A View from JJ’s Bank

1st xv result – Nottingham 24 – 31 Caldy

Ollie Hearn scores after some scintillating play
Image – Kieran Free

Champ Rugby round 3 – Friday 17th October 2025

Nottingham ……. 24 pts
Tries: Theobald-Thomas 4, Mitchell 6, Graham 59, Mercer 73
Conversions: Parks 6, 59

Caldy …………… 31 pts
Tries: K Wilkinson 20, 56; Hearn 63, Hanson 70, Tudor 75
Conversions: K Wilkinson 20, 63, 70

Friday night matches are a logistical and personal challenge. Players have to try and negotiate early darts from the day job and regardless of the exigencies of Friday night traffic the Caldy contingent have to get to the away ground in plenty of time to settle and warm up. None of this bodes well for a positive result and for the first 10 minutes of this encounter at Nottingham’s Lady Bay ground it didn’t look at all promising.

The Ravers were carved open by two scores in the first 6 minutes and without some heroic scrambling defence, by halfway through this first period they would have been down by very substantially more than just 12 points. Caldy’s last ditch tackling was aided by some poor decision making by the rampant Archers. Inexplicably the Ravers were only 12-7 down at the break after playmaker Kieran Wilkinson pirouetted over the line to register the Ravers’ first score.

Not much had gone right for the visitors in the first half with uncoordinated line outs also wasting promising positions and valuable possession. Caldy’s travelling support put their trust in the Ravers’ ability to reset for the second half. The trust wasn’t misplaced. A slight improvement in line out success was significantly buttressed by a dominant scrum and ascendancy at the breakdown which in turn pressurised the hosts. A second try from Kieran Wilkinson put the Ravers ahead and it remained nip and tuck for the remainder of the game with Nottingham responding to scores by hooker Ollie Hearn, scrum half Dom Hanson and wing Rhys Tudor to stay in touch and pick up two losing bonus points.

This was a game which the Ravers would surely have lost last season, but the return of relegation jeopardy has significantly focussed a committed and tight knit squad. However, Head Coach Matt Cairns was far from blown away with the performance “I thought we just dogged it out tonight. I don’t think we played very well at all – and the boys all said that at the end. We stayed in the fight after a really poor start, and we dug it out and just found a way to win which is what you have to do at this level”

Notwithstanding Cairns’ realistic critique there were some eye-catching moments particularly in the second half from the visitors. Matt Kilcourse was rock steady under the towering kicks that came out of the gloom, Kieran Wilkinson’s composure was in contrast to Nottingham’s unravelling in the final 20 minutes and at scrum time and the breakdown the Ravers largely dominated. Three quality tries from open play belied the view of the Ravers being just a mauling side, with Ollie Hearns’ try after some sparkling interplay with Obi Ene and Dom Hanson, and Rhys Tudor’s match winning score showing that the Ravers have more than one string to their bow.

But most pleasing was the sheer resilience and fortitude of a squad that refused to buckle and fold when it would have been so easy to do so.

There needs to be more of the same this coming weekend when Cambridge come to Paton Field. The Blood & Sand have endured a difficult start to the season and will be all the more dangerous for that. Cambridge are coached by former All Black Craig Newby and they will be as resilient and committed as Caldy.

With three bonus wins in succession the Ravers go into this match in the entirely unaccustomed position of being favourites with all the peril that comes with that moniker. Last season an unfancied Cambridge side turned Caldy over at Paton Field. If a repeat is to be avoided the Ravers need the support of a big vociferous crowd, and to be ruthlessly focused and determined for the full 80+ minutes.

Caldy v Cambridge 3.00 pm kick off at Paton Field next Saturday 25th October.
Match Tickets are available to buy here : https://caldyrugbyclub.com/buy-tickets-membership/   
Hospitality available for more details & bookings please contact Kenzie
email : [email protected]

Nottingham : Mitchell, D Williams (c) (Mercer 71), Davies, Christian-Goss (Threlfall 56), Graham, Parks, Yarnell (Goodwin 53), Cherry, S Williams, S Green (Dickinson 48), Thomas (Etete 65), Ecclesfiel, Richardson (Scharink 65), Theobald-Thomas (Dickinson 48), Stott (Maka 65) 

Caldy : Kilcourse, Tudor, C Wilkinson, Barlow (Mitchell 64), Ene; K Wilkinson, Akehurst (Hanson 49), Dickinson (c), Jones, Olyott, Sanders, Gerrard, Sproston (Weatherby 53), Gallagher (Hearn 40), Rushton
Not used: Higginson, Loboda, Owen, Rabbette

Referee : Harry Walbaum         Attendance : 1,484
 





All images thanks to Kieran Free

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Rugby coming up
Saturday 25th October – Champ Rugby round 4
Caldy v Cambridge kick off 3.00pm at Paton Field
Match Tickets are available to buy via our club website
go to : https://caldyrugbyclub.com/buy-tickets-membership/   
Hospitality available for more details & bookings please contact Kenzie
email : [email protected]

Saturday 25th October – NOWIRUL Premier League
Fylde Hawks 2nd xv v Caldy 2nd xv kick off 3.00pm away at Lytham St Annes

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