Mayfield Preview

Si Moore makes a break

Mayfield look forward to a hectic bank holiday weekend with a league clash on Saturday and then the Oldham Standard Cup Final on Monday at Oldham Rugby Union Club.

The NCL Division One team is away at Ince Rose Bridge. The Wigan side is struggling so far to put a run of results together with only two wins from their six starts. Mayfield on the other hand have won four, drawn one and lost one and are sitting in second position.

Mayfield are playing some great rugby at the moment, throwing caution to the wind at times but seemingly confident that whatever happens they will outscore the opposition. The forwards are the key for Mayfield, when they play well the whole team seems to thrive of this and the tries come thick and fast from all over the field.

Coaches Matt Calland and Sam Butterworth gave the team a night off training this week as part of their preparations and will be hoping that this has the desired effect over the weekend.

It is hoped that Si Moore and Callum Marriott will be available after both missing last weeks win over Normanton.

With two games in three days there will be spots up for grabs for the NWML lads who have been performing well. 

Monday's Standard Cup Final against St Anne's will be a tough game, although relegated last season St Anne's have only lost one game so far and are looking like favourites to come straight back up again. They have recruited well and have a steady side so Mayfield will have to be on form to beat them. In Mayfield’s favour St Ann'es have a difficult league game on Saturday as they travel to third placed Ovenden.

Dunc Simpson and Anthony Greaves have been impressing the need to stick to the game plan on the NWML side after last week's comfortable victory over Accrington. 

Saturday's opponents, Portico Vine, will be a stronger side and need to be treated with respect on their own pitch. Although they are in the bottom half of the table they have played some good rugby and been unlucky on a couple of occasions not to come away with the points.

Simpson and Greaves have a quality squad from which to select their side and will be putting out the strongest seventeen players available on the day.