Tarleton youngsters show up Clitheroe's frailties

Clitheroe travelled to Tarleton in their first league fixture of the season with seriously high hopes. Pre-season training has gone well and not only has a method of play been developed, players were genuinely looking sharp. Unfortunately, all that hard work went out the window for all bar 15 minutes of the 80.

Determined to make a strong start in what turned out to be a rare day of warm sunshine, the team prepared to take on the youngsters of Tarleton. The hosts were on the front foot straight away, managing to clear out rucks with ruthless efficiency and shipping to ball out wide to their fleet footed backs all too easily. It took only a few minutes for the Tarleton backs to show their pace and to score an unconverted try. This was followed 5 or so minutes later with another try, this time a converted one so that Tarleton were leading by 12-0.

It wasn’t all going the hosts way with the back row 3Cs of Carins, Curphy and Cowgill making strong tackles and significant ground when they managed to get the ball in the hands and the centre partnership of Bartle and Callaghan being strong in defence. That said, Tarleton kept up the pressure and found more space to score around the 25 minutes mark taking the score to 17-0.

Clitheroe needed to change their tactics to try and keep the ball away from Tarleton and they did just that for the remainder of the first half. The pack started to play keep ball with short strong drives around the rucks taking the team over the gain line on a fairly consistent basis. This took Clitheroe into the opponent’s 22 on a number of occasions but somehow the final drive came up short. That was until a line out, 5 yards out, where a well-worked set-piece move saw prop Aaron Atkinson power his way though despairing tackles to put Clitheroe’s first points on the board. The score was now 17-5 after Lafranceschina failed to convert from the right touch line.

You might think that with Clitheroe starting the boss the game towards the end of the first half by finding a way to combat Tarleton’s youthful mobility that they would continue to take that control into the second half. This just didn’t happen and the side appeared less organised than at the start of the game. Clitheroe’s game plan appeared to disintegrate and despite a number of set-tos (handbags at dawn without the handbags) that kept Clitheroe competing with pride, they just couldn’t get back into the game. The half backs of Watson and Smudge Smith tried in vain to get the lads running off them and defensive lapses saw too many penalties conceded. By the final whistle a penalty kick and another three tries had been given away, two of which were converted.

Number 8 Mark Curphey was awarded Clitheroe’s Man of the Match for his powerful running on what was his 23rd birthday. Roger Carins and centre Paul Callaghan weren’t too far behind him in terms of what they gave the team and positives can certainly be taken from the way in which these three players asserted themselves on the game.

There are certainly lessons to be learnt by this developing side, specifically in terms of how the team needs to dominate from the off with controlled aggression. The talent is there and commitment is displayed in the most part, however, the team must work even harder to ensure the game plan and tactics that are so keenly worked on in the week, are put into practice come Saturday.

The next league game for the 1st XV is a home fixture against Windermere on Saturday 27th September. There may be a game next Saturday so please keep an eye on the website for more details at www.clitheroerugby.com