Douglas Win Battle of Waterloo

Douglas chose to produce their most determined performance of the season at Port-e-Chee against Firwood Waterloo.

All the possible equations surrounding promotion from Regional Two North West ultimately came to naught for the English side.

Ahead of the 22nd and final round of the league season, leaders Bowdon had a slender one-point advantage over Waterloo in second, with Sandbach in third also mathematically in the mix.

Sandbach tripped up at Burnage, Bowdon were handed their title-clinching points by bottom side Eccles being unable to fulfil the fixture, and Waterloo travelled with their strongest squad unaware of the unravelling plot.

Douglas Domination

Douglas had their eye on equalling the sixth position achieved in 2018/19, when fourteen teams contested North One West.

Squad news revealed that Josh Duncan was out with a hamstring pull, and Nathan Robson moved to outside-half with Jonty Cope stepping in at scrum-half.

Cringles Cubs were in good shape, with two recent league wins home and away, and any repeat of the strong showing up front at Waterloo in September would be a step in the right direction.

And a huge step was taken in the very first minute of play. Douglas received the kick-off against the breeze and Cope took off from half way, beat several Waterloo defenders with sheer pace and direction, and blazed over for an individual try of the highest order.

Stunned Waterloo

Conversion missed, but ten minutes on and Craig Martin sprinted through for a 10-0 lead, and a stunned Waterloo gathered beneath their posts to take stock.

Up front the heavyweights were well matched in the tight, but it was rangy full-back Alex Topping who got them on the scoreboard with an angled 22nd-minute run and drifted through for a try near the posts, converted by James Radcliffe.

Douglas continued to probe, with Cope’s length of pass from scrum-half a great asset and centre Harry Hewson at the core of Douglas attacks, but Waterloo struck again when winger Harvey Baker finished off a counter for 10-12.

Nathan Robson clawed the lead back with a penalty for 13-12 as half-time neared, Richard Bell replaced Owen Carvin up front, and Douglas changed ends pleased to feel the breeze at their backs.

Harness The Elements

Waterloo countered some wayward kicking as Douglas sought to harness the elements, and soon Topping struck again.

The long striding full-back strode over in the corner courtesy of centres Gabriel Davies and Ben Robinson setting the pace, the 41st minute score for 13-17 temporarily lowering the volume of a large home crowd in the sunshine.

Then the rugby equivalent of Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope. For 20 minutes Douglas simply soaked up the pressure, at times camped on their own line with Waterloo battering away from short range.

Time and again a score seemed inevitable, and penalties were conceded, but as the clock ticked Waterloo chose to run the ball rather than go for goal.

Flanker Blake Everson was yellow carded, but the siege was gradually lifted, Liam Kirkpatrick majestically poaching lineout ball when it looked that Waterloo hooker Lloyd Davies had nailed the throw-in, and Douglas came off the ropes via a 40-metre penalty as Robson used the zephyr for 16-17.  

Appetite For a Win

Blake Snell lead from the front, and the unquenchable appetite of his compadres in the pack for the contest was something to behold.

Metre by metre the battle moved upfield again, a surge from Hewson and James Ross here, a returned Everson cutting down a second-row there, the implacable Gihard Visagie thundering on until at last, a glimmer of space.

The Martin brothers only need a few blades of grass to make their pace count, and on such a firm, dry going, the two thoroughbreds cut loose as the glimmer became a flash.

Craig carried, Kyle ran the supporting line, and Topping was left marooned as Craig threw the dummy and motored on to score his second.

Robson added the extra’s for 23-17, Conor Stephens replaced the battered Hewson in midfield, and Mark Oldfield muscled over for a 66th minute bonus-point try, converted by Robson for 30-17.  

Waterloo didn’t wilt, James Radcliffe darting over for a 78th-minute converted try evidence of that, but the clock ran out on a memorable match and equally memorable league season – Altrincham Kersal’s home loss to Winnington Park leaves Douglas in sixth, four points clear of AK. 

The final score was Douglas 30 – 24 Firwood Waterloo.