MATCH DAY - Amazon S3...than Chester and Calday we must have one of the biggest U10 outfits going! A brilliant effort by all our parents – we can’t thank you all enough! It is

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MATCH

DAY

Anselmians RUFC founded 1947

Malone Field—Eastham Village Road

Eastham—Wirral—CH62 0BJ

0151 327 1613

www.pitchero.com/clubs/anselmiansrufc

MATCH DAY

PROGRAMME

Season 2016-2017

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Welcome one and all to Malone Field the home of Anselmians

RUFC celebra�ng 70 years this year!

“We have big plans for this season

both on and off the pitch, our Centre

of Excellence (COE) is now up and

running in partnership with AFYA

sports who are delivering specialist

coaching and training plans

throughout the club.”

“The excellence programme is for

players aged 13-18 giving them

coaching and advice on fitness, skill

development, posi4onal and team

tac4cs as well as nutri4on.

As part of the Academy there will

also be extensive coaching

development and parents advice

programme.

Please make sure you ask for details

if you have anyone interested in

joining our COE.

Our plans for a new clubhouse and

facility are moving a step closer and

we will be hoping to start works at

the end of next season with a view

to being ready for October 2017.

There is more informa.on in the

clubhouse about these plans that

will see us cement our standing in

the local and rugby communi.es.

We hope you enjoy the game and

hospitality brought to you by Guy,

Sue and the team, stay in touch if

this is a passing visit as we have very

big plans for the future which we

hope you can be part of.”

Jason Abbott Chairman

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main club sponsor

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team sheet:: £150

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Email: [email protected]

07716 882024

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About Anselmians

Old Anselmians

Rugby Union

Football Club

was created when a

group of Old Boys of

St. Anselm’s College

got together a>er the

Second World War

through a shared love

of rugby.

Early playing facili.es and

ameni.es were primi.ve

and it wasn’t un.l the mid-

1950s that the club

relocated to its present

home here in Eastham

village.

Since 1947, the club has

produced a number of

quality rugby players. Aus.n

Healey would go on to win

fiAy one England caps and

tour with the Bri.sh and

Irish Lions. In the 1995-96

Five Na.ons compe..on,

Chris.an SaverimuDo was

capped three .mes for

Ireland.

More recently, in 2002, Ben

Johnston, the NoGngham

player/coach, was capped

twice by England, whilst

Chris Pilgrim, has played for

Newcastle Falcons, Yorkshire

Carnegie and the Barbarians.

And, of course, erstwhile

coach ,Simon Mason, who

was also capped three .mes

by Ireland in the 1995-96

Five Na.ons compe..on.

With the advent of first

merit tables and, now,

league rugby, many of our

tradi.onal fixtures have

lapsed. The “Old” was

dropped from the name

and “Anselmians” 1st XV

now compete in the South

Lancashire/Cheshire

Division One. The 2nd and

3rd XVs play in Division 3

South and the Wirral Merit

table and the thriving mini

and junior sec.on is the

envy of many clubs.

Jason Abbot recently

became club chairman with

a specific brief to prepare

the club for the next

chapter in its history. Two

key elements to the club’s

plans are the development

of younger players and the

building of a new clubhouse

which will set the club on

course to fulfil its ambi.on

of becoming the premier

spor.ng/social club in

Wirral and West Cheshire.

Anselmians remains a

friendly and forward

thinking club true to the

vision of those young men

who began it with the

simple wish “to play rugby

with a smile.”

Our Founding Players

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A new approach to selec.on has resulted in

the appearance of several of last season’s

second team players in the 1st

team set up,

where they have backed up their

performances in training by acquiGng

themselves well. Equally, well established 1st

team players have shown themselves to be

very open to changing the way we play and

all squad members have commiDed to

aDaining higher levels of fitness. They’re all

trends that we like.

So what does the future hold? Anselmians

deserves to be fielding three strong teams

every Saturday throughout the season - and

our ambi.on is for each of those teams to

be compe.ng for promo.on. To our mind

this club has always been at its best when

it’s taking on – and bea.ng – teams that are

far bigger than Anselmians, and which also

have greater resources. We are not so sure

we have been doing that to the extent that

we can in the recent past. But with the

squad working the way it’s started this

season, with the spirit that is now so obvious

at training, and with the players working

week in, week out to improve their

individual and collec.ve skills.

Watch this space!

As new coaches, Jamie, Steve and I are

delighted to be working with the Saints

Senior Squad. Each of us has been around

the club for many years, as players and we

have been impressed with what we have

seen as new coaches. ADendance levels at

training have been outstanding, and we

have been very impressed by the aGtude,

commitment and skills of the squad. We’re

loving working with these guys too!

We know these players want to be as good

as they can be; to be challenged in training

and to play for each other. The coaches have

their own thoughts about what good looks

like and guest coaching sessions from the

likes of Andy TiDerell, Sean Long, Chris Jones

and James Wade have given us plenty of

new ideas to work on. With the players

responding the right way, and with captain,

Nick Hearn, and vice-captain, Mark

PeDerson, leading by excellent example on

and off the pitch, the signs are very

encouraging for the season ahead.

