They opened their 2015-16 National 2 North campaign with a very polished for a team featuring no fewer than 10 league debutants in the starting lineup, including flanker Rich Pennock & winger Josh Trinham who represented Stourbridge Lions last season. Macc threw the kitchen sink into an early siege of the Stour line, but were to come away empty handed thanks to Stour’s hardworking defence. There were tries for Nigel Mukarati, centre Joe Heatley and replacement Robbie Hurrell, victory was secured by a 2nd half shutout of an undercooked-looking Macclesfield attack that managed just a single try through winger Josh Fowles.

Stour found themselves under pressure when Macc held up a runner to secure scrum feed in the Stour 22. Wave after wave of short-range attacks were coordinated by ex-DK scrum half Jordan Brookes, but they were unable to break Stour’s well-organised defences, Jacob Nash eventually winning a footrace to ground a speculative chip through. Back came Macc, centre Brierley worked free on the right but Nash’s cover tackle brought him down just short of the line and the swarming Stour defence got back to counter-ruck and recover possession.

Stour worked their way downfield, finally setting foot in Macc territory. Heatley found a gap in the threequarter line and fed inside to Trinham who found fullback Rod Petty outside in space, his inside pass working Mukarati through for the first score. 18min 5-0.

Stour’s next attack produced a penalty goal for outside half Chris Scott after a high tackle. No.8 Connor Nicholls spotted a hesitant defence and broke 40m from the base of a scrum to line up the last defender, but with options left and right his pass just eluded the grasp of winger Joe Bridger. Macc countered from deep, Fowles outflanking the defence leaving Petty little option but a deliberate knock-on that drew a yellow card. Macc kicked for the corner, pressed the attack and eventually worked Fowles into space to score against the depleted Stour defence. 30min 8-5

A soft forward pass turned scrum possession back to Stour, centre James Othuha's charge broke through the midfield defences and the alert Nash took a quick tap penalty as a defender was penalised post-tackle. Heatley was on his shoulder to take the offload and barge over for a try converted by Scott. 34min 15-5.

Fowles was worked clear again by Macc as the clock wound down to the interval, he was held up just short of the line and a Stour blew a collective sigh of relief when a handling error drew the halftime whistle.

The opening exchanges of the 2nd half were disjointed and punctuated by frequent blasts of referee Jamie Leahy’s whistle. With Macc expecting Stour to kick a penalty award to the corner Petty hoofed it open for Bridger to chase, the cover had little option but to concede an attacking 5m lineout from which Stour attempted to catch & drive but were held up short. Their next attack came from deep, Heatley breaking through out wide and taking the attack to the Macc 22. The defences looked to have regouped but Stour went patiently through the phases, replacement Hurrell taking hooker Billy Harding’s pass to crash over. 55min 22-5.

Needing tries Brookes spurned a kickable penalty with a tap & run, but the high tempo had taken its toll on Macc’s support runners and Stour’s defence immediately secured a penalty for holding on in the tackle. The visitors’ increasingly desperate attacks foundered on a wall of Stour defenders, handling errors forcing them deep into their 22 and having to defend a series of bruising Mukarati drives. Their final attack fizzled out just inside the hosts' half, the whistle went and Stour savoured what may prove a vital win over opponents fancied to be in the promotion mix at the end of the season.