Good Start of Season #40

Clitheroe Rugby Clubs 40th season got off to possibly one of the wettest first September weekend in all those four decades.
Fortunately it did little to dampen spirits at Burnley for the senior XV, who continued in the same vein as the previous successful season in scoring four tries in what proved to be a lively and entertaining match.

The team had a familiar look about it with a few players returning from injury that blighted the latter part of the preceding campaign. Richard Few beginning his second term as Club Captain returned at scrum half and Richard Edmondson was restored into the middle of the front row. A slimmed down Ross Chamberlain regained his place in the engine room second after a season at Bolton RFC.
There was a debut at outside half for newly arrived James Cathcart, plus a welcome return to colours for Nathan Peel and Stuart Railton in the centres.

After a good pre season period the players were itching for competitive action, and as the day arrived of course the rain was teeming down and seemed to worsen during the game. Not ideal but the same for both sides.

Clitheroe found themselves under the cosh from early on,and they were certainly guilty of trying to force the game, leading to many errors. The soap like qualities of the ball coupled with first day nerves saw the maroons struggle to keep hold of the ball and gifted the home team a surfeit of possession in the first quarter.

Some disjointed communication in defence was evident as Burnley scooted in with two unanswered tries before half an hour had been played.

Clitheroe's woes deepened when influential No8 James Haynes was forced to retire with a shoulder injury. Off the bench came young tyro John Norman for his first taste of 1st XV rugby.

The experienced heads in the team settled the play down and the confidence forged from a long unbeaten home run over the last 12 months began to pay dividends.

Some loose kicking out of defence brought full back Martin Lafranceschina into the game , always looking to counter attack he cut a lovely line which carved open the defence to open Clitheroe's account for the new season.

Now Clitheroe seemed more self assured and even though Burnley kept pressing the defence was up to the task. When evergreen Kiwi back rower Darren Eagle superbly effected a turnover deep in their own 22 the ball was moved to the left. Chamberlain straightened the line and drew the defence and with speed merchant Chris Stewart lurking on his shoulder it seemed game over. The wing man still had plenty to do skipping out of a few tackles to score just on the stroke of half time.

On paper the game still seemed in the balance with Clitheroe just two points behind. But there was the feeling that there was much more to give and that their superior fitness would a deciding factor in the Littlemoor mens favour.

The majority of the second half belonged to Clitheroe, and while they only had a further two tries to show they seemed in control.

A couple of penalty kicks from the steady boot of Peel gave them a lead and frustrated the home team, who seemed to incur the displeasure of the referee.

Clitheroe were themselves as guilty and in the same boat here last year and proved that getting on the wrong side of the official only compounds problems.

It was not all perfect for Clitheroe and there were several areas that need to be addressed for future but they managed to overcome their difficulties on the day.

After James Dickinson limped off from the left wing, his ready replacement David Seed scored with almost his first touch of the ball – not a classic wingers try perhaps – but burrowing over from short range will do.

Now in the closing stages Clitheroe scored the try of the day. Chris Stewart tracked back to field a speculative kick deep in is own half. He then set off on a mazy 70 metre run seeming to out run the defence before he appeared to slow dramatically. With the cover defence almost snuffing out the chance, up came lock Lewis Hardman in support to claim a well deserved try.

With the clock up Burnley showed plenty of grit to camp on the Clitheroe line and were well rewarded with a try of their own at no side.

So a decent win with bags of character on show; a good start to Season #40