Blackburn 7 Fylde RFC 78: An emphatic warm-up win at the weekend
Fylde RFC completed their pre-season with 12 tries helping them to record a big win at Blackburn on Saturday.
Despite missing a number of senior players, Fylde started in a positive fashion and opened the scoring in the fourth minute.
James Sutcliffe made a break but, although his pass didn’t go to hand, Greg Morgan crashed over a few phases later and Alex Clayton added the extras.
Having regained possession after a Blackburn penalty, Fylde thought they had scored again but Max Senior’s effort was ruled out for a forward pass.
They did score in the 13th minute when, after multiple phases, Kyle Macaulay dotted down to make the score 12-0.
Another try came three minutes later as Senior was taken in the air after a restart.
From the subsequent penalty, Ben Gould went deep into the home half and Ben Turner was on hand to finish off from close range with Clayton converting.
The pressure switched to the other end, where Blackburn won a penalty and kicked for the corner.
Their pack drove over from the ensuing lineout, with the conversion leaving them 19-7 adrift.
With the game being played in two 30-minute sections and a final 20 minutes, it meant Blackburn were very much back in the game at the end of the first period.
Fylde had started to struggle somewhat in the scrums but, in the 40th minute, Leo Gilliland’s tackle dislodged the ball in contact.
Gabe Maguire collected the loose ball and kicked behind the home defence for Gilliland to pick up and score under the posts.
His fourth try in two pre-season games was converted by Clayton for a 26-7 lead.
Fylde really had the bit between their teeth now and, after some smart play by Clayton, Turner was set free for his second try.
New lock forward Will Greenwood then demonstrated his speed and support play by notching his debut try in the 48th minute.
That was converted by centre Danny Cassidy, who has linked up with Fylde following a rugby league career and a spell at Wigan RUFC.
Four minutes later, Maguire turned from supplier to scorer in capitalising on a good kick return to get the touchdown, with Cassidy adding the extras.
Fylde were now beginning to rattle up the points and scored again when Adam Lanigan chipped ahead.
While it evaded the fast-supporting Maguire, Chris Rudkin was on hand to get the touchdown and make it 50-7 at the end of the second 30 minutes.
The rest period didn’t break the Fylde attacks, which were more or less continuous.
A scrummage in the 64th minute ended with a try for Lanigan, converted once again by Cassidy.
As more Fylde pressure built up, Greenwood grabbed his second try from close range and Cassidy kicked a fine conversion.
With five minutes to go, Macaulay finished off a fluent back move for his second try as Cassidy’s conversion made it 71-7.
The final stanza ended with Fylde’s 12th try as Tom Forster chipped across the pitch.
Lanigan needed no second invitation to complete his double with Cassidy’s conversion ending the scoring.
Fylde RFC: Turner, Gilliland, Cassidy, Stott, Macaulay, Clayton, Gould; Bowker, Sutcliffe, Trippier, Morgan, Senior, Quinn, Dorrington, McIntyre. Replacements: Atkinson, Clark, Cowburn, Greenwood, King, Matthews, Railton, Rudkin, Curran, Forster, Lanigan, Maguire.