(As of wri.ng) with the addi.on of Jon

Armstrong, Oli Loveday, MaD Doolan, Liam

Whitaker, Owain Jones, Craig Jones, Toby

Bertola, Jon Andrew and Ben Davey,

together with the return of Jack Richards

and renewed commitments from ex-colts

like Ben Perez, Alex Williams, Jack Hennessy,

Tyler Brace, Sean Stenhouse, Wallace

Wainwright, Harry Stables, Will Dagnall,

Dave Power, and Chris Wildman (plus MaD

Thornton) compe..on for 1st

team places

will be very strong. We wouldn’t have it any

other way.

A NEW CHAPTER FOR SAINTS

Jim O’Loughlin—Head Coach

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A Message From The Chairman

Happy New Year to everyone and we

hope you all enjoyed a great fes�ve

break.

2017 promises to be a fantas.c year with the

club moving into its 70th Year celebra.ons

and all the excitement around the upcoming

development. The next few months will be

cri.cal with regards to the development as we

push for planning with a view to star.ng

works on the new clubhouse at the end of the

season.

Our Centre of Excellence with Afya is also

star.ng to gather momentum and the first

Sunday coach the coaches sessions of 2017

will be held for all coaches on 15th and 22nd

January. Afya have brought in a high qualified

local coach to give us extra depth to the

coaching already taken place.

As ever our quest for volunteers con.nues in

2017 and we will be hos.ng a brainstorming

dinner early in the year to map out the Man-

agement structure of the club as we move to a

more commercial foo.ng. If you feel you have

something to offer even if only for a few hours

as a guest at the dinner then I would urge you

to get in touch and have a chat.

We hope you have hit the ground running

this year already with your personal goals

and look forward to welcoming everyone to

Malone fields.

Best regards

Jason AbboD—Chairman

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What is your proudest rugby

moment? FlaDening Clermont and

France second row Paul Jedrasiak

when I was playing for Lyon

University in French university cup

compe..on

Who is your rugby hero and why?

Andy Goode, rocking s.ck miDs and

sinking pints

How will you want to be

remembered as a rugby player?

CommiDed

One word to describe you?

Debonair

What’s the biggest misconcep4on

people have about you? I only own

ankle socks

Favourite film? Her, Hook or Liar

Liar. (It depends what mood you

catch me in).

Favourite food/meal? Pigs in

blankets, vegetarian if possible

Meet one person dead or alive?

Billy Joel, preferably alive

Player Profile

This week we interrogate

Adam Bramhall

U�lity Back 5

What animal do you want to come back

as and why? A silverback gorilla - the

only animal that can get away with a

beer belly

Who would you like to play you in the

film of your life? Aaron Taylor Johnson

(see below)

Why a Saint? Toulon couldn't afford me

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2 - 8 Sun 8 January 2017

By Dan Arnold

Another fabulous turn out by the U10’s, 22 boys turning up regularly and playing some fantastic rugby together – could not ask for more! It is leading to selection dilemmas, but what a problem to have. Put it into context and other than Chester and Calday we must have one of the biggest U10 outfits going! A brilliant effort by all our parents – we can’t thank you all enough!

It is quite difficult to write this match report because it is so simple – we played excellent rugby and dominated the game. The boys made it very difficult for Parks to get anywhere or make any real impression, the pitch was narrow which probably helped us more than them – especially with the pace that Parks showed back in November at Malone Fields! – but we did the basics very well, and got the result!

We had to divide the boys into three teams to make sure that everyone got a fair crack, and they all played against the Parkonian team in a Round Robin affair, the first game was a draw and then the following two games were wins for The Saints, with some excellent performances by ALL our boys. It was one of those games where no one stood out because they were all so good! Our rugby was simple and effective, “look after the ball”, we did and we won! We have been practicing exactly that and they boys did it when it

mattered, very happy coaches. In fact the Parks coach – Jools Kellett – said he wouldn’t be able to pick a Man of the Match because they were all so good.

To highlight individuals is very difficult but I guess that’s part of the job. Anyone who knows rugby, knows that those that don’t shine during a good performance are the ones who are doing the right things right! Saying that though it would be wrong not to mention those players here, Philip Bradwell looks like he is going to start fulfilling his potential when he runs with the ball in his hands he is very difficult to stop, he had a great game and was eager to get the ball! Josh Roe was epic today had a real hunger and made tackle after tackle! Finnan Ashton had his best game for a while and was very keen to show what he can do in both attack and defence. All the Williams – O’Halloran, Gavin-Cooper & Fildes – showed their usual awesomeness! Max Frodsham, Alex Byrne and Conor Grealis all had fantastic games …. again!! Koby Abbott looks like he understanding the game a little better (more than his dad anyway!) and he even made a tackle!

The list could go on and on, but my final mention goes to our Man of the Match - Luke Murphy. When Luke first started playing TAG rugby we all thought that he needed to play contact rugby and were worried that he might hurt someone in a non-contact sport. Well, he is now showing that well-placed aggression on the rugby pitch and having been on the receiving end, I feel for the opposition when he plays like this! Clearly he has fully recovered from a few nasty injuries and was incredible in defence – he won every ruck he went into – and his barn-storming runs through the middle of the Parkonians’ defence were very impressive!

