Getting the Season back on track

Toc H’s impressive recent record against Liverpool St Helens continued at Moss Lane with a resounding win to pull the 1st XV away from the bottom end of the table.

LSH, with some key players suspended due to various indiscretions last week against Widnes, struggled to cope with a level of intensity from Toc which, thus far, had not been evident this season. Mediocre performances against Ormskirk and Liverpool Collegiate had papered over some cracks - but those were exposed against Oldham and then by an appalling performance against Fleetwood. That said, there is absolutely no chance that Toc will finish the season second bottom of the ADM Premier Division, which is where they started the day in Liverpool. With some important players starting to return to fitness, notably inside centre Jack Akrigg, who made his first start of the season here, Toc are slowly rediscovering some of the form they showed last term. One would hope that a comprehensive 42-5 win on the road against a side at the opposite end of the table will inject some confidence back into the team.

Full back Tom Makin’s impressive season rolled on with another couple of tries at Moss Lane, both neatly taken. Rob Earl, impressive for Toc’s high-flying 2nd XV this season, took his chance on the wing and snatched a couple of tidy finishes for himself to register his first tries for the 1st XV. Toc have been blunt in attack for much of the campaign - but the introduction of Akrigg at 12 has made a big difference to the side’s back line options. With front foot ball, they can take on anyone in this league.

What is also clear is that the defensive work that Sean Phillips has undertaken since joining the club in June is starting to bed in.
Toc now look much more comfortable without the ball and, more than any silky attacking play, it was their defensive hustle that LSH struggled to cope with most. Following a deluge of rain that has left Toc’s pitches unplayable for some time, Moss Lane was near perfect under foot.
The overhead conditions presented a slightly different picture – it was very cold and damp, making ball handling conditions slippery and difficult. Considering all that, Toc’s skill levels were high and they were still able to move the ball from the off. Once winger Rory Gibson had finished off a neat try in the corner to put Toc two scores ahead it was clear that it was going to be very difficult for LSH to get back into it.
Didsbury were always in control of the territory battle and despite a well finished try thanks to some slick offloads and good support play from LSH they found it hard to get a proper foothold in the game. A charged down kick in the LSH dead ball area saw scrum-half Josh Vize drop on one over the line. That was followed by a penalty try mid-way through the second half, which allowed Toc to play with the kind of comfort that has been absent after such a slow start to the campaign.

This was a big win to get some impetus and momentum back into the season.
Man of the Match: Jack Akrigg.
Next week: Heaton Moor.