Didsbury Toc H 20 – 7 De La Salle

Didsbury named a reshuffled pack, with the eagerly anticipated return of second row Shaun Walker and Mike Hyde moving to prop. The selection committee also tinkered with the backline, with French juggernaut Anton Vasseur switching to fullback, and Sean Bishop being named in the centres with Tom Makin.

The first half soon followed a regular pattern, Didsbury would make ground into De La Salle territory only for a mistake or penalty to rob them of the ball and Della send a booming kick back down field. This pattern continued with the home side clearly on the front foot in all areas, except the lineout where the visitors competed well. It took a good penalty kick from Bishop to break the deadlock just before halftime, and Didsbury took a slender 3-0 lead into the break.

De La Salle restarted the match well, and had their best period of the match. Ironically it was from this possession that Didsbury were able to score their first try. The visitors pass went to ground, and Didsbury managed to hack the ball forward with Tom Makin showing neat soccer skills for Dave Hoare to finish of the try. Bishop’s conversion attempted drifted wide and Didsbury led 8-0. With De La Salle on the attack again, Aidan Murphy cleverly turned the ball over on the half way line and slipped the pass to Mark Harrison. With both sets of players stopped expecting a whistle from the referee (which never came), Harrison was able to race in for a try. With Bishop adding the extras Didsbury pulled clear, 15-0. Hoare was soon able to complete his brace, with good scrum ball spread wide well by talented scrumhalf Sam Wallis. Once Hoare had a sniff of the tryline the two defenders were powerless to stop him, and Toc H reached 20-0. With Didsbury hoping for a fourth try, and with it a bonus point, De La Salle scored a consolation try when some lack luster tackling allowed an all too easy score. Both sides pushed hard for further scores, but each defence held firm and the match finished 20-7.

Didsbury will have been pleased with the victory, coming on the back of two straight losses, and will look for another victory on the travels when they make the long journey to Cumbria to face Millom.