Thanks to our friends at Parks – we always enjoy their hospitality – and it is Hoylake at home next week.

See you then and hopefully we can continue from where we left off!

Dano

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"Superb squad performance from 22 player group of Anselmians 10's"

MATCH REPORT

PA R KO N I A N S

“Good job, well done!”

MOTM — Luke Murphy

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10 - 41

MATCH REPORTS Sat 17 December 2016 By Jim O’Loughlin

This game featured some excellent tackling from

Saints (much like the stuff we have been working on

in training) – and a number of missed tackles that

Manchester punished with a try on preDy much

every occasion.

On the other side of the coin Manchester defended

extremely well when called upon to do so. Going

into the second half 17 – 10 down Saints subjected

the visitors to a period of sustained, 20 minute

pressure, inside the 22 and barely let them into

their own half for the en.rety of the second 40.

Manchester did not commit any defenders to about

90% of the breakdowns and frequently read Saints’

running lines – mee.ng the ball carrier in pairs.

Their transi.on from a press defence to a driA

enabled them to close down several overlaps and

Saints failed to convert a number of well-created

opportuni.es to make this a far closer game.

Impressively, Saints did not concede any points for

the 20 minutes they were down to 14 men. Yet also

conceded three late tries for a score line that did not

truly reflect the balance of the game.

Liam Sadler crossed for Saints in the first half for a

very well taken try, which was converted by Andy

Cummings (who added to an earlier penalty). Harry

Southern was very sharp and Adam Bramhall had his

aDacking boots on today: running some great lines

into space and puGng others into space. Adam was

also man of the match for Saints.

Missed Tackles Cost Saints Dear A credible performance against

promo�on chasing Manchester but,

nevertheless, a loss.

M A N C H E S T E R

MOTM Ant Evans

NEW BRIGHTON 26 - 8 Sat 7 January 2017 By Jim O’Loughlin

S a i n t s w e r e t h e b e t t e r t e a m f o r 6 0

m i n u t e s o f t h i s g a m e . T h e n n o t .

N i n e Ya r d s a n d a C l o u d o f D u s t

Saints played a lot of good rugby in the first half against New Brighton. They created a number of opportuni.es, gained ground with the ball in hand and yielded territory and possession only when they gave away penal.es.

In a game in which Saints conceded 9 penal.es (higher than average) but one in which New Brighton conceded far more (when put under pressure), many of the ingredients were in place for a win. Saints tackling was sound and occasion-ally very effec.ve, as was their handling. The New Brighton try that separated the two teams at half .me essen.ally came from ‘nothing’ – but was finally created by an excellent piece of skill.

At 7 – 3 down going into the second half (courtesy of a penalty from Andy Cummings) there was clearly all to play for. Saints started brightly and eventually ran in the try they had been threaten-ing to score: good hands to Harry Southern out wide in space.

Unfortunately, now 8 - 7 ahead, Saints lost control of the ball at the restart and preDy much lost con-trol of the ball and territory for the balance of the match.

Harry Southern and Liam Sadler were the pick of Saints’ tacklers and Nick Hearn’s performance at the breakdown and in the loose, with ball in hand, earned him the man of the match award.

MOTM

Nick

Hearn

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Fixtures - Season 2016

Date K.O. H/A Team Comp Result

Sat 27 Aug 15.00 H Wilmslow C/Cup L 12-72

Sat 03 Sept 15.00 A Southport League L 26-16

Sat 10 Sept 15.00 H Liverpool St Helens League L 12-38

Sat 17 Sept 15.00 A Manchester League L 63-20

Sat 24 Sept 15.00 H New Brighton League L 15-45

Sat 01 Oct 15.00 A SeAon League L 17-0

Sat 08 Oct 15.00 H Wigan League W 55-15

Sat 15 Oct 15.00 H Oswestry League W 46-21

Sat 22 Oct 15.00 A Broughton Park League L 59-12

Sat 29 Oct 15.00 H Glossop League L 13-53

Sat 05 Nov 14.15 A Bowdon League L 69-25

Sat 12 Nov 14.15 H Douglas IOM League L 15-36

Sat 19 Nov 14.15 A Widnes League L 49-13

Sat 26 Nov 14.15 A Manchester Medics League P

Sat 03 Dec 14.15 H Aspatria Cup L 22-33

Sat 10 Dec 14.15 A Liverpool St Helens League L 22-10

Sat 17 Dec 14.15 H Manchester League L 10-41

Sat 07 Jan 14.15 A New Brighton League L 26-8

Sat 14 Jan 14.15 H SeAon League

Sat 28 Jan 14.15 A Wigan League

Sat 04 Feb 14.15 A Bolton Cup

Sat 11 Feb 14.15 H Broughton Park League

Sat 18 Feb 14.15 A Glossop League

Sat 04 Mar 15.00 H Bowdon League

Sat 11 Mar 15.00 A Douglas IOM League

Sat 25 Mar 15.00 H Widnes League

Sat 01 Apr 15.00 H Manchester Medics League

Sat 08 Apr 15.00 A Oswestry League

Sat 22 Apr 15.00 H Southport League

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League Appearances - Season 2016-17 - A>er New Brighton - 07 January 17

