Preston Grasshoppers vs. Sandal, 22nd January 2022
Fresh from their triumph in Cheshire last week, Preston Grasshoppers host Yorkshire side Sandal this coming Saturday. Any thoughts related to the visitors lowly league position will need to be taken with a note of caution after Sandal’s performance last week when they took the undefeated League leaders all the way, failing by just a single point in a low scoring encounter. A far cry from the seventy three points to three defeat earlier in the season at Cross Green.
Hoppers and their supporters were treated to a clinical display at Macclesfield against a team full of confidence after they also ran Otley close the previous week, this time in Yorkshire. Never behind in the whole match, Hoppers defended stoutly when required and took the points when opportunities arose. A good all round performance, but the forwards took the plaudits scoring all the tries.
Against Sandal, Hoppers ran out comfortable winners back in early October in the reverse fixture, the high scoring game being a feature of Sandal’s until last week.
The first meeting between Preston Grasshoppers and Sandal took place nearly thirty years ago, in a club fixture taking place at Lightfoot Green on the 3rd of April 1993 when Hoppers ran out the victors by twelve points to the visitors three. A return fixture was made for the following season over in Yorkshire where the home side ran out narrow winners by four points in forty four.
The clubs didn’t meet the following season but came up against each other for the first time in league action on the 21st of October at Sandal where the home side won on the day by sixteen points to five.
All told there have been fourteen meetings between Hoppers and Sandal with ourselves having the advantage by nine to four, winning the last seven. There’s also been one drawn match between the two clubs, thirteen points all. Amongst these games there have been eleven league matches in which Hoppers have won eight to Sandal’s three plus drawn encounter.
The 1869 Club are running a coach for supporters next Saturday to Billingham, departing Hoppers Clubhouse and taking lunch at a suitable hostelry en-route. As usual anyone is welcome on the trip with the coach fare £20 and just £5 for accompanied juniors. The return journey to Preston will commence approximately an hour after the final whistle with an expected arrival home around 8pm.
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MILESTONES
A couple of mentions here, firstly Harry Moulding is due to make his fiftieth appearance for Preston Grasshoppers 1st XV in his next appearance and Matt Lamprey’s double last Saturday at Macclesfield took him up to third place in the all time Hoppers League try scoring table, with second place very close.
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Team News
- Oga MABAYA
- Chris TAYLOR (c)
- Olli TRIPPIER
- Ally MURRAY
- Dec NORRINGTON
- Toby HARRISON
- Ben DORRINGTON
- Matt LAMPREY
- Harrison MOULDING
- Alex WARD
- Tyler SPENCE
- Sam STOTT
- Alex TAYLORSON
- Jordan DORRINGTON
- Jacob BROWNE
- Harry HOLDEN
- Rob BRAMHALL
- Sam GALE
