Harlow 18 Romford 0
London Three North East
Harlow overcame
atrocious conditions
at Ram Gorse
on Saturday to show
that they really
do have a
chance of winning
the league.
The game started
in heavy drizzle
and by the
end players were
having to cope
with waterlogged
pitch conditions and
heavy freezing rain.
The success is
very much down
to the fact
that the Harlow
players accepted the
conditions and
worked hard to
play their usual effective
game. A decisive
factor was that
the Harlow players
were much quicker
to the breakdown
and recycled ball
effectively. On
a day like
that it was
inevitable that
passes would be
dropped and the
ball would go
loose, the side
which was quicker
to clean up
and exploit those
situations was
going to have
the advantage and
that was very
much Harlow.
Despite having
several players absent Harlow
performed brilliantly.
Lloyd Matchett
moved into the
second row with
Kain Claridge
taking over the
No. 8 position
performing well in controlling
the ball in
difficult situations
and cleaning up.
In his first
year as a
senior he is
developing very
rapidly player and
was adjudged to
be the player
of the match.
Simon Vanbeck moved from wing to centre where he was joined by David
Stradling. With good support from flankers Pickett and Stoba they were able
to keep the Romford backs pinned down. The Harlow
pack worked
superbly to wipe
out any
opportunities by Romford
to get onto
the attack.
Whenever their Number
10 had the
ball he seemed
to have three
players in red
shirts hanging on
to him before
he could start
to move and
this effectively
shut their backs
out of the
game.
Harlow started
playing down the
slope and were
very rapidly into
the Romford half,
staying there for
the vast majority
of the first
half. Right
from the whistle
their forwards went
close to the
line and could
well have forced
their way over.
Romford pushed
the Rams back
but only by
30 yards or
so and then
Harlow recycled ball
and attacked
again. The
first of a
number of kicks
down to the
right hand corner
exposed the
uncertainty of the
Romford winger
under high ball
in difficult
conditions and Harlow winger
Matt Howard came
within a few
feet of stealing
ball which would
have given him
a certain try.
Having exposed
the weakness Harlow were
to attack this
way and number
of times during
the game and
although it did
not yield a
score directly
it kept the
visitors well pegged
back in their
own half and
allowed the Rams
set up a
number of good
attacking positions.
After about 15
minutes Ford
attempted a long
penalty from only
just inside his
own half.
He was online
but in the
difficult conditions
didn't quite have
the range.
Harlow however kept
up the pressure
and when awarded
another penalty
from about 30
yards out Lee
Harron grabbed
the ball took
a quick tap
and sprinted towards
the line. He
was stopped about
eight yards
short but with
most of the
Harlow packing support
the ball was
quickly recycled
and Jon Snow
was driven over
for the try.
Ford was on
target with the
conversion for
a seven nil
lead. For
the remainder of
behalf Harlow kept
up the pressure
and had a
number of scoring
opportunities which
with a less
greasy pitch and
a dry ball
would have
yielded certain tries.
Late in a-half
a penalty by
Ford went cleanly
between posts
extending the lead
to 10 nil
at half-time.
One
would have
expected Harlow to come
under pressure
plying up the
slope and could
question whether
or not the
10 point lead
would be enough.
In fact although
Romford attacked
briefly from the
kick-off within
10 minutes the
Rams are driven
their way back
up into the
Romford 22 and
were going to
spend most of
the remainder of
the half there.
During the half
the visitors had
one or two
attacking opportunities
but Lee Harron
the Harlow
scrum-half was very
quick steal ball
and make
excellent use of
the screw
kick over his
shoulder to clear
when under
pressure. An excellent kick up field came to rest just in front of the
Romford posts.
Howard was up
very quickly in
pursuit but the
full back just
managed clean the
ball up but
knocked on in
the process. From
a scrum five
metres out Harlow attacked but
the move broke
down and Romford
managed clear
downfield. About
15 minutes into
the half Harlow
were awarded another
penalty and this
time Ford managed
to strike it
very cleanly between
posts for a
13 points to
nil lead.
Almost immediately
following this Scott Romaine
the Harlow hooker
sustained a bad
cut to his
mouth and had
to leave the
field requiring 8 stitches. James
Ephgrave came on
to take his
place meaning that Harlow
were now fielding
a front row
consisting of
three props.
Prindiville went into
the hooker
position with Brown
and Ephgrave
propping. In
the circumstances the Harlow
pack held things
together quite
well and in
fact at
times had a
slight advantage on
the Romford put
in when the
heavier front row
worked quite well
when they went
for an eight man
shove. At the
line-outs Gary Brown took
over the throw-in
duties and
performed extremely well
frequently aiming the
ball cleanly into
the hands of Jon Snow
jumping in the
number four
position. In
the closing quarter
of the game
with both sides
absolutely soaked
and frozen good
rugby became
difficult. Harlow full-back
Fozzy Brown
coming through on
to a loose
ball opted to
kick ahead and
follow up. The
ball stopped a little way
short of the
try-line and he
tapped ahead
again for Andy Vanston who
was running in
close support
to dive in
for the try
taking the
score to 18
nil. In
the last five
minutes Romford
managed an
attack into Harlow half
but the
defence was solid
and in many
ways given
that the result
was certain
all 30 players
were delighted
to hear the
final whistle.
With
leaders Bury St Edmunds being
held to a
draw and Brentwood the
other challengers
defeated by
bottom of league
Hadleigh Harlow are
now only one
point behind
them in second
place. Next
weekend Harlow are at home
to Campion.
Although there
are only in
mid-table
they have had
some good
results recently and
it will be
necessary to pull
the stops out
to achieve a
win. Also
at Ram Gorse
on Saturday
Harlow Seconds are
playing in the
semi-final of
the Essex second
team Cup
against Thurrock II. The cup
game will kick
off at 1:45pm
and the league
match at 2.15pm.
Despite the
appalling conditions last
Saturday around 150 spectators
braved the
weather to cheer Harlow
home. With
two quality
matches next weekend
the club are
expecting an
even larger turn out.
Tries: Jon Snow, Andrew Vanston
Conversions: Nick Ford
Penalties: Nick Ford (2)
1. -
Gary Brown
2. -
Scott Romaine (Sub 45 mins
James Ephgrave)
3. -
Paul Prindiville
4. -
Jon Snow
5. -
Lloyd Matchett
6. -
Scott Stoba
7. -
Mark Pickett
8. -
Kain Claridge
9. -
Lee Harron (Captain)
10. -
Nick Ford
11. -
Andrew Vanston
12. -
David Stradling
13. -
Simon Vanbeck
14. -
Matt Howard
15. -
Francis Brown
Subs not used:
Darran Hawkins,
Wayne Heapy
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