Name Apps Tries Cons Pens DG Total

Jon Armstrong 2 2 10

Toby Bertola 12 1 5

Tyler Brace 2 0

Adam Bramhall 11 2 10

Sam Bramhall 1 0

Phil Brocken 6 1 5

MaD Brookes 6 7 2 22

Martyn Brown 2 1 5

Joe Carew 11 1 5

Andy Cummings 10 2 7 6 42

James Dear 2 1 1 5

MaD Doolan 8 0

Ant Evans 9 4 20

Tom Gilbert 3 0

Nick Hearn 15 2 10

Paul Hellier 2 1 3

Jack Hennessey 2 0

Craig Jones 4 1 5

Josh Jones 9 0

Lewis Keen 13 0

Nick Lamming 2 1 5

Oli Loveday 4 1 3

Joe Loxham 4 1 2

Chris McGowan 6 0

Dom Neville 5 1 5

Jon Oates 7 0

Harry O'Loughlin 12 4 20

Mark PeDerson 14 1 5

Steve Pilgrim 3 0

Tom Price 9 9 45

Mario Quitadamo 11 0

Nathan Redfearn 1 0

Tom Redfearn 1 0

Jack Richards 10 0

Harry Southern 15 4 20

Harry Stables 2 0

Ben Tagg 2 0

Jack Walsh 5 1 5

Ollie Whorton 1 1 5

Alex Williams 2 0

Theo Bertola 3 1 5

Dave Edge 1 0

Liam Sadler 6 1 5

Tony BreD-Roberts 1 0

Sam Russell 4 0

ScoD Tunna 4 0

MaD Thornton 1 0

Campbell Clayton 1 0

Connor Clayton 1 0

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1. Name the team defeated by Saracens in the 2016 Aviva Premiership final.

2. Name the French sides who contested the 2015 European Rugby Champions Cup final at Twickenham.

3. Which Pacific Islands nation beat Great Britain to win an historic gold in the Rugby Sevens at the 2016 Rio Olympics?

4. Which teams finished top and bottom of the 2016 RBS 6 Nations table?

5. How many Test wins in a row did England's rugby union side achieve in the calendar year 2016?

QUIZ - So you think you know your rugby? Answers later in the programme

South Lancs/Cheshire Division One

P W D L PF PA PD Pts B

Douglas IOM 14 12 0 2 493 234 259 57 9

Broughton Park 16 11 0 5 624 266 358 57 13

Manchester 15 11 1 3 526 277 249 56 10

Liverpool St Helens 15 11 0 4 478 286 192 53 14

Bowdon 15 10 0 5 499 321 178 51 11

Glossop 14 10 0 4 396 195 201 49 9

Widnes 16 8 0 8 395 359 36 43 11

New Brighton 16 9 0 7 365 426 -61 40 4

Southport 13 8 1 4 318 291 27 40 6

Sefton 15 6 0 9 309 344 -35 29 5

Manchester Medics 15 2 1 12 266 496 -230 17 7

Wigan 15 2 0 13 146 605 -459 12 4

Anselmians 15 2 0 13 271 580 -309 10 2

Oswestry 14 0 1 13 149 555 -406 -2 1

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Team P W D L CC Wo Co Nfw For Agst Diff Pts +/-

