Crewe & Nantwich 27, Spartans 17.

Spartans made the long journey north to Crewe and with their hosts combined to produce a cracking game of rugby that was in the balance from start to finish.

For once, Spartans made a good start and stunned the home support with a well worked try that started up front with the forwards and was well finished wide on the right by the backs. Keeping the ball well for a while allowed the visitors to make further dents in the home defence, and a surge from the black forwards saw a second try, this time wide on the left for a ten point lead. The home side soon woke up and applied pressure of their own to force a penalty, and having got on the scoreboard they were on the front foot. A strong winger skipped two tackles to get in at the corner, and it was game on. The game proved a very lively affair with both sides trying to move the ball around in a similar fashion, but for a while neither side were able to score. Playing a penalty advantage, Spartans thought they were through but the 'ref turned it around and Crewe raced up the right for a try and a three point half time lead.

The second half saw Crewe start the better, and some good combined play between forwards and backs saw the home side extend their lead to ten points with a carbon copy of Spartans' first try, but with an excellent touchline conversion. Both sides still went at each other in all aspects of the game and a very exciting, even contest moved from end to end of the field. With ten minutes left the Men In Black scored a try of stunning beauty as the forwards kept the ball until releasing the backs who raced in to score, and copying his opponent Tom Hardy added the extras from the touchline to get back within three points. A nervous few minutes followed as Spartans sensed a chance, but a whippet of a scrum half gained vital ground for Crewe before being bundled into touch. A mistake at the last lineout saw an overthrow by the visitors and an excellent Crewe centre pounced on the ball for the last score, and there was no time left for Spartans to give any more.

Both sides should be congratulated for a hugely entertaining game which was an excellent advert for rugby at this level.