineout and when it was recycled Legin Hotham, playing at thirteen, utilised a bit of space for try number three. A fourth could even have followed in the time remaining.
The Wolves took about thirty seconds of the second half to stupidly concede a penalty for holding on. The outcome a few moments later was a simple run in for winger Matt Parkinson, converted by Reece James from the touchline.
McCall's restart was long and thumped back with interest by Eccles full back Freddie Oakley deep into the Wilmslow half. Wilmslow's throw at the lineout was stolen, scrum half Josh Boothman found space at the back for a break and with two men in support, it was the lock Nick Spooner who touched down out on the right. The next mistake came when McCall's restart went straight out. It wasn't his most glorious few minutes. From the scrum, the Eccles forwards probed for an opening but when that didn't come and the Wolves defence was up, fly half George Oakey kicked into no man's land where the bounce favoured Parkinson, who now had his second score.
The Wolves gritted their teeth and tried to impose some kind of order. They had their chances but every time, they got into a decent position, an Eccles arm or hand or something caused the move to break down and the visitors quickly counter attacked. A penalty by Reece James was adjudged by both touch judges to have gone under the bar but referee Calum Sharp decided otherwise. With ten minutes left a fine cross kick by fly half George Oakey was taken by the other Oakey, Freddie, who bundled into the corner. Whether he was in touch matters not as referee Sharp was satisfied and awarded the score.
It looked all over until McCall's late late intervention saved the day for the Wolves. Make no mistake, they were extremely fortunate to come away with the win and five league points to leave them sixth in the table. As a consolation, Eccles earned two bonus points but this still leaves them five points below Bolton, whom they play next week. The Wolves meanwhile are away at table topping Birkenhead Park, who are unbeaten at home and have only conceded three bonus points all season to their visitors.
Match report by David Pike.
Photo: Max Harvey gets taken down by the Eccles defence
Comments
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Thx for a great report!