​A warm welcome to Bradwall Road to Vale of Lune and their supporters as we get our 1st XV 2026 home fixtures under way we hope you enjoy our hospitality.

​The 1st team didn’t start the year as they would have wished last weekend away at Birkenhead Park with a bit of a Christmas hangover. We retained second spot in the league with some games around us cancelled and still have all to play in the second part of the season.

​Vale of Lune’s fixture weekend was postponed so they have had a good break since the 20th December and will be fresh and ready for this week’s game. They sit just below us in the league but with a game in hand and motivation to overturn our win earlier in the season, so expect a tough encounter. Today’s game is one of our ‘double header’ games with the 2nd XV also playing Vale of Lune so there should be plenty good on field action between the two games.

​Please be vocal in support of the teams today but ensure you respect our referees, Nathan Power for the 1st XV and Alex Wood for the 2nd XV, as well as the supporting officials from both clubs.

​Today’s game is sponsored by long-time club benefactors CPe (Colin Plant), our premium sponsor is Chelford Farm Supplies, and the match ball is sponsored by ELM Associates. We thank our sponsors and guests for your support which is much appreciated.

Last week, despite the weather, saw an almost complete fixture programme. The only game to suffer was the game at Vale of Lune where North Ribblesdale would have been the visitors. This may have had a significant impact on the top of the table as North are top and Vale are pushing hard at third. As it happens, second-placed Sandbach came a cropper at lowly placed Birkenhead Park 24-10 but stay second with others having games in hand.

​Douglas again proved to be tough to beat at home and Burnage couldn’t change that, the Manxmen winning 34-21. Firwood Waterloo gained valuable points beating fellow strugglers West Park St Helens 29-18. Northwich took the honours at home against bottom side Altrincham Kersal with a 33-24 victory and Widnes beat Winnington Park in a hard-fought 18-8 encounter.

​This week Burnage host Northwich, which could be a very tight contest. But elsewhere, expect the form book to play out with Firwood Waterloo unlikely to trouble North Ribblesdale up at Settle. Equally, Douglas visit Winnington Park and seem this year to have cured their away game blues so should win. Although in rugby league circles, Widnes against St. Helens would be a mighty clash, in our code expect Widnes to win comfortably against West Park to keep their challenge near the top going.

​Altrincham Kersal and Birkenhead are both having dispiriting seasons but the Wirral men will be buoyed by their win last week and should take the points at AK.

​Here at Bradwall Road, expect a mighty clash. Vale of Lune are pushing hard and despite the result between these two sides earlier in the season which saw the ‘Bach win relatively comfortably, Vale have that second place in their sights. Sandbach have been beset by injury problems which has stretched their depth and their title challenge is looking somewhat wobbly. The result could have a key impact on the final placings. Let’s hope for good weather and an entertaining encounter.

Sandbach opened the scoring after four minutes with a penalty kick from Matt Randle. Northwich took the chance to level the scores five minutes later from a penalty and it was all square.

Sandbach’s first try came a few minutes later when they picked up a penalty in Northwich’s half. They kicked to touch to give ‘Bach an attacking lineout from 5m out. Callum Oakden leapt to receive the ball and the maul quickly formed and pushed towards the line. The ball slipped out to Laurie Essenhigh who fired over for the try.

After the restart, Sandbach won the ball back on halfway from a Northwich lineout and George Perkins made a massive carry. ‘Bach kicked to touch from the penalty and had another attacking opportunity from the lineout. It was a repeat of the last try as the maul charged towards the line and Essenhigh scored again.

Northwich reduced the deficit when their scrum overpowered Sandbach’s and they found a gap to score. From the restart, Northwich returned the ball to touch and Sandbach had a lineout. The throw went long and was collected by Oakden who linked with Essenhigh. From there Perkins made another big carry as Sandbach rushed through the phases. Centre Harry Leese attacked the line and made a nice sidestep before passing to Essenhigh who crossed over the line once more for his hat trick.

Before the end of the half, Sandbach had a succession of penalties close to the line and the rolling maul was used again. This time it was hooker Matt Davies who bounded over to secure the bonus point and Sandbach went in at half-time with a healthy 29-10 lead.

After the break, Northwich put Sandbach on the back foot. This time it was the visitor’s maul that earned the try, showing that they weren’t out of the game. Five minutes later and Sandbach’s lead was reduced further when Northwich applied the pressure in the home side’s twenty-two and snuck through for the try.

Sandbach began to get a foot back in the game. Northwich were trying to play the ball out, ‘Bach were holding them back, thanks in part to a big hit by Leese. Northwich lost the ball and winger Rhys John shot towards the corner. He looked certain to score but a huge hit from Northwich’s outside centre put John into touch. From a penalty they worked the phases and after a further penalty was awarded, the hosts sensibly opted for the points. Randle drilled the kick over to put them ten points ahead.

With four minutes left, Northwich scored another try, but the conversion went wide. There was now only five points in it with a few minutes left to play. From the restart, Northwich tried to run with the ball, however, they got themselves trapped in their twenty-two. They played the ball out wide, but a miss pass sent the ball into touch and the match ended with Sandbach winning 32-27.

