Audenshaw School 38-21 Hutton Grammar School
Mr Wilkinson and Mr Brooks received this team in September, with a simple message from the previous coaches – “This is the best U12 team we have had in years”.
So, naturally, confidence was high for a good season in an age group where results sometimes take a back foot for development.
The accalades passed on to them by others seem to have been given correctly, reaching the Semi Final of the Lancashire Cup at this age group is an outstanding achievement.
The game started with Audenshaw being pinned down in their own five metre line, stopping phase after phase of Hutton attack before being awarded a penalty and the boot of Sonczak cleared any danger.
Once Audenshaw gained decent possession, it was clear the hard work from both forwards and backs in training had begun to sink in. Rucks were secured quickly and the backs were able to have slow ball provided from the ever tenacious Riley. Short lines were hit early on, testing the defence of Hutton.
It was to be Peake-Lees who made the first breakthrough. A downfield kick from Hutton found the safe hands of Peake-Lees who, with the defence scattered and broken, danced his way through missed tackle after missed tackle to score a kick return try of 60m. Converted by Robson. 7-0.
The unstoppable force of this season; Joe Worthington, finally met his match on the wing. Hutton’s winger shared Joe’s blistering pace and strength to give him his first real test of the year, neither boy made many breaks early on but it was Worthington who ran in Audenshaw’s second of the afternoon after a neat off load from Louis Moss gave Worthington acres of space in field to place the all between the posts. Converted, 14-0.
The half time whistle approached as Audenshaw got sloppy in defence and let Hutton in as the 25minuted was reached. 14-7 at the break.
Audenshaw’s defence again found its strength and aggression to keep control of the game, it must be noted how well the scrum worked. Huge pushes gave many a turnover and this came to fruition as Audenshaw won the ball back in Hutton’s 22 to score against the run of play.
As tired legs began to show, the game became end to end entertainment for the large crowd. However both coaches wouldn’t have felt that way. At 21-14 after a score from it could have gone either way, yet two more superbly worked tries put the game beyond doubt. 33-14 Audenshaw. Yet it wasn’t over yet, Hutton hit back with a try down the left flank, using their wingers pace and strength from a simple 2 on 1 to run in under the posts. 33-21 Audenshaw.
The second row of Audenshaw had worked brilliantly all day, doing the dirty work for others gains, yet Yaseen Ismail was to be rewarded late on for an archetypal second row try, pick and drive through the crowd to put the game finally beyond doubt with 2 minutes to spare. 38-21 the final score.
The U13s now move on to the semi final in what is sure to be a hotly contested game, Audenshaw are drawn as the home team.