Salles latest excursion was to Sunny Fleetwood this week, Only the sun didn’t turn up but the wind, clouds and rain did . In a game Della really needed to win to make relegation escape a possibility they went down fighting to a determined home side 16-7. Salle were forced into making several changes due to work commitments, injuries and with one of our better players just finding Jesus we travelled with 15 players some nursing injuries which should really have been rested and one player turning up late to cover as substitute. Credit to all who donned the Della jersey it was an horrendous day weather wise and with several players playing on although obviously struggling with injuries it was credit to still be in the contest late into the 2nd half , The usual trinity of Bryn Hughes, Liam Watson and Ryan Worthington gave everything and Paul Berry belied his advancing years to out tackle and out drive his contemporaries. Griffkin and Bottomly provided excellent support as did Sallisbury and Luke McCormick. Fleetwood themselves a bit of a shadow of their former selves were quick on the attack and salle had it all to do to keep them out , Veteran Scrum half Gavin Clark provided a stabilizing platform at scrum half but with stand off Lee McCormick’s options limited with a diminished back line it became a kicking game with each team searching for the territorial advantage. Scrums were 50/50 and the line outs blew hot and cold with some excellent throwing followed by some poor ones, but this can be excused with the awful weather playing a telling part in proceedings. Sean Watson had it all to do fielding high kicks in the wind and rain and didn’t make too many blunders, Chris Winston the stand in Center proved a more than useful stand in with some powerful running . All Salles forwards put a shift in but Fleetwoods better use of the conditions just had them in the ascendancy and the pressure eventually led to them landing a penalty given for a technical offence followed by their winger finding himself in space and went over for an unconverted try 8-0 .
Salle kept the ball in the forwards and with Berry, Griffkin and Plant laying the foundations had several chances but the last pass was just going astray or forward. Another penalty for the home team brought the half to a close 11-0
But salle were far from out of it and started the second half in a determined mood with the forwards leading the way McCormick was trying the kick over the top bringing the ever eager Winston on a short ball, but the last pass was just falling short and from a rare Fleetwood attack the charged down a attempted clearance kick and the winger again pounced on the lose ball for another unconverted try 16-0 , but never say die Salle mauled there way back into the game and from a superb choreographed line out and subsequent rolling maul a fatigued Griffkin was carried over the line for his first ever try which brought hope to a resurgent Della 16-7.but alas time ran out but as ever we went down fighting and live to fight another day. It certainly wasn’t a game for the purists, the weather made sure of that but full credit to both teams for there endeavor and commitment.