Hard work in training finally pays off

All the hard work in training has finally paid off for the squad as the 1st XV take a comprehensive first victory of the season! It may have been a wet and windy afternoon at Bradwall Road, but it was amazing to see the hoards of dedicated supporters packing out the touchline to support the boys, just as they do every week. And my goodness, were they rewarded for their support this week!

Recent Bach performances have shown glimpses of what this talented squad is capable of, but in every previous case this year, have shown us to come up just short, missing out by less than seven points in five out of our seven previous league outings. That was blown out of the water on Saturday though, as the home side produced an excellent performance against Manchester (ranked 4th in the table heading into the weekend), to produce their most complete performance of the season thus far.

Sandbach donned the black kit that was worn in both victories over Manchester last year. The boys showed early signs of their physicality and desire, with some big shots displaying their intent out of the blocks. Manchester’s tighthead was forced off the field early with a knock, but it wasn’t long until lock Cal Oakden was sent for 10 minutes on the sidelines after one of his tackles was judged to be high by the referee, just 6 minutes into the game. It didn’t take the visitors long to capitalise on this advantage, as their openside flanker, Sam Powell, crossed the line. The conversion followed, and the visitors were 0 - 7 up, with seven minutes on the clock.

Bach regrouped under the leadership of returning captain Jimmy Gore, who certainly made his presence felt on the field, with a number of massive carries and huge tackles, really adding that punch to the Bach midfield. He led the way in a big defensive effort from the boys, holding out until Oakden returned from the bin.

With 15 men back on the park, Bach finally got the chance to convert their defensive pressure into some fruitful attack. Numerous high tackles from Manchester led to George Cole taking a shot at the posts for 3 points. 23 minutes in, and the home side are on the board. 3 - 7.

It only took four minutes for Bach to get on the board again, this time through Head coach Tom Holmes, who was having another outing in the second row. Some excellent work in the set piece and graft up front gave us the field position that allowed Holmes to pick and drive over the line. Coley stepped up to the tee again to take the conversion, giving the boys in black a 10 - 7 lead. Tom Namgauds was replaced after a strong opening 30 minutes, by Theo Hulbert, as the home side began to deploy their bomb squad bench early.

It's 32 minutes into the game, and Manchester winger Joe Davidson is sent to the bin, following a high tackle and some heated afters. Just as the opposition had done in the early stages, Bach capitalised, with more strength in the set piece giving Holmes the opportunity for his second, another pick and drive. A good 80 minute outing for Tom! Coley steps up for another conversion, adding the 2 points for a 17 - 7 lead.

Just before halftime, we see a brilliant example of what this Bach squad is about. Despite the wet conditions and a slippy ball, they showed the ambition to move the ball and play attractive rugby, really showing a full toolkit after the more attritional style of game that they had commanded during the first half.

A training park move, executed to perfection saw Beadle feed Barrett through the gap, and take on only the fullback, eventually linking up with Leech to score a stunner. The work on the training park is clearly paying off, much to the delight of the coaching staff on the sidelines. Coley added the shine on top of this gem of a try, with another 2 points, completing his 100% kick success for the afternoon.

Half Time - Sandbach 24, Manchester 7

The second half, on paper, perhaps may not look as attractive as the first 40 minutes at Bradwall Road, but those on the touchline will certainly tell you otherwise. The home side really embodied what B4L means, proving that it's not just any old thing that we say, but a simple phrase that represents so much fight and determination on the pitch for your brothers alongside you.

Shots were flying in all over the place, with brilliant tackles from the likes of Gore, Vitta, Leech, Cole, Seddon, but most of all club captain Ross Sutherland, who simply tackled anything that moved! The boys were digging in and winning the small battles and the scraps out on the field, which allowed them to relieve the pressure. This was especially important against the wind in the second half!

A few highlights of the early stages include scrum half Laurie Essenhigh sending two Manchester outside backs for chips with his sidestepping ability under pressure, and winger Ed Vitta relieving pressure in the backfield, by getting to his feet and staying in the fight long enough for support to arrive; all little moments, but they have an unbelievable impact on the outcome of a game.

At 50 minutes, we saw the return of Harry Hughes to the action at Bradwall road. It is poetic and fitting that he should return now, as it was this fixture last season in October of 2022, in which he suffered a severe ankle injury, one with which it is remarkable that he returned from so quickly. He replaced club legend Jack Seddon, setting him up for a long awaited 30 minute return to rugby.

10 minutes later, Bach found themselves in their own red zone after what we shall say is a questionable 50/22! We fought through an outstanding defensive set, but it unfortunately ended in a Manchester penalty. They play through some phases, and struggle to break our defensive line, but a nice attacking kick from Manchester fly half Fin Rodgers saw Bach with a lineout on their own 5 metre line. The young fly half had a good game for the visitors. The Manchester pack applied pressure to our lineout, and ended up stealing the ball, from which they were able to pick and go and take back five points. The conversion however, was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 24 - 12. 62 Minutes played.

Josh Brookes returned to the action after time away with injury. He replaced James Finucane, who had put in a brilliant shift in the back row. With Sandbach keeping the pressure with their defence, Manchester were resorting to new methods of breaking the line. A number of chip kicks from Rodgers saw Manchester finding bits of grass in behind, but never anything that proved enough to defeat the Sandbach backfield, who were excellent in dealing with the situations given to them.

One particular highlight was off the back of one of these chips, when Ed Vitta was left isolated to defend a three on one in the backfield. He produced a monstrous tackle, decimating the visiting fly half and forcing a forward pass - try saver. Another came from outside centre Jack Leech, who worked across the field to cover for some missed tackles and put the Manchester winger in touch - try saver.

The boys showed the insane effort levels, even when the game was won, to keep Manchester from scoring again. This sort of thing can be difficult to do after a number of losses, but the lads just kept fighting and fighting, ultimately being rewarded when Holmes held up a maul, winning a scrum and subsequent penalty to seal a brilliant win for Bach.

FT - Sandbach 24, Manchester 12

It's been a long time coming, but it's great to finally see the boys on the right side of the result! Jack Leech was awarded man of the match after a great display in a brilliant team performance. It's showings like these that will be turning our fortunes around and helping us to fight our way towards the middle of the table, and the boys will be looking to produce a similar show as they make the trip to Moss Farm to take on Northwich next week. Why not take a trip over to support the Bach?

#b4l - Report by Archie Lea