Harlow 45 Chelmsford 7

London Three North East

Harlow kept their challenge for promotion on track with a convincing win over Chelmsford on Saturday.  They have cleanly dispatched the bottom four clubs and although they have dropped 5 points to clubs in the top half this was only by two marginal single score defeats and a draw. If they can reverse these setbacks in the return games they will be back on track. In the meantime they have to deal with mid table Saffron Walden and Braintree and second place Diss to round off the first half of their league campaign. Any points dropped in these games would leave them with a very hard hill to climb.

On Saturday Harlow made a promising start taking much of the play to the visitors 22. Chelmsford however had some experience players in their squad and for the first twenty minutes defended well. Finally after a driving maul and two good attacks by the backs had been well blocked, Harlow fly half Nick Ford got his running angle just right and scored close to the posts; converting it for a 7 – 0 lead. Harlow continued to put on pressure and a good run by Vanbeck on the left wing almost saw him break through. A further attack saw Josh Bohl running in under the post only for the final pass to have been judged forward. In the closing minutes of the half another Harlow attack saw a careless pass intercepted by Chelmsford allowing them to run in a 40 yard try under the posts and to convert for a 7 – 7 score at half time.

With the slope in their favour Harlow started strongly and most of the play was in the Chelmsford half, a pattern that was to persist for most of the game. For about 15 minutes Chelmsford defended well before James McFerran the Harlow fullback came into the attack and burst through the defence on the right wing to touch down. Fort was on target from out wide and Harlow were 14 – 7 up. Minutes later the forwards launched a good attacking maul from a lineout and were held up close to the line. Prop Paul Prindiville came away with the ball and powered his way over for the try taking it to 19 – 7.  Minutes later Harlow launched another attack forwards the left before sending the ball through four pairs of hand to the right wing where again McFerran was on hand to make the overlap and run in his second try.  Throughout the game Harlow had worked to play open handling rugby and now it was starting to pay off. Ben Jarvis came on a perfect angle to split the defending centres and touch down near the posts and Ford landed the kick for a 31 – 7 lead. With about twelve minutes to go MacFerran burst through for his third try and again Ford was on target to take the score to 38 – 7. The in the closing minutes it was the turn of Simon Vanbeck who had played very well all through the game but with most of the ball going to the opposite wing. The ball came right this time and he cut inside the defender to touch down for another excellent try. Ford put the long kick over to finish the game at 45 – 7.

This was the last game in a Harlow Shirt for No 7 Mark Pickett. He had a very successful career in Harlow Colts before departing to study at Cambourne School of Mines. They play a very special kind of rugby in Cornwall and his learning curve went way beyond academia. On his return he immediately made the open side flanker spot his own; the classic small but very strong and fast exponent of the position who wreaks havoc among the opposition dumping players half as big again as he is. He now departs for Australia to pursue his career as a geologist no doubt much to the relief of many fly halves in Essex and neighboring counties. We suspect that their Aussie counterparts may be less pleased when they know what is coming. Everyone at Harlow would like to wish him well both on and off the field.

Next Saturday Harlow are away to Saffron Walden in what will be a critical game if they are to remain in contention.

Tries: Nick Ford, Ben Jarvis, James McFerran (3), Paul Prindiville, Simon Vanbeck  

Conversions: Nick Ford (5)

1. - Paul Prindiville  (Sub Paul Eynon 55 minutes)

2. - Scott Romaine

3. - Gary Brown

4. - Jon Snow

5. - James Ephgrave 

6. - Jamie Pope (Sub Stuart Wilkins 60 minutes)

7. - Mark Pickett

8. - Kain Claridge

9. - Lee Harron

10. - Nick Ford

11. - Will Grimley (Sub Billy Stanley 60 minutes)

12. - Ben Jarvis

13. - Josh Bohl

14. - Simon Vanbeck

15. - James McFerran

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