Aldwinians ease through

There have been many great days in the proud history of Aldwinians RUFC, but this one will live long in the memory.  

Another chapter of the War of the Roses arrived at Audenshaw Park, with Yorkshire visitors Beverley RUFC seeking a Lancastrian scalp and a place in the next round of the Counties Cup.  

Awaiting them was an Aldwinians side brimming with confidence, backed by a packed clubhouse of past and present players and an impressive travelling contingent from Beverley — including England and British & Irish Lions legend Dean Richards. The scene was set.  

From the kick-off, Beverley showed intent, enjoying early possession and probing deep into Aldwinians territory. But from the off, the message was clear: the 22 was a no-go zone. The Audenshaw brick wall held firm. 

A clearance kick fell kindly to Alex Hughes, whose form this season has been exceptional. He needed no second invitation — slicing through the Beverley defence to score under the posts, converting his own try. 7–0. 

Beverley responded with resolve but couldn’t breach the line. A sloppy lineout handed Aldwinians possession, and after a dominant first scrum — which clearly rattled the visitors — the pressure began to tell. 

Following a head impact assessment for Callum McMahon, Aldwinians returned to the scrum. Beverley attempted to spoil it by collapsing, but Matthew Ross reacted sharply, feeding Hughes who crossed for his second. 12–0. 

The pressure continued. A turnover allowed Nathan Clare to kick deep, Rhys Innes pinched the ensuing lineout, and another slick move put Hughes through again — a first-half hat-trick. 19–0. 

A penalty pushed the score beyond the three-try mark. 22–0. And just before the break, Leon Wilson gathered inside his own 22 and sprinted clear to score under the posts and send the hosts in with a 29-0 lead. 

Beverley came out with renewed tempo and finally found a way into the Aldwinians 22. A driven lineout brought their lone score. 29–5.  

Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly extinguished. A huge defensive effort forced a turnover and James Bradbury streaked away to extend the lead. 36–5.  

Injuries forced a reshuffle, with club stalwart Mike Moreland — the ultimate Swiss Army Knife — stepping in at inside centre. His break was worthy of Greenwood or Guscott, hauled down just short. 

From the resulting scrum, Beverley were driven backwards at pace, allowing Rhys Innes to dot down. 43–5.  

Scrum dominance became total. Another Beverley put-in ended in chaos, Leon Wilson pounced, and crossed for his second. 48–5. 

Beverley never stopped trying, but with the match already secured, it was fitting that the final word belonged to the man of the match. Alex Hughes completed a sensational four-try haul to seal a famous 55-5 victory.