Sandbach 50 Wilmslow 17

JUDGING by their season-opening display, Wilmslow Wolves have a lot to get right ahead of the North One West season.

Wilmslow begin their league campaign at home to Carlisle on Saturday on the back of a heavy loss to higher-level Sandbach in the Cheshire Vase first round at the weekend when Rick Jones’ charges looked undercooked.

Both sides were missing first-choice selections but Wilmslow were comprehensively outplayed by Midlands Premier opponents who are coached, on contract, by Sale Sharks players Byron McGuigan and Rob Webber.

From the set piece, particularly the lineout, to loose play around the field, Wolves were always second best.

Nobody chased the restarts – an important potential source of possession – and they were just slower to the 50/50 ball throughout.

Wilmslow seemed to lack an appetite for the contest and never seemed able to get in among their opponents to disrupt their play.

The scraps of possession they did win were more often than not wasted by poor, hurried and dropped passes.

It was a hard afternoon for their debutants from colts rugby, who will have learnt that senior first-team rugby is a big step forward.

Jones was bitterly disappointed with the performance and there was little for him to be enthusiastic about.

Surely it can only get better from here but he and his players have a lot to do if they are to become a competitive force this season.

After a brief opening flurry from Wolves which ended when they were heaved off the ball in a good attacking position at the opening scrum, Sandbach took charge.

They plundered the Wolves lineout at will and in the face of some weak tackling helped themselves to four tries in the first 20 minutes.

The contest was effectively over before it had started.

Wolves then roused themselves for a few minutes before half time when the home side were reduced by a yellow card to 14 players.

Several drives from close range were held up before the ball was released to Bob MacCallum and he put debutant centre George Witham in for a try and a half-time deficit of 26-7.

Whatever was said at half time did not make much difference as Sandbach’s pace, ball handling and desire soon propelled them to 43-7.

The game became more even when Sandbach emptied their substitutes bench.

Max Wortley, another newcomer in the second row, finished off a catch and drive for Wilmslow and there was a typical break from Ben Day who held off the defence for Wilmslow’s third try.

But it was all straw in the wind as Sandbach regrouped for the final word and a deserved eighth try.