RU: Another Saturday, another win, but the weekend - for the Clubman at least - was not as good as the previous one.
England's cricketers lost and almost certainly will be on their way back home - unless Pakistan or Zimbabwe assist - after the old enemy, Australia, again came back from the dead to record victory, and with no Super League a walk with the dog was Sunday's main highlight!
After the compelling Macc display that saw top side Cleckheaton sent back over the hills with defeat in their minds, it was an identical score, 42-7, that sent bottom club Sandal back to Yorkshire to examine their prospects in North Two (East) next time around.
With the score, however, the comparison ends as Saturday's victory was simply a workmanlike performance that really never needed to reach the heights of the previous week, and with the game closing in a spectacular background of thunder and lightning the main worry was about how much the pitch would be damaged before this coming weekend's 'Macclesfield Spectaculars'.
The first of those is on Friday evening when England under-19s take on Italy under-19s in a Six Nations International, and this will be followed on Saturday when, in a repeat of last season's Thwaites Cheshire cup final, Macc take on Birkenhead Park in this season's quarter-final.
Tickets for the 125 Dinner/Dance on Friday, May 30 have all but gone. The demand has been great and if you haven't already put your name down you might struggle to get in. A call to Mickey Jones or Bill Roberts may assist.
It seems that Macc RUFC is always after your cash - and rightly so if we are to maintain our current standards - and the latest little fund-raiser is the 'Grand National Draw' for which tickets were circulated over the weekend.
Tickets, priced at £1 each, will give the winner £250, second £125, third £50 and fourth £25, with all runners getting £10. Those tickets will be drawn on April 1 with the race itself on April 5, so if you have been given tickets to sell then do just that as soon as possible to keep the cash-flow going in the right direction.
For the first time in a while Priory Park staged four home' games last Saturday and how nice it was to see a packed clubhouse for a couple of hours after the games. Although the seconds lost their way against a capable Waterloo side, the thirds and vets both had good victories to celebrate over Heaton Moor and Wilmslow respectively.
Don't forget that the club is now live on its website - www.macclesfieldrufc.com - have a look.
Games for this weekend:
Friday: England v Italy (under-19s Six Nations) - 7pm.
Saturday: Firsts v Birkenhead Park - Cheshire Cup - Home - 3pm; Seconds v Wilmslow - Merit - Home; Thirds v Liverpool St Helens - League - Away; Fourths v Glossop - Away; Vets v Manchester Vets - Away.
Geoff Allen
