Caldy RFC secured a remarkable promotion to the Championship after a tense 13-9 victory over Sale FC on Saturday at Paton Field. Two late Ben Jones penalties made the difference after Sale had led 9-7 with three minutes left on the clock.
James Robins slotted six points for the visitors to put them into a first half lead before an Adam Aigbokhae converted try meant the hosts led at half-time 7-6. A third Robins penalty put Sale back in front 9-7 and they resisted a dominant second half performance from Caldy. When National 1 top points scorer Jones missed a kick for Caldy in the last 10 minutes, it looked as if Sale would win and take the title.
However Jones showed his resolve and quality and with just three minutes left he slotted a 50 metre penalty before kicking three further points a minute later. Caldy held on to win 13-9 and sparked jubilant scenes at the final whistle as they won the National 1 title and were promoted to the Championship, the second tier of English rugby.
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In arguably the biggest rugby match between two Cheshire clubs this century, 3,000 supporters packed into Caldy’s Paton Field ground. Sale dominated the early exchanges as its back line stretched Caldy wide with a series of miss passes from stand-off Robins, giving opportunities for their pacy wingers. A couple of attacks by the visitors seemed destined to provide them with scores until several last ditch, pile driving tackles by Caldy flanker Callum Ridgway, and second row Sam Dickinson, stopped Sale dead in their tracks.
Sale could not break through or go round Caldy and eventually settled for six points from the boot of Robins. It took a good 20 minutes before the home side got a real foothold in the game. A huge touch-finding-penalty from stand-off Ezra Hinchcliffe put Caldy five metres from the Sale line and after a Sale prop was yellow carded for sacking the maul, Caldy’s forward dominance saw them power over, giving Aigbokhae the score.
The strength of Caldy’s pack was pulverising Sale in the tight exchanges, with heavy carries by Harrison Crowe, Dickinson, and Tom Sanders having a hard-hitting impact. Livewire scrum half Joe Murray took advantage of Sale’s fatigue to break clear. Evading a couple of tackles the number nine was only brought down inches from the line. The first half ended with the home side having the smallest of advantages at 7-6.
When Sale’s Robins struck again early in the second half to make it 7-9 it looked like Sale may just be getting the better of the Ravers. However, it was Caldy that went on to dominate the next 30 minutes but without being able to score.
As this attritional game was entering the final ten minutes there was a sense that one spark could win the game for either side. An enterprising move by Sale was thwarted by a thunderous hit from Caldy centre Mike Cartmell and when winger Nick Royle got the break the home support had been praying for, his chip and chase was only scuppered by an unkind bounce of the ball.
Finally, the home side were awarded a penalty kick some thirty-five metres out. When the normally reliable Jones pulled the attempt wide it looked as though the opportunity may have gone for Caldy. However, with only three minutes to go Caldy had a further penalty awarded. Much further out and with a more difficult angle it was a brave call by Caldy captain JJ Dickinson to ask his kicker to make the attempt rather than opt for a touch kick and line out opportunity.
Caldy’s nerveless Jones stepped up to slot home a monster fifty metre penalty to push Caldy into the lead 10-9. One minute later Jones kicked another penalty to cement the lead 13-9. This signalled both the end of the game and crazy scenes at Caldy’s Paton Field.
After the game Caldy’s Head Coach Matt Cairns said: “It was a nervy affair between two teams who were desperate not to lose. Our defence and forward power won it for us, but the game could have gone either way. Sale came at us full throttle in the first half and only our outstanding defence prevented what looked like two certain tries. Those defensive sets were pivotal.”
During the build-up Cairns had said that if his side were promoted it would be a ‘ridiculous achievement’. They ended the season with a sensational 17-match-winning-run and won 23 out of 28 games across the campaign. Next season Caldy, the smallest rugby club to ever play at that level, will face a series of David vs Goliath challenges in the Championship. Opponents may include sides as illustrious as Doncaster, Jersey and London Scottish.
For the team described as ‘a little club with a wooden shack for a clubhouse and an open field for a ground’, that is some achievement.
Additional reporting by John Lyon.