After a break over the festive period, Sandbach Rugby Club’s senior teams were back in action at the weekend.

Sandbach 1st XV’s 2026 didn’t get off to the start they hoped for after losing away to Birkenhead Park on Saturday. However, ‘Bach hold on to second place after several games were postponed.

There was a welcome return to the team for club captain Max Beadle and centre Ed Vitta, who had both been absent since the away loss to Winnington Park. Winger Hugo Rosser retained his place in the team following his debut in the win against Northwich last month.

Birkenhead Park opened the scoring after eleven minutes with a converted try, but Sandbach did claw back some points from a penalty kick by full-back Matt Randle. However, the home side increased their lead with another converted try and after a missed shot at the posts, Sandbach were unable to secure any further points before half-time.

Early in the second half, a penalty for offside led to a Birkenhead Park try, which they duly converted. Despite picking up a yellow card, the hosts increased their lead by three points from a penalty.

With ten minutes to go, there were glimpses of a Sandbach fightback when Henry Mitchell went over for his third try of the season. Randle, who rarely misses off the tee, added the extras to take his points tally for the season to 144. However, it was too little too late and with strong game management from the hosts, the match ended 24-10.

Also away to Birkenhead Park were the 2nd XV who won 38-31 in a cracking contest. Flanker Chris Jackson put in a big performance to help secure the win. There were also senior debuts handed to Ollie Mitchell, who recently played for Cheshire Under 18s in their December campaign, and Tom Tebbitts.

Meanwhile, the 3rd XV went down 43-24 to Didsbury back at Bradwall Road. Player of the match was awarded to Cam Donald, with a special mention for Fin Gould for his efforts.
In other news, Sandbach’s Jack Bowbeer played for Sale Sharks Under 18s against Newcastle Red Bulls on Sunday 4th January. The Sandbach Junior Colts scrum-half played a year up in age range in Sale’s 31-17 victory over the Red Bulls at Lymm RFC.

Jack, who will continue to play for Sandbach’s Colts team, is part of the Sale Sharks Academy alongside fellow ‘Bach player Dylan Husbands. Dylan has played for Sandbach 2nd XV this season and also played for Cheshire Under 18s in their victories over Yorkshire and Lancashire.

​There comes a time when you suddenly start to realise your own mortality. A sure sign is the number of funerals you go to. We’ve had quite a few at Sandbach over the past couple of years. Now, a good many of these have been guys older than me. Guys in their 80s and 90s. But in recent weeks there has been news that has caused a degree of reflection.

​I was lucky in my younger days to be selected for the England U23 Tour to Canada in 1977. Three weeks, six games, including two tests against the full Canada team. We were unbeaten. Many of the lads on that tour went to become full internationals and a few, British Lions.

​What brought me up short was the fact that in the space of one week, two of my touring teammates passed away.

​First it was Tony Bond. That tour was when I first came across Bondy. He was a tough, hard-running centre but also a real larger than life character off the pitch. Always at the centre of the social action and never far from the high jinks. When I moved back to Cheshire from Nottingham I joined Sale and there was Anthony Bond, he hadn’t changed. For the next few years we played together and I also played against him when Cheshire played Lancashire.

​It wasn’t long before he was selected for England. Sadly his international career was cut short by a tragic broken leg suffered against Ireland and, although he recovered, he was never the same player. He would certainly have got more than his six England caps. Probably his most memorable performance came in 1979 when he was part of the North team that beat the All Blacks at Otley. Bondy scored two tries.

​The same week that we lost Bondy, another of my Canada teammates also died. John Doubleday was a tough as teak prop who played for Bristol. John played 314 games for Bristol and was a part of the team that won the John Player Cup in 1983. He benched for England and played in three non-cap games against Japan, Fiji, and Tonga. These days he would have had thirty or forty caps. Throughout the early 80s he was acknowledged as one of the best around.

​If this wasn't enough, a week or so later we heard of the death of referee Fred Howard. Fred refereed me on many occasions and I always enjoyed a good relationship with him. He was a consummate ‘professional’ in the days when referees weren’t professional. His player management was excellent, he would always have a good rapport with players without ever compromising his authority.

​I remember in my Sandbach days, he turned up to referee us at New Brighton the week after he had sent-off Wales’ Kevin Moseley in a Five Nations game at Cardiff. My team talk was very simple to the lads, ‘If he’ll send off a Wales second row in front of 60,000 screaming Welshmen, he won’t think twice about sending any of you lot off on a wet grey day at New Brighton. Best behaviour lads’.

​Inevitably there was a sending-off. Thankfully, a New Brighton player. I last saw Fred a couple of years ago when he turned up at Sandbach to assess a young referee. Few in the bar recognised him, but I did. I invited him to come over and have a chat. He was still the same, happy to chew the fat and talk rugby. Lovely fella.

​So, in the space of a couple of weeks three of my rugby contemporaries have gone and it is sobering.

​So if there is a lesson to be learned – it’s enjoy life while you can. You never know when the bloke with the scythe may come calling.

This is a test page to show how a live-score can be inserted into any page.

Live score only works if enabled for the programme and manually updated by a match day administrator