Rugby Report: Myerscough dominant in Lancashire Derby

On a cold, wet and windy Saturday morning in Blackpool (13^th October), Myerscough College Rugby Academy faced a newly formed AKS in the first round of the Lancashire Cup.

Myerscough started the sharper of the two sides, with Danny Whitehead picking up the ball 10 metres out, from the base of the scrum, to score the first try within only 5 minutes. A relatively easy conversion opened up an early 0-7 lead for the visitors.

2 minutes later and AKS converted a penalty to bring the score to 3-7. On 10 minutes, Myerscough Fullback Tim Jeffers looked dangerous as his produced his first attacking run of many in the game. Jeffers caught a high ball in his own half, before weaving expertly through the AKS defence before being dragged down on the AKS 22.

Another penalty to AKS was converted successful narrowing the scoreline to 6-7. Myerscough soon hit back through scrum half Will Batterbury. The number 9 picked up the ball after a fluid passing to score his side’s second try in the corner. Two back to back penalties for AKS were converted to level the score at 12-12 at half-time. Myerscough’s ill-discipline handed AKS a lifeline as the second half got underway.

After a stern half-time team talk from Head Coach, Steve Gough, Myerscough came out for the second half firing on all cylinders. It was Fullback Tim Jeffers again who impressed as he scored the opening try of the half after he converted a jinking run from the half way line. The number 15 beat several players on his way to scoring the try of the game, to make the scoreline 12-19.

From here on in it was Myerscough’s game. The physical nature of the game looked too much for AKS. Myerscough winger Cameron Robinson finished a flowing move in the corner for his first try in a Myerscough jersey, before Fullback Tim Jeffers’s running with ball in hand was again causing AKS problems.

The double try scorer picked up on the half-way line, and again ran past the AKS backline to score under the posts. Myerscough’s lead had now extended to an unassailable 12-33.

Myerscough’s Danny Whitehead was adjudged to have tripped AKS’ winger and was awarded a yellow card and 10 minutes in the bin. AKS successfully converted the resulting penalty to bring the score to 15-33. Then 10 minutes from time, an AKS scrum on their own 5 metre line went array and Myerscough’s quick thinking number 8, Craig Ennis, picked up from the resulting melee to cross the line to score Myerscough’s sixth try of the match.

Myerscough’s dominance in the scrum was demonstrated 5 minutes from time, as Flanker Will Eaves  scored his side’ seventh and final try of the game. After an even first half with the scores level at half time, Myerscough’s strength and physicality was too much for AKS in the second half, as the away side ran in an unanswered second half tally of 33 points to claim a 45-12 victory.