HML U15 League 3: Twickenham 12 vs Hitchin A 46
Match Report: Sunday 30th September 2012
Tries (8): Max (1), Saiful (4), Dan B (1), Dan C (1), Jordan (1)
Cons (3): Max (3)
Squad: Aaron, Ashley, Benji, Dan B, Dan C, Dan H, Frazer, Harry E, Jack W, Joe, Jordan, Luke, Max, Ollie M, Ollie P, Saiful, Sam J, Tom B, Will B
A beautifully dry and sunny September morning with a light breeze at Twickenham RFC – who are hosting the first league game of this season. It’s barely 6 months since we last saw Twickenham at George V in the last league game of last season – just before the summer break. It was a close game last time and we see some familiar faces. Bad luck to Frazer who travelled down, but was sadly unable to play due to illness.
Twickenham kick-off the first half, with a deep kick into our half caught by Jack. The ball is soon steadily working its way down the line into Twickenham’s half. It reaches Saiful who tears away down the wing to within 15yds of the try line passing back to Max to complete our first try in the corner. Max narrowly misses a difficult conversion leaving the opening score at 5-0. Twickenham restart with a short kick this time but the ball is soon working its way back. Joe manages to break away down the wing but is taken out to touch some 10 yds short of the try line. We win the resulting lineout giving Dan C the chance to carry the ball over the try line but it’s held up. Persistent Hitchin pressure keeps the ball in Twickenham’s territory but Twickenham manage to clear the ball into our half behind our defence and their fast winger carries it forward to try in the centre of the posts. A simple conversion over the bar puts Twickenham in the lead (score 7-5). We restart with deep kick that continues rolling into touch – but we’ve soon recovered the ball from the resulting lineout. A deep kick into Twickenham territory gives Saiful the chance to capture the ball and weave through Twickenham’s defence to score his first try. Max’s conversion falls short but we’re now in the lead (7-10). We restart with Dan C kicking forward. Aaron captures the ball and makes good progress with Jordan shadowing, sets up for Dan B to complete our third try. Max successfully converts bringing the first-half score to (7-17).
Hitchin kick-off the second half with too short a kick resulting in a scrum reset in the centre. We spin the first two scrums and win the third giving our forwards a chance to make good progress towards the posts. A knock-on forces a scrum 7 yds in front of Twickenham’s goal. We win the scrum and pass the ball down the line to Saiful on the wing who outruns the opposition to score his second try and Hitchin’s fourth in the corner. Max attempts a long conversion but falls short leaving the score at 7-22. Twickenham restart with a kick into our half but strong driving on our part brings the ball back into their half. Saiful gets a chance to break away again this time setting up Dan C to score our fifth try. Max narrowly misses the conversion – keeping the score at 7-27. Twickenham restart and a strong push forward brings them over our try line but we hold the ball up resulting in a 5yd scrum. A barrage of Twickenham attacks from their heavy forwards is repelled by an impenetrable Hitchin defence resulting in the cruncher of the day when one of Twickenham’s props attempts a head-on smash against Will B only to bounce back dazed to the floor. An unfortunate series of off-side and high-tackle penalties against Hitchin forces a frustrated ref to finally dish out a yellow card to Hitchin – and unluckily Sam J takes the rap for the team. Hitchin are left playing the rest of the game with only 14 players. Undeterred we press on and clear with a deep kick into Twickenham territory. A fumbled catch forces a knock-on scrum just 5yds short of their posts. Jordan secures the ball from the scrum and powers across to score our sixth try in the centre of the posts. Max swiftly converts taking the score up to 7-34. Twickenham restart but the ball is soon passed down the line to Saiful who demonstrates his remarkable speed outpacing Twickenham’s defence on the wings to score his hat-trick and our seventh try in the centre of the posts. Max completes a conversion hat-trick bringing the score to 7-41. Twickenham restart, but barely 2 mins later, Saiful is once again outpacing Twickenham’s defence to deliver our eighth try in the corner. Max misses a difficult long-distance conversion leaving the score at 7-46. With barely 3 minutes left in the game, Twickenham restart and sheer determination drives them forward into our half. Persistent defence on our side makes it difficult for Twickenham to break across the try line and the ball works its way down the try line from corner to corner until, with one man less, we run out of defence and Twickenham score in the corner. A missed conversion leaves the final score at Twickenham 12 – Hitchin 46.
An exhilarating game and a great way to start the new league season! Solid teamwork on our side with high professionalism meant we kept control over the ball over most of the game leaving Twickenham with very few options to push back. Great sportsmanship on both sides – good, solid, enjoyable rugby! Man-of-the-Match awarded to Dan C for great control of the ball setting up options for the team. Cruncher of the day goes to Will B for stopping Twickenham’s head-on assault dead in its tracks. Some of the players and parents moved on to The Stoop to see Saracens grind out a win against Harlequins, 16-18, much to the dismay of the Twickenham U15s coaches, who had made the short journey too.