At the weekend Douglas Rugby Club kicked off their season against Firwood Waterloo in Liverpool.
No points on the road for Douglas as their Regional Two North West campaign started with a roaring half hour and subsided with a five-try losing margin at the whistle.
Given Douglas started so strongly and bossed the opening exchanges up front for the first quarter and more, it was difficult to equate a 14-0 half time margin.
Douglas Thunder on
Waterloo were swept back from the off as the Douglas forwards scrummaged and drove, with Hoddinott and Visagie regularly thundering on.
Douglas camped in the Waterloo half, McCord’s penalty miss from distance skewed wide, and only self inflicted Douglas errors let Waterloo off the hook.
Edris was yellow carded as desperate Waterloo scavenging tested referee Rod Stables patience, but Douglas made no headway against fourteen men.
Decision hesitancy in the Douglas three-quarters dealing with Waterloo kicks coughed up the first Waterloo scoring chance in the 31st minute, ably run in by winger Allen, and worse was to come.
The visitors anticipated a foot in touch, only for a flag to stay down and play continue with Douglas outflanked down the left for centre Clifford to score.
Two fine conversions from Waterloo number 10 Ratcliffe compiled a 14-point lead against the run of play, and injury to Markl-Ferns prompted Douglas change. With it went scrummage dominance.
Waterloo Strong
Simmons came off the bench for Waterworth early in the second period and McCord and Martin were sharpest in the Douglas offensive line, but the combination of a solid Waterloo defensive shift and little match time fluency blunted the Douglas attack.
Waterloo fullback McGarvey glided through for a third try, winger Reed added the fourth with a well-worked blindside move, and even with Hoddinott in Man of the Match form and Kirkpatrick and new cap Cartwright shining, a gleeful Waterloo added a fifth try through flanker Weare.
The final score was Firwood Waterloo 33 – 0 Douglas.
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