A strong second half performance saw Park record a bonus point away win in Cheshire on Saturday. Park started strongly,gaining an early try through Dave Vincent, converted by Harry Leonard. That was cancelled out on 10 minutes when Sam Broster crossed the Park line, Tom Morton converting.

It took only 3 minutes for the visitors to restore their lead with James Inglis going over with the pack and Leonard converting for 14-7.

Park could not press home their advantage and a committed home side began to look more dangerous, and Park almost subdued. Eliot Brierly got a try to reduce the deficit. Morton missed the conversion but bagged two penalties to give Macc an 18-14 lead at the break.


Top gear for Andy Henderson

Whatever was said in the dressing room, the second half was all a fired-up Rosslyn Park. It took them 20 minutes to break down the Macc defence and regain the lead through a try by full-bak Henry Robinson, converted by Leonard.

Three minutes later centre Andrew Henderson crossed the whitewash for the bonus point try. Leonard converted and then added a penalty to put Park out of sight at 31-18.

Andy Reay administered the coup de grace with Park’s fifth try on 70 minutes.

It was a sound performance by Park, but they will need to step up again this Saturday when Blackheath come visiting.

Park: Robinson; Aspland-Robinson, Henderson, Grove, Vincent; Leonard; Weir; Lilley, Piper, Wade; Inglis, Frampton; Ovens, Hudson, Ellis
Bench: Bellamy, Alexis, Harries, Reay, Crow.

Park Backs coach, Scott Sneddon, said:
“We started slowly and it felt like we were still on the bus for the first 40 minutes. We spoke at half time about showing some passion for the jersey, as we lacked any real quality in the first half.

“The second half was more pleasing and we executed the game plan well and scored some good tries. We'll take confidence from the way we attacked in the second half and take that into Blackheath this week”.

Looking forward to this Saturday’s Local Derby at home to Blackheath, currently joint second in the League, he said:
“As a group we know we are still building towards that full 80 minute performance that we need to bring to climb the table. We need to keep improving our accuracy for sustained periods in the game and we'll need to bring that this week against a good Blackheath side but I'm confident if we bring the mindset that we did against Moseley into the London derby then we'll get what we deserve”.

Charlie Addiman

Images: David Whittam

October 24, 2016