It was a great, if not brutal game of Rugby League between Leigh East and Hindley U’9s at the rearranged Leigh East main pitch. Both teams showed good development by playing expansive rugby, moving the ball around the pitch, providing the spectators an exciting game. However, Easts team proved to strong for Hindley, eventually running away 8 tries to 2. 

Hindley were first to get on the score sheet after some lazy defence allowed the visitors in. However, Easts levelled within minutes when Ewan Irwin scrambled over for his first of four tries. Some strong elusive running by Harvey Halliwell resulted in him crossing the line for a well deserved try. He then followed this up with some immense defensive work which visibly shook the Hindley attackers. 

The East forwards worked tirelessly with Michael Rowson, Lee Kiss and Ben Cohen running the ball out well throughout. Eastsdefence organised themselves well putting the Hindley attack constantly under pressure, with Colby Davies leading the way and putting in joint highest number of tackles. Noel Gardnerwas involved in one such contact and caused the Hindleyattacker to offload the ball which didn’t go to hand and Gardner quickly guzzled it up, relieving the pressure off his team mates. The first half was finished off with Easts starting to open up some ground between them and the visitors after Ewan Irwin threw a lovely long pass out to Rory Dearnley,putting him in space out wide. He gleefully took his opportunity well, outpacing the cover defence to score his first of two tries in the corner.

The second half continued much in the same vein. Bradley McDonagh and Ewan Irwin moved the ball well down both flanks. Some amazing Hindley cover defence during these encounters saw Rory Dearnley bundled into touch twice. The frustration clearly showed on the young Dearnley as the next play a brave Hindley attacker took the ball into the contact only for him to be stopped dead in his tracks - a tackle that surely registered on the richter scale and caused everyone watching to wince.

As the game moved towards its close, tiredness started to creep in to the Hindley defenders.

Firstly, Bradley McDonagh did a ‘show and go’ which resulted in him whizzing through an opening in the Hindley defence before Ewan Irwin followed suit with a couple more to secure him the Man of the match title from the Hindley coaches. A truly entertaining game of flowing rugby, which belied the young age of these 8 and 9 year old lads.