1 Anselmians 2 14 11 0 0 0 3 0 0 533 63 470 56 0

2 Helsby RUFC 1 14 11 0 3 0 0 0 0 486 151 335 47 0

3 Crosby St Marys 1 11 8 0 2 0 1 0 0 299 153 146 38 0

4 Liverpool Saint Helens 3 13 8 1 3 0 0 1 0 402 220 182 37 0

5 Hoylake 2 13 8 1 3 0 0 1 0 465 289 176 37 0

6 Ormskirk 3 13 5 0 6 0 1 1 0 291 225 66 30 0

7 Merseyside Pol 1 14 5 1 7 0 0 1 0 338 326 12 29 0

8 Oldershaw 2 14 3 0 8 0 2 1 0 142 364 -222 28 0

9 Prenton 2 14 2 0 11 0 1 0 0 185 551 -366 23 0

10 New Brighton 3 14 3 0 10 0 0 1 0 170 567 -397 22 0

11 Liverpool Collegiate 3 13 3 0 9 0 0 1 0 188 386 -198 21 0

12 Firwood Waterloo 3 13 2 1 7 0 1 2 0 198 402 -204 18 -3

Team P W D L CC Wo Co Nfw For Agst Diff Pts +/-

1 Widnes 3 10 9 0 0 0 1 0 0 370 93 277 40 0

2 Sefton 3 13 7 0 4 0 2 0 0 250 213 37 40 0

3 Wirral 4 12 7 0 4 0 1 0 0 457 245 212 36 0

4 Port Sunlight 2 12 5 0 6 0 1 0 0 237 207 30 30 0

5 Ellesmere Port 2 12 6 0 6 0 0 0 0 215 326 -111 30 0

6 Liverpool Collegiate 4 12 5 0 4 0 0 3 0 261 195 66 24 0

7 Anselmians 3 12 4 0 7 0 0 1 0 226 324 -98 23 0

8 Helsby RUFC 2nd XV 11 2 0 6 0 2 1 0 138 264 -126 22 0

9 Oxton Parkonians 2 10 4 0 5 0 0 1 0 194 291 -97 21 0

10 Birkenhead Park 3 9 4 0 4 0 0 1 0 257 245 12 20 0

11 Mossley Hill 2 11 2 0 9 0 0 0 0 178 380 -202 17 0

12 Wallasey 2 7 1 0 3 0 1 2 0 78 170 -92 5 -6

JUNIOR COLTS Home Away Home Away

Team P W D L W D L F A F A W D L F A Diff Pts

Wirral 8 5 0 0 3 0 0 186 36 140 43 8 0 0 326 79 247 24

Liverpool Collegiate 8 4 0 1 2 0 1 163 79 89 59 6 0 2 252 138 114 20

Southport 7 3 0 1 2 0 1 105 102 76 36 5 0 2 181 138 43 17

Winnington Park 8 2 0 1 1 1 3 57 49 67 115 3 1 4 124 164 -40 15

Penrith 7 3 0 2 0 0 2 93 78 17 25 3 0 4 110 103 7 12

Anselmians 7 1 1 1 1 0 3 55 61 72 124 2 1 4 127 185 -58 12

Sandbach 8 1 0 2 0 0 5 49 102 39 181 1 0 7 88 283 -195 10

Kirkby Lonsdale 7 0 0 2 1 0 4 29 64 71 154 1 0 6 100 218 -118 9

Total

Adj

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

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To u c h l i n e s b y “ T h e S a i n t ”

young, New Year on a happy note.

As both the clubhouse and The Wheatsheaf in Raby were closed, he had to go home.

The first game of the New Year started brightly enough. 7-3 down at half-time, an early Anselmian try meant we were winning on the hour and good value for it. Unfortunately, the familiar tale of sloppy tackling and poor decision making meant that New Brighton were flattered by the final 28-8 score.

”Hartsfield”, or Reeds Lane, if you prefer, is a strange place. It’s probably the only venue where you can see home supporters wearing bow ties. Strange, too, that various artisans were painting the stand seats before and during the game. This had the effect of kettling both sets of supporters into a narrow section; good for atmosphere, but strange to be so close. Shouts of “COYB!” and “Go, Seasiders!” confused visiting fans. The curious guessed that “COYB!” meant “C’mon, you Brighton!” an enthusiastic exhortation, although not strictly grammatically correct. It was also a leap of faith to believe in “Seasiders” when the ground is in Leasowe. Strangest of all was the oft-repeated cry of “C’mon, you Blues,” when even the most myopic could see the New Brighton play in purple and white quarters. Perhaps the most perceptive comment came from the Bow-tie, who mentioned to

In a Christmas Eve interview with the “Eastham Clarion and Bugle”, coaching supremo, Jim O’Loughlin was asked to report on the 1st XV’s performance half-way through the season.

“Obviously, I’m pleased. The lads have made great progress and those two wins in October are the icing on the cake. Not playing today and on New Year’s Eve means we can extend our unbeaten run to two weeks. Looking resplendent, he continued, “I love this time of the year. After opening my Christmas presents of a tangerine and a large Brazil nut and a freshly laundered and ironed shell suit. I intend to spend the rest of the festive period cataloguing my Tin Tin magazines and plotting the downfall of New Brighton on 7th January.”

A week later, on New Year’s Eve, a Willaston pensioner, with dubious Scottish lineage (but a Scottish name), intent on first footing, called at Malone Field carrying a piece of coal, a slice of bread, a pinch of salt and an evergreen. Eastham’s own Uncle Giggles arrived to give a kiss to wish everyone a ‘Guid New Year’. The underlying belief is to clear out the vestiges of the old year, have a clean break and welcome in a

19

The Saint, just after we took an 8-7 lead, that New Brighton would win. “How do you know, old sage?” The Saint enquired. “It’s obvious,” quoth the Bow-tie. “You lot have more coloured boots than we do. It’s a sure sign.” Notwithstanding the logic of his observation, he was correct in his prediction.

A final word on the New Brighton game comes from Jim O’Loughlin. “Thinking about last Saturday. We wuz robbed. It was like multiple car thefts in a multi-storey car

park: wrong on so many levels.” And with that he walked off in search of another Brazil nut.

Happy New Year.

The Saint.

The Saint Previews Today’s Fixture

Today we welcome our friends

from "over the water," the lads

from Se>on.

Whilst we were losing at New Brighton

last Saturday, SeAon were kicking their

heels as Douglas failed to arrive from

the Isle of Man.

Before Christmas, SeAon lost

consecu.ve games against Bowdon and

Glossop, but it is a measure of their

talent that they only narrowly lost 24-27

to New Brighton last November. As if

conceding a winning lead wasn't enough

last week, Anselmians soon heard that

Wigan had scored only their second win

at the expense of Bowdon, and, in

scoring 25 points (more than their

aggregate for their previous five

games!), they swapped places with us.

Now only Oswestry separate

Anselmians from the boDom birth.

