The weekend of 9/10 April and Marple U11s bravely ventured to Tyneside for their first rugby tour, staying at a Holiday Inn just north of Newcastle at Seaton Burn. (more…)

Marple 70 Trafford MV 28

An excellent win for Marple with some very good moves and positive contributions across the whole squad. (more…)

Glossop 35 Marple 28

A really well fought game between a good bunch of lads on both sides. But for a couple of errors (e.g. overunning the try line again), Marple could have snuck this to complete a season double over Glossop. (more…)

Macclesfield edged this one…

The first two-thirds were well fought by the lads with just 3 scores in it. Fraser nailed an excellent try, jinking in from full back after good work by Dan and a long clearance kick upfield from 10. Try converted by Ben. (more…)

Winnington Park 26 Marple 0

This didn’t feel like a 4 try defeat. Marple battled well in the forwards and backs but just couldn’t make the telling thrusts and breaks to breach the home team defence. (more…)

Game 1. Dukinfield 7 Marple 14

Game 2. Dukinfield 26 Marple 14

A Valentine’s Day treat in sunny Dukinfield; a bogey team for the boys. (more…)

Ashton 21 Marple 7

Ashton 7 Trafford 0

Trafford 24 Marple 0

A three-way tie on a cold grey sticky mud day. Roll on spring. (more…)

Northwich 7 Marple 21

Rugby at last and a real winter warmer. Many moons ago, when Marple had their last game, they got thumped because they didn’t put the work in or play as a team. It was pleasing therefore to see the lads shrug off that defeat and point 2010 firmly in the right direction. (more…)

Aldwinians 27 Marple 0

Aldwinians were rubbish —–at conversions.

Unfortunately they were very good at all other aspects of the game of rugby. Running in 5 tries to nil, the hosts dominated this match with some decent ball retention up front and quick powerful running from the backs.

Marple fought well for the first half conceding just one try. The second half however saw Aldwinians step up the pace and Marple were brushed aside. The set pieces didn’t work and the rucks and mauls were generally lost. Once their backs got the ball, missed tackles gave their guys momentum to burst through.

Too many of the Marple players were happy to stand and watch their teamates tackling and rucking. A team game without a full team effort has an inevitable outcome.

 Fair play to the home side; they had some very effective backs who could break 2 or 3 weedy tackles to set up the tries.

Only some spirited last ditch defence kept the score half decent. Three times the ball was somehow held up over the try line.

After the formal match a ten minute run out saw Marple score a good try when Dan sniped in really well from a 5 yard scrum. (A few tries came the other way however….)

So, not too much to sing about. Best put it down as one of those days and perhaps the lack of recent games and training was a factor. Hopefully the lads will bounce back at Congleton next week to end the year on a high.

 MOTM went to Bryn and Effort award to Charles who tackled well in the first half in particular.

Marple 21 Ashton 28

Pipped again like last week, but a better performance with some intense battles up front and good defence, movement and execution in the backs. Ashton no doubt won the possession stats, and energy sapping defensive tackling eventually took it’s toll on the Marple lads. When the boys can offload better at the tackles and protect at the rucks then chances are that it will be the other side that succumbs.

Four quarters of 10 minutes opened with a real ding-dong tussle that Ashton just edged with one converted try. Both sets of supporters applauded loudly at the break, acknowledging the effort of the boys on both teams. The Marple guys had really given it 100% – Dylan, Jamie, Harry, Oliver and Luke, to name but a few.

Marple cracked on in the second period with Jack B rampaging through the tackles. A spill however gave Ashton the ball and from an offside penalty the visitors charged over the line to score. 0-14

Marple bounced back straight away with Bryn intercepting and passing to Ben who glided in well to score in the corner.

A scrum was won from the restart kick and Dan (having a blinder) passed out to Fraser who ran the length of the heavy pitch to burn off the defence. A blistering flier’s try in tricky conditions. 14-14.

Marple again won the ball from the kick, made good ground upfield and Bryn picked up in the loose to power in from 15m to the left corner. 21-14 to Marple!

Into the third quarter and, to ease tensions, the third change in ref! (thanks to Howard)

Ashton began to keep the ball very well and although they were bravely held up over the line, they eventually broke through from an offside penalty. 21-21.

Final quarter and Marple looked to have nicked it when Bryn ran through the defence but the Ashton full back got a hand under the ball at the try line. Dan and Jack T were tackling Ashton like demons but the visitors finally got away to crash over to win it by one converted try.

A very exciting match played to a good standard on a heavy pitch and both teams gave it their all.

The Effort award went to Jack T for a tough tackling display and MOTM went to Dan for a fine scrum half (and flanker?) performance.

Tries: Ben, Fraser, Bryn. Cons: Fraser (3)