A difficult first game of the 2017/18 season today against Willenhall 2nds. Thursday night's selection gave us a strong and talented team but with a 1st team call up and 3 last minute unavailabilities we were shaping up with only 12 players before the first whistle.
In true Barton RUFC 2nds style we put all of that behind us and got into our game preparations.
We kicked of with 13 v 15, thanks to a borrowed front row player, and we certainly let Willenhall know they had a game on their hands. We were unstructured at times and play was scrappy but the commitment was above and beyond. Our tackle rate was phenomenal and our counter attacking and line breaks kept things interesting.
The second half started with the same passion and drive, at one point with just 11 men due to a HIA and a sin bin, but fatigue got the better of us and the game finished with a result that did not reflect our performance.
I couldn't have been prouder to have been asked to captain those boys today and it was no more evident than in our post match huddle when 12 battered, bruised and bloody players stood with team mates shirts grabbed tight in their hands and not a single head was dropped! We were out there today for each other, for our team and for our club!
Ian Ford
