The fifth game of the season for this talented Vale 2nd XV were receiving an experienced Waterloo XV who had arrived early for this eagerly anticipated contest. The Vale XV at this stage were experiencing four victories but all on their own pastures.

Five games at their hallowed Powderhouse Lane ground. It was certain that the Waterloo team would offer the Vale XV their biggest test to date. As it turned out that’s exactly what they did.

This was proved correct as the bustling Waterloo 8 drove the Vale 8 towards their line to post 5 points early in the game.

From the resultant kick off a much changed Vale XV were to press on the Waterloo line, and from a driving scrum the ball moved out to today’s full back Harrison Dodge who crossed from 15 metres out to give the Vale side an early lead. What a diminutive player Harrison is and probably the fastest player on the field. The conversion failed.

At this stage the Vale forwards were controlling the game with the front row of Owen Branford as Skipper, James Hesketh (an old warrior) and big Mike Bradshaw bossing the game both in the set play and in fact the loose.

The pressure was building on the Waterloo side and a clean break at pace, and he is deceptively quick, from Joe Wills (was he grey this week ??) provided space for Ike Eastwood to cross for a try with Zac Elderton adding the two points.

A fight back by the Waterloo side necessitated some controlled defence and some of the close in tackling from all, prevented the Waterloo XV from adding to their total as the game moved towards half time.

The Vale 8 were working as a unit, surprisingly, with the changes on the park from previous weeks. The 2nd row of Matt Field ( yes !! play anywhere Matt Field ) and the ever improving Louis Evans were locking the scrum but also putting in a shift both in defence and attack. The much changed back row of Dom Griffiths, Luke Sheppard and Connor Cook were allowing scrum half Jaedon Reeder room to feed his fly half partner with some clean ball to set up some meaningful attacks.

I find it difficult to offer a Man of the Match from what was in essence a 15 man display but Connor Cook in my humble opinion must take that accolade. There were others ….

Half time was approaching and time enough for Dom Griffiths to cross for 5 points with Jake Elderton adding the two points.

Jamie Antcliffe playing with a new lease of life, and proving to be so strong in the unusual position for him in the middle, broke through for the n’th time to feed Ike Eastwood to cross for his second try. The score moving to 19 points to 5 points to Vale. Alongside Josh Whyke they were forming a dominating presence in the middle of the park. Josh in the middle from his cutomary scrum half position !!

At this stage replacements Freddie Bartle and new man Connor Mac Farlane entered the fray. Both will be seen again with this good Vale XV.

A move at real pace with the ball being moved rapidly through hands allowed Ike Eastwood to cross for his hat trick try. He is certainly proving to be a scoring machine.

The Vale XV are proving to be a side with youth and maybe a lack of physicality but with a spirit that could produce many victories as the season moves on, hopefully availability will not affect the cohesion of this very good XV as we move into a series of away fixtures.

Late in the game the Vale appeared “to take the foot off the pedal” and Waterloo scored 3 tries – the Vale XV side were well clear at this stage – to amass 3 scores taking the final score to 29 points to Vale against 22 points to Waterloo.

The Vale XV are now clear at the top of this Baines Plumbing Division One League with 5 out 5 home wins. The challenge now must be to maintain this success into a series of away fixtures commencing in two weeks time at Glossop where once gain they’ll be meeting a formidable XV on their own patch.

Hopefully all available to keep this sequence going !!!

The Vale XV :-

Owen Branford ©
James Hesketh
Mike Bradshaw
Matt Field
Louis Evans
Luke Sheppard
Connor Cook
Dom Griffiths
Jaedon Reeder
Joe Wills
Zac Elderton
Jamie Antcliffe
Josh Whyke
Ike Eastwood
Harrison Dodge
Connor McFarlane
Freddie Bartle

Report by
Fred Swarbrick