A warm and sunny Saturday afternoon provided the perfect setting for Leek 3rd XV’s latest league fixture against Marple — a side Leek were particularly keen to get one over on after narrowly finishing runners-up to them in the league last season.
From the first whistle, Leek showed their intent. The home side went through the phases with some excellent controlled rugby, but Marple were equally determined and enjoyed plenty of possession themselves. It was an even contest early on, with both sides looking to gain the upper hand.
On 15 minutes, Matt Broad produced a huge 50:22 kick to put Leek deep inside the Marple 22. Some slick back play followed, before a strong run from Tom Laverick saw Leek cross the whitewash for the opening try. The conversion was missed.

Leek 5–0 Marple

Marple responded almost immediately from the restart. Their winger found a gap and set off on a solo run, managing to squeeze through the Leek defence and score. The conversion was added.

Leek 5–7 Marple

Leek were not fazed and soon regained control, enjoying a sustained spell of possession and, in particular, dominating the scrum. The pressure eventually told, with Leek finding themselves back inside the Marple 22.
On 33 minutes, another hugely dominant scrum gave Leek the platform they needed. Matt McLaughlin powered his way over from the base to score Leek’s second try. Again, the conversion was missed.

Leek 10–7 Marple

The remainder of the half saw the game swing from end to end, with both teams putting together strong periods of possession. Leek appeared to have Marple rattled, with the visitors increasingly vocal and appealing at every opportunity.
The score remained unchanged heading into the break.

Half time: Leek 10–7 Marple

The second half kicked off at 3:50pm, and Leek immediately put Marple under pressure. The visitors caught the restart, but their clearance went straight into touch, handing Leek a lineout inside the Marple 22.

After sustained pressure, Leek won a scrum and began another assault on the Marple try line. Wave after wave of pick-and-go carries from the Leek pack eventually broke the visitors’ resistance, with Matt McLaughlin crashing over for his second try of the afternoon.
This time, Jake Hammonds made no mistake with the conversion.

Leek 17–7 Marple

Marple, however, were far from finished. Shortly after the restart, their centre intercepted a Leek pass and raced away for a breakaway try. The conversion was added to bring the visitors right back into the contest.

Leek 17–14 Marple

With around 25 minutes gone in the second half, Leek once again applied sustained pressure inside the Marple 22. The Leek pack continued to dominate the tight exchanges, and yet another powerful scrum provided the platform.
And once again, Matt McLaughlin was the man to benefit, powering over for his third try of the afternoon to complete an excellent hat-trick. Jake Hammonds added the conversion.

Leek 24–14 Marple

Marple continued to fight and applied plenty of pressure in the Leek half, but the visitors struggled to turn their possession into points. A crucial Leek turnover was followed by another enormous clearance from Matt Broad, putting Leek in a strong position as the game entered its closing stages.

Marple did manage to win the ball back, but a poor clearance kick presented an opportunity to Phil Tomzak. Rolling back the years, Phil pinned his ears back and set off on a mazy, unanswered run from just outside the Marple 22.
Nothing was going to stop him.
Tomzak crashed over the line just to the left of the Marple posts, sparking celebrations from the home side. Jake Hammonds once again added the extras.

Leek 29–14 Marple

With just three minutes remaining, Marple still refused to give up. They won a lineout inside the Leek 22 and looked to build one final attack, but a poor throw was stolen by Leek, who secured the ball and kicked to bring the game to an end.

Full time: Leek 29–14 Marple

A thoroughly deserved victory for Leek 3rd XV and their first win of the season, moving them up to 6th in the table.

There were plenty of positives to take from the performance. The Leek scrum was outstanding throughout, while the backs showed some excellent handling and phase play. Most importantly, the hard work being put in on the training pitch is clearly starting to pay dividends, with Leek playing some really controlled and entertaining rugby.

A great game for the players and an entertaining afternoon for the supporters — and, after finishing second to Marple last season, one that Leek 3s will certainly enjoy.

Leek 3rd XV 29–14 Marple
Tries: Tom Laveric, Matt McLoughlin (3), Phil Tomzak
Conversions: Jake Hammonds (3)

Report Author. J.Worrall