Rugby: Douglas RUFC rescue valuable point at Manchester

Douglas Rugby Club travelled to Grove Lane in Cheadle on Saturday where fourth-placed Manchester had started positively in their efforts to reverse last season’s fortunes after relegation from Regional One North West.

The head-to-heads were level at seven apiece, and Douglas selectors handed starting spots to Alfie Howard and John Dutnall in the pack. In the backline Sam McCord switched to centre for the absent Luke Parry, with Ollie Corkish starting on the wing for round six of the Regional Two North West league.

Manchester started brightest and scored a fifth-minute try under the Douglas posts for a 7-0 lead. This soon became 14-0 as the Manx side infringed offside close to their own line and Manchester worked the phases before spinning wide to dot down.

The visiting scrum was misfiring and a change in the front-row saw Conor Garland come on to add some bulk.

It was still one-way traffic in the opening quarter and Douglas needed the next score to make it a contest.

In their first real foray into the Manchester half, quick thinking from scrum-half Jonty Shimmin and the fleet-footed Matty Wood provided winger Kyle Martin with an unopposed score. The conversion was dragged narrowly wide but Douglas were on the board.

Manchester responded immediately as the Port-e-Chee missed tackles in midfield and the hosts moved the ball well to take the score to 21-5 at half-time.

A contested grounding saw Manchester extend their lead to 28-5 early in the second period, and Douglas made more changes with Patrick Loader and Thumbiko Chenda off the bench.

Dutnall and skipper Simon Hoddinott were starting to provide Douglas with much needed momentum, Kudzai Chenda was a good lineout source, and Josh Duncan at full-back entered the line with more authority.

The Martin twins and Corkish put their pace to good use out wide and the game was now nip and tuck, but still Manchester got a score which felt like the result was done and dusted at 33-5.

The Manx side have been guilty in the past of letting leads slip late on, and conversely finishing games with a flurry of points.

Saturday was the latter but, following a trademark close-range rumble from captain Hoddinott for a second Douglas try on 68 minutes for 33-10, a bonus-point for scoring four tries still seemed a way off.

Manchester though were now guilty of offside infringements of their own and conceded two penalties for kicking the ball away in frustration. The Manx team were all too happy to feed off the indiscipline and scored two tries in quick order. In the 73rd minute, Corkish was put in the clear by number eight Harry Cartwright and, despite being half-tackled near the line, regained his feet to score.

Four minutes later and Shimmin, back on for the injured Wood, dived in at the corner after Craig Martin was felled just short.

The point keeps Douglas in seventh and with a game in hand.

Douglas squad: R. Clarke, J. Campbell, S. Hoddinott (c), K. Chenda, A. Howard, W. Nyman, H. Cartwright, J. Dutnall, J. Shimmin, M. Wood, C. Martin, S. McCord, K. Martin, O. Corkish, J. Duncan, T. Chenda, C. Garland, P. Loader.

BEN EGGLESHAW