It is, therefore, vital, that Anselmians get a

win today as we enter a "make or break"

period when away trips this month to

Manchester Medics and Wigan will

probably determine our fate.

Our visit to SeAon last October leA us

scoreless (0-17). There has only been four

nil scores in our league this season. Wigan

have failed to score twice and the other

unenviable nought belongs to Oswestry.

Interes.ngly, the comprehensive winner

on two of the whitewashes was Broughton

Park.

SeAon have a points cushion, but are not

mathema.cally safe from relega.on. Our

games are predictable enough in that the

home side has won in five of our last

encounters.

Let us hope Anselmians can con.nue the

tradi.on. We certainly need a boost!

Why has the Saint’s halo

slipped? All will be re-

vealed in a later edi�on.

Watch out for it!

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Today’s Teams V

Mario Quitadamo 1

Lewis Keen 2

Jack Richards 3

Ant Evans 4

Josh Jones 5

Joe Carew 6

Harry Southern 7

Harry O’Loughlin 8

Liam Sadler 9

Andy Cummings 10

Tom Price 11

Sam Russell 12

Phil Brocken 13

Adam Bramhall 14

Mark PeLerson 15

Steve Pilgrim 16

Craig Jones 17

MaL Brookes 18

Today’s Referee: Ian Morgan—Manchester Society

S E F TO N

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22

By Head Coach—Jim O’Loughlin

Many of us will have recently made a New

Year’s Resolu.on and some of us will have

already seen one fall by the wayside.

The challenge we face in sustaining a New

Year’s Resolu.on is that we cannot command

ourselves to develop a habit, or even script a

new habit in the hope of making it s.ck.

We have to engage in the habit for it to

endure.

That is the only way in which we will ‘learn’

to associate the behaviour we are looking to

engage in with the reward that comes from

doing so – where that reward is the reason

we keep coming back for more.

Charles Duhigg observes that at the core of

every old habit that we might like to break,

and at the heart of every new habit we would

like to develop, there is a three-stage loop:

A cue, or trigger that reminds us to engage

the habit.

The rou4ne, or the behavior that we wish

to become habitual.

And the reward we obtain from engaging in

the habit, which determines whether a

par.cular habit loop is worth persevering

with un.l the behaviour becomes so

natural what we longer have to think about

it: we just do it automa.cally in the

presence of the trigger.

What’s this got to do with rugby at

Anselmians?

Well, it’s confession .me. So far this

season, I have preDy much worked on part

#2 of the Habit Loop at the expense of

parts #1 and #3. In other words, I have

encouraged the players to embrace certain

rou.nes, all of which I believe can help us

raise our game.

But by and large these have not become

habitual - most likely because we have not

done enough work on iden.fying the right

triggers, or in simula.ng the circumstances

in which these triggers present themselves:

the ‘if this, then that’ scenarios that kick off

the desired rou.nes in every game.

And because I have not encouraged that

important work, then it’s hard for the

players to see the rewards we might earn

from engaging in these rou.nes. So I guess

you know what my New Year’s Resolu.on

is...

It’s That Time of Year

23

Pre-match Lunches

Why not come for lunch before each 1st

Team Home fixture?

We sit down to eat 90 minutes before kick off

and everyone is welcome.

Usually just £10 for 2 substan.al courses! Contact: Geoff Smith: 07720 459335

email: [email protected]

Phone: 0151-666-8860 Fax: 0151-666-8861

Email: [email protected]

24

25

Smart Storage Bromborough has just announced academy funding

with Anselmians RUFC as the new season starts at the club.

This is just one of a number of local initiatives to drive awareness of Smart

Storage’s Bromborough store. Smart Storage are proud to be supporting the

youth academy at the club quoted Group Sales Manager at Smart Storage

“We are excited about bringing the best storage facilities to the Wirral’s local

businesses and residents and hope to raise awareness of our local business to

the fans at Anselmians RUFC and we are thrilled to be on board with the club

this season”.

With space increasingly in demand in this area the Bromborough storage facility offers expertly managed, clean and well-lit storage that customers can enjoy. Smart Storage Wirral provides tailor made storage solutions for both domestic and commercial customers.

Whether you’re a domestic or commercial storage user, our Smart Storage Wirral store has everything you need. We have a range of unit sizes, perfect for every requirement, from the smallest to the very largest. . Whether you’re storing for two weeks or two years, our friendly team members are on hand to help you find the best solution for your self-storage needs.

Perfectly located on the A41 with great transport links to Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales, Smart Storage Wirral makes an excellent choice for both domestic and commercial customers.

Smart Storage Wirral provides:

Commercial storage

Domestic storage

Office space

Drive up storage space

Student self-storage

Archive document storage

Lockers

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Get a quote online www.smart-storage.co.uk or all into store today

or call 0151 909 2806

Smart Storage kick starts support for

Anselmians RUFC &

Saints Academy

26

ANSELMIANS RUFC

£200.00

easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/anselmiansrufc

27

20% Discount for Members

Are there any budding

journalists out there?

We need you to produce this

programme!

Contact:

[email protected]

We need programme

sellers for Saturday

and Sunday home

fixtures.

Any Junior members

can earn some pocket

money just for selling

a few programmes.

Just speak to Lucy.

