Vandals  0    Lannepax  15  

Vandals end season with a Duck

Rather like a Wrea Green Second Eleven batsman, the Vandals failed to trouble the scorers in their last game of the season against a rather good touring Lannepax team from France.

Playing into a howling gale the Vandals struggled to get out of their own half in the first period and were always on the back foot against a side that obviously didn't understand the basic concept of touring: "drink as much as you can in the two days leading up to the game thereby giving the home team an easy ride". Despite the constant pressure just the one try was conceded and the visitors led five nil at the break.

Manager Stephen George rang the changes at half time bringing on several impact (and some non-impact) players and with the gale now behind them the home side played a lot of the second period in their opponents' half. Despite the territorial advantage too much ball was turned over and the French defence held steady. Two late tries including a breakaway secured the win for the visitors.

Fylde Vandals XV:

15 S Satchel (c) 14 S Townsend (T Firth) 13 S Bensky 12 D Storey (H Lang) 11 G Pugsley (J Tuitupo) 10 P Swindells 9 P Townsend 1 A Tomkinson (P Sampson) 2 J Spencer (A Tomkinson) 3 G Brockbank 4 H Monk (V Cottam) 5 H Larsson 6 R Mason (A Lonberg) 7 C Nickson (K Harrison) 8 R Todd

Lannepax XV:

15 JM Aguirre 14 D Harize 13 R Bertranne 12 F Sangalli 11 G Noves 10 JP Romeu 9 J Fouroux 1 G Cholley 2 A Paco 3 R Paparemborde 4 JF Imbernon M Palmie 6 JP Rives 7 JC Screla 8 JP Bastiat

Arbitre: M. Chris Meadows (IRB)

Post-game saw the traditional Ricard drinking (neat and with water) and naked one-hundred metre challenge. The question on many people's lips being "are the two related in any way?". Fylde's Tim Firth was most unlucky not to win the sprint as he fell over once before the start and twice in the race itself!

Report reproduced with permission from L' Equipe (& Monsieur 'Fiesty Sean Townsend').

5th May 2008