Another Top Quality Performance

A final visit of the season to one of the top three, in the twice postponed game.

As it was originally designated as a “free” weekend, a number of key players had tickets for Six Nations games, or were taking the opportunity of a chance to take a weekend away. So no Glen Chesher; Barney Coxon; Dane Blenkharn; Devin Coyle; Aaron Stephens or last weekend MoM Luke Atkinson. So there was a debut for Thom Leaman; and first game of the season for Jordan Johnson at scrum half; and a first start for Patrick Wolstenholme in the back row, with Tadhg Butler coming in at prop; and Mark Carruthers as the third different outside half in three games, after Aaron Stephens had appeared there for the first fifteen games.

By contrast, joint leaders Macclesfield, who had drawn at Rossendale last weekend, made just three changes to the team selected for the previous postponed game, and two were possibly improvements, with Terrance Babarinda, who played well against Kendal last season, coming in at wing and Rhys Davies, who was their MoM against Rossendale, in the second row.

There had been a lot of rain in Macclesfield over the last few days, but the afternoon was dry, warm (for February) and sunny.

Kendal had the better start and moving the ball more and quicker than normal, whilst when he kicked stand-in outside half, Mark Carruthers, often tested the Macclesfield defence.

Macclesfield came back and looked as if they may open the scoring, but after quarter of an hour the Kendal team got the breakthrough.

The ball was stolen near halfway and Dan Shorrock was released for a run down the left wing, and when stopped Ben Dixon was on his shoulder to take the pass to go through to score. Mark Carruthers then stepped up to add the difficult conversion. 0v7.

It then got even better. A clearance kick was chased and Charlie Lowther put in a crunching tackle, and Patrick Wolstenholme was in close pursuit to win the penalty as the Macclesfield player refused to release. Mark Carruthers kicked the resulting penalty. 0v10

Five minutes later Macclesfield finally opened their account. A passing move right to left found Ben Dixon marking two players, and centre Harry Oliver, dummied a pass to his wing, but instead cut through to score himself, then add the conversion. 7v10.

The Kendal scrum was in trouble, conceding a number of penalties, so with twenty five minutes played a scrum on the line looked ominous, but the Kendal eight held their opponents up, only for the ball to be moved wide to right wing Sam Adu to score. Harry Oliver added the conversion for a 14v10 lead.

Following the score, Kendal made a first change with Charlie Lowther replaced by Matt Houghton, who was soon making an impact. Shortly afterwards Greg Wrathall, making his first appearance since Christmas, replaced Tadhg Butler, with Alex Ryder moving to the front row.

The final score of the half with five minutes to play was a third try for the hosts. A long pass was thrown to Sam Adu on the right wing, there looked a possibility of a interception for Ben Dixon, but the pass found its intended target for a try converted, again converted by Harry Oliver. 21v10 at half time.

Tadhg Butler returned at the start of the second half for Ben Leacock, who had been receiving treatment during the interval.

Macclesfield kept Kendal waiting for the restart (possibly with the words of wisdom from their stand-in coach, ringing in their ears), but within a minute Kendal were back in the game and within a score.

Mark Carruthers returned the kick-off with a crossfield kick. Dan Shorrock went for it and appeared to knock on, but either the young referee missed it, or saw the ball come off a Macclesfield hand, as play continued and Shorrock gathered the ball and was away for a try. 21v15

Five minutes later Macclesfield re-established then extended their lead.

From a penalty lineout, the forward droves and hooker Ollie Longmore broke away for the bonus point try, which Harry Oliver again converted. 28v15.

Kendal were still not finished.

There was a big drive from the forwards, the ball was then moved wide and Ben Dixon found himself with a mirror image of the try scored in the first half, and this time he was dummying a pass to Dan Shorrock and instead going through himself for the try, which Mark Carruthers again converted from a difficult angle. 28v22.

With the try scoring bonus point in the bag, and news filtering through of Rossendale’s massive win at Sandbach, further extending their points difference, the priority for Macclesfield became ensuring victory was secured. So when awarded a penalty, the kick was taken, but for once did not find the target. There was also a failed drop goal attempt.

Mackenzie Cousins came on at scrum half for Jordan Johnson.

With fifteen minutes to go Macclesfield extended their lead when scrum half Danny Martin took a penalty quickly to burst through to score, with Harry Oliver adding the conversion.

Kendal continue to look for chances to get the extra bonus point try, but Macclesfield had the better of the play.

Tadhg Butler and Charlie Lowther returned in place of Ben Leacock and Patrick Wolstenholme, and when Matt Houghton was forced off, it was Jordan Johnson who returned for him.

There was a further failed drop goal attempt for Macclesfield, but the final score came from a Harry Oliver penalty 38v22.

The question is which is the bigger mystery, why Kendal teams struggle against the teams below them, but play so much better against the top teams, or why Blackburn who looked the best of the three in the recent games, also came closest to losing, and are realistically out of the title race ?

Could Kendal have won with a full team ? Realistically the ones who came in probably did as well, or even better, than those the replaced. Probably the team were missing a prop, with two players built for a spot further back in the pack forced into action, whilst Joe Anderson played are a rare full eighty minutes, despite needing occasional treatment.

Thom Leaman looked as if he could hold a first team place, in the competitive centre position, Mark Carruthers played very well, whilst Jordan Johnson and Mckenzie Cousins did all that was asked for at scrum half. Patrick Wolstenholme has more to learn, but showed when he does he could be another of the clubs production line of quality back row players. Ben Dixon, Dan Shorrock, Alistair Thompson and Alex Ryder, plus when they came on Matt Houghton and Greg Wrathall, made up for the lack of the normal first choice squad.

The interesting thing now is earlier in the season, players who missed a game did not start the next. How many of this team will be retain for the Anselmians game next week, as the visitors seem to have hit some form, in their battle to avoid the drop, and the team will need to replicate their heroics of the last two weekends, to this time come out on top ?

MAN OF THE MATCH

Mark Carruthers

TEAM

ACTION

OTHER RESULTS

The scrap at the foot of the table continues with Northwich and Anselmians (visitors to Mint Bridge next weekend) winning again.

TABLE