Douglas Rugby Club added its name to the trophy plinth of the Cheshire Vase alongside illustrious former winners Birkenhead Park and Sale, to cap a season already littered with success.
A 47-22 win against Wilmslow to lift the Cheshire Vase, by virtue of seven tries to four on the synthetic playing surface at the neutral Lymm RFC venue, was emphatic.
Buoyed by Douglas Celt’s domestic league and Cup honours, the Manx side travelled with a strong first team squad where the only notable omissions were Blake Snell and Kyle Martin through injury, and Douglas got off to the best possible start with two tries in the opening ten minutes.
Open The Scoring
The pace of Craig Martin on the wing was immediately brought in to play and his break down the right was too hot for the Wilmslow backline to handle. Nathan Robson ran in support to open the scoring, and a second try minutes later was bread and butter for Douglas.
An attacking line-out was nudged towards the Wilmslow line, and Simon Hoddinott muscled over from close range. Robson converted both for 14-0, but Wilmslow had an excellent league campaign themselves and will be joining Douglas in Regional 2 North West next season following their promotion as champions.
They showed why they were only beaten twice in the league since September and responded with a 22nd minute try from flanker Angus Ramsey. When Josh Duncan was yellow carded, Wilmslow scored again through Will Downes and were right back in the contest. Owen Jones missed a conversion and it was a slender 14-12 Douglas lead on the half hour mark.
Matty Wood switched to fly-half in the temporary absence of Duncan, and a sumptuous cross-field kick from Wood on the Wilmslow 22 was pocketed by the sprinting Martin.
He didn’t have to break stride before crossing the try line, and moments later a fumble in midfield by Wilmslow was pounced on by the industrious Ollie Corkish. He chipped ahead, gathered just inside the Wilmslow 22, and was felled short of the try line. Wood was on supporting hand to gather the offload and run under the posts, and with Robson potting both conversions, Douglas lead 28-12.
Yellow Card
Momentum then swung back to Wilmslow. No sooner had Duncan returned to the fray than John Dutnall took the pain for persistent team infringements, and he was yellow carded as Douglas desperately defended on their own line.
Jones kicked Wilmslow to the corner, and a catch and drive from the beefy Wilmslow forwards came up trumps with a 39th minute Charlie Gardiner try for 28-17 at the break.
Douglas started the second half in the same fashion as the first, with two quick tries. Straight from the off, the pace and deceptive power of Douglas flanker Blake Everson, playing his last game for the club, was in action as he caught the kick-off and forged a path through the Wilmslow pack.
Martin was in support on his shoulder, and as Douglas entered the Wilmslow 22, Duncan swept over after cutting back against the defensive grain and 35-17. Douglas brought on Alfie Howard for Dutnall in the back-row and Conor Garland for Owen Carvin in the front row, and Douglas seemed to find another gear. Seamless lineout work from hooker Josh Campbell and his catchers, and implacable scrummaging from the Douglas eight piled on the pressure.
Astute vision from Wood spotted Martin wide out on the wing and the pass off his left hand bypassed two Wilmslow defenders to allow Martin the easiest of run ins. Douglas were seemingly now out of sight at 40-17, but Wilmslow came again as winger Elliot Meredith sprinted in for a 55th minute try.
The conversion was narrowly missed, and Douglas called up bench changes with Wilf Kermode on for Everson who received a great reception from the Douglas support, and Jonty Shimmin on for Robson at scrum half. Coach Phil Cringle brought on Cal Dentith, Sam Clarke and Matty Clague to join the contest, and Harry Cartwright’s passionate performance was marked with a trademark score in the 70th minute to cue well deserved celebrations.
The final score was Douglas 47 – 22 Wilmslow.
