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Sandbach RUFC win the Cheshire Cup Final

Sandbach made club history by winning the Cheshire Cup for the first ever time, with a well-deserved victory against a spirited Anselmians outfit, at Stockport RUFC’s, Memorial Ground.

The Wirral-based outfit have had an outstanding campaign, having won their league to get promoted to North One West and had only lost one game all season, prior to Saturday. Further having beaten Birkenhead Park, Macclesfield and Lymm on route to the final, Sandbach knew it was never going to be easy, despite being two leagues above their opponents. Overall though Sandbach always looked the stronger side and despite frustration at times, particularly at key moments and penalties conceded at the breakdown, the final score was a true reflection of the game.

Sandbach knew that it was important to start well, to put a dent into the understandable confidence of the Anselmians team and they certainly did this, as they were quickly into their high tempo, ball in play game. They scored after just two minutes, as prop John Whittaker drove over, following a quick tap penalty from scrum half Nick Allsop. They had several more chances to score in the following twenty minutes, but a combination of dogged Saints defence and difficulty in keeping referee Henry Pearson happy at the breakdown, saw no further score added, despite territorial domination.

Anselmians eventually got a foothold, when a series of penalties saw them kick to the corner and Sandbach lose their No. 8 Josh Longson to the sin bin for ten minutes, due to their desperate efforts to keep them out. Eventually the pressure told when the catch and drive caused Sandbach to commit numbers to defend it and this created the opening to spin the ball wide and Saints winger James Whitehouse was over, to level the score. Sandbach held out while Longson was off the field, with aggressive defence and once restored back to a full complement, re-exerted their dominance, with a James Preston penalty. They then pressed again and scored with the last play of the half, when their multi-phase play took them to the Saints line and young lock Callum Oakden bagged Sandbach’s second, as he used his tall frame to stretch over. Preston’s conversion taking Sandbach ten points clear at the break.

The start of the second period was always going to be important in again setting the tone and Sandbach repeated their earlier start to have the ascendency and Whittaker grabbed his second, as he once again forced his way over, five minutes after the restart whistle. Preston adding the extras. Sandbach made a few changes as fly half Jonny Edwards took a bang to the ribs and then lost Nick Allsop, who took a blow to the head. Despite these setbacks Sandbach continued to dominate and an impressive forward drive from a lineout saw hooker Alex Bishop touch down and Preston convert. The momentum was with the Bach, as halfway through the half Monty Weatherby forced his way over and another Preston conversion, saw it looking reasonably comfortable at 10 v 36.

Sandbach began to make further changes and a further penalty for not releasing saw the Saints batter away at the Bach line and eventually this resulted in a score to Anselmians player coach Derek Salisbury. Dai Morley drop kicking the conversion. Anselmians scored again five minutes later, when speedy winger Whitehouse scored his second, using his height advantage over replacement scrum half Laurie Essenhigh, who found himself out on the flank, as a result of the earlier injuries. Morley once more converting with a drop kick. It was too little too late, as with all seven replacements on for Sandbach they had the final say, as from a scrum they worked the ball wide to put right winger Ryan Barrett over. Preston’s fine conversion from out wide being the final play and a fitting way to finish a quality season for the Bach.

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