Douglas Rugby Club beat Crewe and Nantwich 40-3 at Port-e-Chee on Saturday to take their run of home wins up to four.

They bagged a try bonus point too and are now tied in seventh place with Altrincham Kersal in the Regional Two North West league standings.

Douglas came out of the blocks the quicker of the two sides. Charlie Henthorn went over the whitewash only two minutes in, but was held up.

Crewe dropped out from their goal line and Douglas immediately counter-attacked on the right wing through Sam McCord.

Quick ruck ball was then switched to the left wing. Henthorn had another dart but this time made little ground. He did provide more quick ball though and Bryn Snellgrove launched a perfect crossfield kick to McCord who was lurking unmarked on the right-hand touchline and he dived in for the opener after four minutes.

Stalemate then ensued for 25 minutes. Crewe showed excellent ball retention but Douglas’s defence was good and the game was almost exclusively played in the Crewe half.

As the half-hour approached, the visitors coughed up a penalty which Snellgrove quickly dispatched for an 8-0 lead and it looked like that was how it would remain at half-time.

Two minutes before the break, the Crewe try lines were breached again. McCord got clear on the right again and made some good yards. Quick ball followed but, with the back line committed to McCord’s break, two of Douglas’s heavy lifters formed a new centre pairing.

Prop Simon Hoddinott and hooker Gihard Visagie filled in the gaps, with Hoddinott delivering a perfect pass to left wing Henthorn to cross for a 13-0 lead.

The hard work was partially undone with the final play of the first half though. Crewe retained their kick off and, 10 yards inside the Douglas half, they earned a penalty. Full back Logan Lynch banged the kick over to leave it a 10-point game at the break.

Snellgrove added his second penalty early in the second half and from this Douglas accelerated away.

Seven minutes into the second half, an attacking scrum saw both McCord and Kyle Martin get close before scrum half Nathan Robson sneaked over among a pile of bodies. Snellgrove converted to give Douglas a 20-point lead.

That lead was quickly extended when McCord picked up his second. Liam Kirkpatrick stole Crewe’s ball in midfield. His break got inside the 22 and, after a couple of forward thrusts, the ball was slung wide for McCord to finish and make it 28-3 and secure the try bonus point.

With Douglas now firmly in control, there was time left for two more scores. Josh Duncan raced in for the first down the left wing and McCord completed his hat-trick for the sixth and final try following a neat break from replacement James Ross. Snellgrove added the conversion to round off a good day at the office for his team.

Results

Saturday, November 30:

Regional North West

Douglas 40-3 Crewe and Nantwich

DAVE CHRISTIAN