Second game of the season and already the 2s were struggling with injuries, holidays and late cry offs. But even with several changes of position forced upon them they all performed manfully against a well drilled weightier Cleakheaton team.
With 3 forwards in the starting back line and Nay Scotts shoulders still hurting from hitting the second longest drive at the inaugural Old Brods golf day, it could of been a laborious afternoon for the Woodhead men, but for an odd bounce and few h’armless’ tackles the Brods may have pipped it but in keeping the moral high ground lost out 3 tries to 2.
Brods kicked off down the slope and a good chase and crunching hit from James Wellington set the tone for what was going to be a bruising encounter. Cleck tried to work the ball up the hill but were repelled with aggressive defence from open side for the day Gareth Moger and Gareth Simpson. As the Cleck fly half chipped out of their half, a bounce into the motoring outside centre’s hands without him breaking a stride left him un-touched under the posts for a 7-0 lead without the Brods touching the ball. Cleckheaton tried to run the ball up the hill from the restart but poor hands let the Brods get their 1st attacking opportunity, Scotty ran the crash ball in as if he’d been drinking sambucca all the previous afternoon and not noticing the cherry and white shirts waiting for him was left feeling sick as parrot (the only birdie he’d seen for 2 days).
The resulting scrum, the first set piece of the afternoon, took place mid-field and the front row of Dave Romang, James Ogden and the returning Jamie McLaughlin really turned the screw taking it against the head for the first act of dominance that was to be enjoyed in the set pieces all afternoon.
The Brods attacked the Cleck 22 but poor rucking and not committing the numbers required to stop Clecheatons effective counter rucking too often led to turnovers allowing them to clear their lines. Moger was been his usual annoying self at the breakdown and was the first of many to get some of the trademark cheap shots from the props with energy to spare from not pushing in the scrums.A telling tackle from first half winger and welcome returnee Mark Bolger left Cleck needing to make early substitutions but their running round the fringes moved them up the field and a penalty for offside gave them a 10-0 lead up the hill on 18 minutes.
The Brods had to defend again as Cleck played keep ball up the hill refusing to give the Brods the chance to attack and though a few more players had to leave the field injured the fresh legs managed to pick and go almost the entire length of the field to score an unconverted try wide out. 15-0 after half an hour and though the Brods were winning the line outs and the scrums they just couldn’t get running from deep enough to break the solid Cleck defensive line, then a rare kick deep instead of to touch gave Dom Georgiou the chance to run from full back, he skipped past his opposite number and drew the inside centre releasing James Clark to round the outside centre and put winger Anton Gaughan into enough space to finish in the corner for a Brods try which had the stand on it’s feet. 15-5 Half time
Skipper Richard Cole roused his troops with a Churchillian speech and the Brods knew they were back in it but would have to play smart up the slope. Straight from the kick off the Brods were in the ascendency working their way up the hill just as Cleck had in the first half. Quick bal supplied from blindside Crish and number 8 Nick Womersley gave the backs the platform they needed on the half way line to put on a double miss pass from Cole, took at pace by Georgiou who broke the line, stood the full back up and outstripped the winger to score in the corner. 15-10 game on.
Unfortunately Cleckheaton realised they didn’t need to run the ball down the slope and a good kick and chase gave them a line out deep in the Brods 22, scappy ball gave the loose head prop an opportunity to power over (leaving the Brods wondering how he’d caught it as he didn’t seem to have any arms in defence) 22-10 Thirty minutes to go.
The game decended into a tug-of -war in mid-field and hand bags from scrum half for the day Danny McDonagh and the Cleck front row led to (once the prop had got up) them both getting 10 minutes. Dom produced a try saving tackle in the top corner and press ganged substitute winger Mikey Gaughan ran the ball out of the Brods half with scintillating step and spin leaving the Cleck backs tackling thin air and the manager wondering why he didn’t have his kit with him to start with.
The tussle carried on with half breaks for Ogden (who was nursing a nasty looking head injury, but don’t worry he’ll still be able to play the piano), Scott (who was a stone lighter than in the first half) and Bolger now playing second row but a last pass to ground or turnover at the ruck kept the Woodhead men at bay. Cleck had several forays into the Brods 22 but with the Lineout work of the whole pack particularly Wello,Worm and Simpson they were able to keep the line intact. A final bout of fisticuffs saw Ross Millward and Mark Bolger having to lay the law down to the opposition front row and dramatic swan diving from the props led to the latter seeing out the end of the match from the side lines.
As the final whistle sounded the Brods had plenty to take from the performance against a team from a league higher and with a few more getting training could really take the heart in the team on to bigger and better things. Once again hard to pick the best for the Brods but the set piece and those playing out of position really shone.
A few pints and some popular winners in the raffle (always a hard sell against Cleckheaton) went down well after a tough game and with a few players back next week the Brods will look to improve on their travels.