Pain game for Rangers
Date published: 16 December 2009
LEWIS GALBRAITH in action for Saddleworth Rangers under-15s in the Lancashire Cup
SADDLEWORTH Rangers under-15s fell to a 34-16 defeat in their Lancashire Cup semi-final against Orrell St James, with bad luck conspiring against them along the way.
After only three minutes, Rangers lost the services of Jay Claridge with a broken ankle and the game was held up for 15 minutes while an ambulance arrived to take the unlucky player to hospital.
On the resumption, Orrell took control and established an 18-0 lead during a passage of play in which Saddleworth lost prop Jack Connor to an injured shoulder.
Rangers dug deep and began to play the rugby they are capable of. Lewis Galbraith was held up over the line before Scott Booth finished off a great move in the corner, Ben White converting.
Galbraith then capitalised on a loose ball in the in-goal area, White again adding the extras.
And it was that man Galbraith again who then bulldozed his way through the defence to register out wide. White narrowly missed the conversion as the teams changed ends at 18-16.
Rangers lost Chris Bolton to an upset stomach just before the interval and then, not long into the second half, Tom Rice with an injured shoulder.
Harry Ripley also went off with a knock to the head and as Rangers tired in the latter stages, Orrell took advantage to run out worthy winners.
’Head on a roll
WATERHEAD under-16s marched confidently into the last eight of the North-West Counties Cup by seeing off Thatto Heath 34-4 away from home.
Outscoring their St Helens hosts by seven tries to one, Adam Steeple opened the scoring for the visitors with a scoot from close in, with Jake Shoel adding a second which was converted by Ben Whitehead for a 10-0 lead.
A superb kick by Whitehead gave speedster Jonathan Foulds the opportunity to touch down with an excellent effort, before Jack Cooke finished off the first-half scoring action off a smart Luke Du Feu ball. Whitehead converted both for a 22-0 interval lead.
Rotating their squad after the break, Waterhead made a number of errors but managed three more tries through Steeple, Foulds and Josh Johnson and will now face Latchford Giants at home in the quarter-finals.
A TEN-POINT haul by Oldham St Anne’s under-10s scrum-half Rob Charles set the team on the way to a 22-12 victory over local rivals Waterhead.
Macauley Jones opened the scoring for the Saints before Waterhead hit back with some good rugby.
Down 12-10 at half time, Charles scored in the corner for St Anne’s, with Lewis Croft converting to put the home side back in front.
Sam Hall then scored the decisive try, with Macauley Jones converting to give Saints victory 22-12.
Michael Grabowski took the boy-of-the-match award, with some great defensive and broken field running. In addition, Zoe Tweedy and Tom Kehoe performed well on their debuts. East Manchester Junior League
RANGERS under-14s maintained their 100-per-cent record in North-West Counties division two as they defeated close rivals Folly Lane 16-6 for a seventh win of the season.
Sebastian Leech led the way with a first half hat trick of tries — his second treble in successive games — and Joseph Harrison-Brown also got on the scoresheet to keep up his personal record of scoring a try in all 15 games.
A SUPERB display by Rangers under-12s saw off Shevington Sharks 52-4, with Josh Hall — son of Halifax director of football Martin Hall — scoring five tries.
Tom Jowle opened the floodgates for the home side when he forced a try into the corner in the first attack of the game.
Dan Holmes took advantage of a handling error and scored after an excellent run through the centre.
Lewis Adams ran in an excellent try to resume the punishment, before Tom Brisk sprinted some 60 yards to put down under the sticks for rampant Rangers.
Galbraith answers England Youth call
LEWIS Galbraith is celebrating after making it into the 2010 England Youth Squad.
The St Augustine’s pupil, a 14-year-old centre who is on scolarship terms with St Helens, joins Saddleworth Rangers team-mate Ben White in the squad and the duo are the only representatives from the north-west selected.
The pair will take part in three national training camps next year. The first is held in February and the second will be in France over eight days in April, 2010.