28

Ground Force Each week, a massive

amount of work, by a small

band of commi9ed

volunteers, goes into

maintaining our grounds.

Join the tractor boys for a

couple of hours work on the

grounds, a bit of fun and a

hearty breakfast each Thursday

am.— contact Taffy Jones on:

07758 800580

Forks, rakes, spades , hoes

and ANY garden

maintenance equipment in

USABLE condi.on will be

gratefully received by “The

Tractor Boys.”

Just bring your kit to the

The work of maintaining the pitches

goes on for several days, each week, all

year round. This work is undertaken by

Taffy and his tractor “boys” (average

age 92) on a voluntary basis so that the

players can enjoy their rugby at the

weekends.

Despite advancing years, they can s.ll

take pleasure in making a contribu.on

to the Club and suppor.ng the players.

All they want is for the players to

respect the club and the pitches they

have prepared and want nothing for

themselves.

So it must have been saddening for

them to see their efforts compromised

by the ac.on of a small group of players

who, in high spirits, thought that joy-

riding a car across the first team pitch

was good “fun!”

Respect for themselves, the club and

the volunteer s who keep the club going

seems to be lacking in this group.

Sad!!

Ed.

29

30

Quiz Answers:

1. Exeter. 2. Toulon & Clermont. 3. Fiji. 4. England (Grand Slam winners); Italy (wooden spoon). 5. 14.

Simon Spencer

Plumbing & Hea.ng Services

237 Sutherland Drive

Eastham, Wirral, CH62 8EQ,

Mobile: 0797 0298856

Tel: 0151 328 0177

E-mail:: [email protected]

31

Academy Director

Responsible for:

The leadership, management and development of the Anselmians Academy to produce players of the required talent, commitment and development to become leading members of the senior squad.

Specific Tasks:

• Guide the personal and athle.c development of all Academy players

• Develop an ambi.ous strategy for the Anselmians Academy and monitor its performance.

• Liaise with coaches and management of the senior squad and Academy squads to implement and review players’ development plans.

• Liaise with players’ parents about all aspects of their development.

• Co-ordinate volunteer and professional coaching.

• Ensure players are registered with the club and RFU databases.

• Monitor performance of Academy players re fitness, condi.oning, diet, skills and aGtude.

• Establish an effec.ve lifestyle mentoring process for all Academy players.

• Ensure all safeguarding procedures are complied with.

• Forge rela.onship with local feeder schools and organisa.ons.

• Iden.fy and recruit athletes with poten.al from other sports.

• Liaise with RFU development staff .

• Iden.fy players in the Academy for “Elite” support.

• Deliver development targets for individual players.

• Liaise with club physio for individual player injury preven.on and re-habilita.on.

• Prepare players to challenge for 1st

Team squad, County representa.on and higher level rugby.

• Propose and work within agreed budgets.

Regards

Jason Abbott

Chairman

Anselmians are looking to fill the role of Academy Director now that the

hard work has been done in geGng the Academy up and running. Below is

a brief guide as to what the role entails.

If you would like to get involved and make a real difference in the lives of our Academy

players please contact either Jason Abbo- or Jim McKenzie at your earliest convenience.

The Academy

32

Will you help to put this programme together?

We need support to make this a regular Match Day

feature and effec1ve club newsle-er

The club cannot func.on without the .reless work of a small band of volunteers and we always need new recruits.

If you feel that you have something to offer

please step up, there is plenty to do!

Contact: [email protected]

Some roles:

• Club Directors and Secretary

• Academy Director

• Management CommiDee Members

• Webmasters / Editors / Contributors

• IT / Communica.ons and social media

• Programme Editors / contributors / collators / sellers

• Team coaching, management and support

• Match day du.es—Saturdays and Sundays

• Ground maintenance—”The Tractor Boys”

• Social func.ons

33

Calico Laine The Really Useful Textile Company

Adver.se your

business here

Just £ 50

for a whole

season.

See the rate tariff on

Page 4 for other sizes

Contact:

Norman Peers Email: [email protected]

07716 882024

34

TAKE A PIT STOP AT THE KIT SHOP

THE SAINTS OWN KIT & MERCHANDISE STORE

In the Club House and On-Line

Match Kits

Training & Leisure Wear

Memorabilia

& Much, Much More

See JT or Sam at the Club, or go on-line

hLp://www.pitchero.com/clubs/anselmiansrufc/shopping/list/

35

Focus on Youth Development

The Academy "We are passionate believers in the

importance of a player development

programme for youngsters star4ng

out in the Minis through to the Sen-

ior Teams

We have always been a family club

and will con4nue foster inclusive

family values. The Academy will help

us build a vibrant Club for the future

offering the best possible playing and

social experience."

Director of Rugby—Jim McKenzie

"The Excellence programme is for players

aged 13-18 and will give them coaching

and advice on fitness, skill development,

posi.onal and team tac.cs as well as

nutri.on. As part of the Centre, there will

also be an extensive coach development

and parents advice programme. Running

in parallel, we will be taking rugby into

the local community and bringing in new

players to the sport. Working in

partnership with the RFU we would look

to facilitate and host emerging schools

compe..ons, targe.ng new players to

the game at both primary and secondary

school levels."

