Wheats leave it late but grab 4pts

Due to fitness tests on several key forwards and backs the squad announcement was delayed until late Friday morning and with personal missing the club called upon previous Captain and current Co-Chairman Paul Wright, to come into the row for his first game in two years! Also Andy Haughian starting at open-side flanker showed what it meant to him to pull on the famous Wheats jourey by travelling back from Leeds to take the field, as did Saul Hillyer who made his first 1st XV game for several years from the bench. We also had Chunks on the bench who hadn’t played for 4 years so it was good to welcome him back into the fold – all the players mentioned above left nothing out on the pitch and put in a massive shift when needed against a tough ‘Park team.

The Wheat’s forwards knew they were in for a tough afternoon knowing Manor Park had Nuns ex-first team loose-head, second row and number 8 in their ranks; this showed in the early exchange’s and our forwards were under pressure at set piece from the off. Despite Manor Park starting off the stronger in the tight, the Wheats gained more of a foothold as the game went on when the boys realised they could handle and nullify Park’s one dimensional play. Due to several injuries in the Park team, they had an untested backline that we wanted to expose but it was trying to get hold of the ball and get our backs running at Park’s nervous backs. A kick over the top and a good chase from the Park boys applied pressure to the Wheats winger who miskicked the ball and leading to increased pressure in our own ’22, Park then got a line out 5 meters out from the try line and they worked it well to go over in the corner.

After this, the Wheat’s lost outside centre for 10mins in the sin-bin after he slipped over in the wet conditions at a ruck, and was adjudged to be intentionally slowing the ball down. Instead of dropping their heads, this galvanised the team and we managed to apply enough pressure to the opposition that they were penalised themselves providing James Langton with two kickable shots at the posts to give us a 6-5 lead. Langton had previously missed a further two kicks from slightly further afield so the score remained 6-5. For the spell just prior to the whistle, and with the Wheats forwards now successfully re-cycling their own ball, the Wheats backs were starting to get quick, front foot ball, and seeing as this backline had never played together before, the backs looked a real threat in broken open play. On another day with better conditions and with the final pass occasionally letting us down, this period would have reaped more of a reward for this new look Wheats team, but it’s something to work on.

HT Wheat’s 6 - 5 Manor Park

In the second half, Manor Park continued in the same fashion and the ball didn’t get past Park’s 12 with the Wheats looking the most likely to kick on in the first 20mins after the restart, two penalties for Wheat’s and one for Park meant the score was 12-8 to the home side. The following 20 min’s Park upped the pressure and they managed to force their way into Wheat’s territory and score an unconverted try in the corner. Manor Park were leading 12-13.

Instead of resigning themselves to a defeat the Wheat’s team showed great resilience by digging deep. After powerful runs from several different backs and successful quick line-out ball, the pressure took its toll on Parks exit strategy and they failed to make touch from a panicked kick away. Joe Bristow’s cross field ‘fly-hack’ resulted in further pressure 5 meters out from the try line and with 5 minutes to go James Langton crossed to the relief of the home support and in particular the coaching staff. The conversion was missed so the Wheats were leading 17-13 with four minutes remaining. The players knew it was time to hold, and with it meaning Park needed a try to win, the home forwards turned the screw by retaining the ball to run down the clock and when Manor Park did have the ball, they were smashed by the fifteen warriors on the field. The Wheats held on and the final whistle bellowed around the ground much to the delight of the players and the home support.

It wasn’t just the 18 that won the game Saturday it was the 25 that turned up to training on Thursday evening that made it possible. As a coach it’s brilliant to have that many at training as so much more can be done with the players - so thanks goes to all that attended and special thanks to Gazz Windsor, James Langton and Ed Spencer for bringing down new players to the Club, we hope to see them this week. In the game itself Josh Waring, Ben Craig & Andy Haughian were a brick wall in defence but all 10 forwards put in a monster shift.

WHEATS
Full Time : Old Wheats 17 – 13 Manor Park

Note: Training now moves to a Wednesday night from this week (6.45pm start).