South take 5 points, with home win

South did just enough to take the bonus point, in a very scrappy game.

The day when rugby came second:

Nobody wants to see an air ambulance helicopter dominating proceedings but sadly that is what happened when Manchester wing McCullough went down early on in this NM3 encounter. Thankfully the player appears to be OK and was eventually taken for treatment in a conventional road ambulance following treatment on the pitch from the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire air ambulance team. What a valuable service they provide, lest we should forget.

So to the game; South made several changes with McFedries, Lord and Keeling all rested and Culpin, Coltman and March warming the bench. This season's star man Johnson was also rested as a precaution.
In came Paul Chan Tung for his first start at scrum half, with his mentor Freddie Tuilagi and Northampton Saints forwards coach and world cup winner Dorian West looking on from the side. Former British Lion Harry Ellis had a watching brief from Steve Booth and must have felt sorry for Paul having to make the most of an awful game of rugby.
Max Castrogiovani made a welcome return and Rikki Aley got a rare outing ahead of his impending hospitalisation to fix his knee.

Manchester have moved on since the thrashing delivered by South at Cheadle Hulme in November, some new faces, a great spirit and signs that next season will see an end to the decline they have suffered in recent years. It is great to see a club with significant challenges pulling together to deliver the best standard of rugby possible, we wish them well.

This though was a poor spectacle, a game riddled with errors and indiscipline, two nasty injuries, 3 yellow cards, countless penalties and a change of pitch to allow the first injured player to be appropriately cared for.

South reached half time having delivered the bonus point with tries from Clarke, Griffin, Castrogiovani and Greasley, with some good finishing from the backs when moves got completed. Clarke in particular showed something of his form from last season as he sped down the touchline brushing aside defenders at will.

Manchester showed spirit though and scored a well worked try from Doug Day, it must have been his afternoon! Proctor should be commended on his performance for the visitors, he will be a handful for the opposition next season.

The game degenerated into rubbish in the second half and was without doubt the poorest we have seen for many a day. South added a try and conversion but this was well short of expectations and we shall all hope for better at Rugby next week.

A win's a win as they say and we should all be thankful that the injuries to the two visiting players do not look as bad as feared.

No man of the match but people of the day were both physios for their talent and expertise in caring for the injured, Oliver McFedries (3) for his pitch invasion whilst Rikki Aley was taking a conversion and Mark Lewis (49) for an impeccable performance with the flag.