By inves.ng in an Academy for our

developing players we can raise

aspira.ons, skill, performance, aGtude

and integrity at all levels - right through

from our Minis and Juniors to our Senior

Squad and beyond.

The Academy focuses on key team

skills and tac4cs including:

• Strength and condi.oning

• Speed training

• Tac.cal and place kicking

• Posi.onal awareness and

development

• Scrummaging

Lineout

• Contact development

• Team tac.cs

Whatever your level of ability, we

offer all players the opportunity to

achieve their highest level of

performance.

36

• Key objec4ve: To develop the most

talented players and bring them

through the Academy into the 1st Team

squad and beyond.

• To ensure Anselmians have the best

source of home grown talent in the

region.

• To provide our young high-poten.al

players with the greatest opportunity

to maximise their capabili.es.

• To provide top-class coaching to give

each Academy player the best

opportunity to succeed.

• To provide the most appropriate

individual player development,

mentoring and support programmes.

• To provide the most appropriate

compe..ve programme for each player

and to constantly review performance

in training and matches.

• To provide the best possible facili.es

for our players to succeed.

• To teach responsibility, discipline, and

respect for themselves, others and the

game.

• To set high standards for integrity,

honesty and performance.

• To safeguard and promote the welfare

of our young players.

Membership of the Academy is open to all

young people from the local community

and no-one will be disadvantaged because

of costs.

Our objec.ves are not just to produce adult

rugby players to represent the club at senior

level and beyond, but to produce well-

rounded men and women who will, in turn,

help others to enjoy sport and pass on our

core values of:

• Integrity

• solidarity

• respect

• discipline

• inclusion

• Sportsmanship

• FUN

AFYA is working with us to support this

development process.

Launched two years ago, AFYA is made up of

experienced coaches, trainers and teachers

who have a background in a variety of sports

including Rugby Union, Netball, Tennis, Judo

and Athle.cs. The AFYA team includes James

Wade who has headed up academies and

player development at Sale Sharks and

Wasps as well as being Head Coach at

Oxford University RUFC.

“We are delighted to be launching a Centre

of Excellence at Anselmians and to be

working with them to create the Wirral’s

leading rugby club. “Our courses have been

specially designed to incorporate insights

that have generated some of the best teams

and athletes across the world. We have

some inspira.onal players and coaches

working with us.” Ben Wood, MD of AFYA.

Academy Objec.ves

37

38

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This is what we seek to achieve for all of our clients.

We provide most legal services you or your business will ever need, but the thing which sets us apart is our commitment to ensuring you

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others.

SAINTS PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

Gorse Stacks House

George Street

Chester

CH1 3EQ

01244 318 131

Chester Office

39

Date Name Amount

29.11.15 Norman peers £100

6.12.15 Anthony McKeever £100

13.12.15 Ronan Corbett £100

21.12.15 Judith McDonald £100

28.12.15 Jerome Johnston £100

4.1.16 David Hunt £100

11.1.16 Ivor Woolcock £100

17.1.16 NP Turner £100

24.1.16 Nairn Hogarth £100

31.1.16 Jean Barker £100

7.1.16 Simon Mason £100

13.2.16 Jerome Johnston £100

20.2.16 BA McAndrew £100

27.2.16 Anne Preston £100

6.3.16 NP Turner £100

14.3.16 Dave Buttery £100

21.3.15 JT Hunt £100

27.3.16 Conal Scholes £100

3.4.16 NP Turner £100

10.4.16 Ritchie Kimpton £100

17.4.16 Taff £100

24.4.16 Joe Fallon £100

1.5.16 Joe Fallon £100

8.5.16 Sam Abbott £100

15.5.16 Mark Whaley £100

22.5.16 Geoff Smith £100

29.5.16 Jean Barker £100

5.6.16 Eddie Cooper £100

12.6.16 Gerard Smith £100

19.6.16 Corbett £100

26.6.16 Geoff Smith £100

3.7.16 Conal Scholes £100

10.7.16 Trevor Petterson £100

17.7.16 Richard Burnett £100

24.7.16 Jennifer Evans £100

1.8.16 JB Price £100

8.8.16 Anne Preston £100

15.8.16 Trevor Petterson £100

22.8.16 Rick Hopwood £100

29.8.16 CP McGowan £100

4.9.16 Alan Bramwell £100

11.9.16 Paul Cooper £100

18.9.16 Phil Booth £100

25.9.16 Jack Hancock £100

2.10.16 Lucy Hopwood £100

9.10.16 Alan Bramwell £100

16.10.16 Phil Cooper £100

23.10.16 Eddie Cooper £100

30.10.16 Paul Cooper £100

6.11.16 Norman Peers £100

13.11.16 Corbett - Standing order £100

20.11.16 Kellum Friday £100

200 Club Winners

Just £5 per number

Pick up an entry form

at the Club Bar

Grand Christmas

“You’ve got to be

in it to win it!”

£1500

Did anyone of these lucky winners

buy you a pint?

No? Me neither.

So, beLer hope your own

numbers come up!

Sign up TODAY for a chance to win

the big one to be drawn today.

”You’ve got to be in it to win it!”

40