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Harlow 36 Harpenden 12
Pre-season friendly
Harlow played their final warm up before the start of the league season last Saturday against Harpenden who play in London Div III North West and are therefore ideal opposition for Harlow who play in Div III North East. The club had organised massive feast of rugby festival to get the season underway. With four games providing non stop rugby between mid day and 5pm. Around 200 supporters turned out to celebrate the start of the season but from the Harlow point of view around 100 played rugby during the afternoon. In addition to the first team game the seconds and thirds both had matches against sides from Old Albanians. Harlow colts (under 19s) were keen to get some practice before the start of their season and the Harlow 4th turned out to provide opposition. As it turned out they had no answer to the speed of the youngsters who ran in 94 points while only conceding one try to their elders who found the pace of the youngster just too much.
The first team game was played in three sessions to allow coaches plenty of time to switch players and to discuss tactics. For much of the first session it was a closely matched game and although Harlow applied periods of pressure the visitors defence was solid and they showed little chance of breaking through. Harlow did finally get on to the score sheet with a decisive drive by their forwards with prop Gary Brown bouncing off two defenders to score the first of his two tries. Josh Bohl playing at fly half was right on target with the conversion from out near the touchline. Near the close of the session Harpenden launched a good running attack and added a converted try of their own.
As the game went into the second and third sessions, the fact that Harlow had the younger side started to tell. Fitness became an issue and the visitors could not match the pace of the Rams. The forwards were running with the ball in hand and proving a major problem for the defenders. Gary Brown was a major force and former skipper Paul Eynon and his second row partner Jon Snow were both a constant threat. Perhaps for Harlow however it was the fact that with several quality backs not available Harlow were still able to dominate the open play. The return of James McFerran at fullback and Wayne Morgan at centre, both sidelined with major injuries last season, has been a huge bonus both in defence and attack. Four good tries from the backs wrapped up the game with just one serious slip up, conceding a try in the closing seconds.
Tries: Gary Brown (2), Sean Banks, Will Grimley, Lee Harron, Wayne Morgan Conversions: Josh Bohl (2), James McFerran
Squad:
Props: James Ephgrave, Gary Brown Hookers:
Stuart Wilkins, Scott Romaine 2nd Rows:
Paul Eynon, Jon Snow Back Rows:
Mark Pickett, Jamie Pope, Micheal Weston, Kain Claridge Scrum
Halves: Lee Harron, Jake Kent-Pope Fly Half:
Josh Bohl Centres: Wayne Morgan,
Billy Stanley, Will Grimley Wingers:
Sean Banks, Wayne Heapy Full
Backs: James McFerran
Harlow 2nd XV 36 Old Albanians 3rd XV 0.
A good win over Old Albanians by Harlow
seconds is another good pointer for the coming season. Six tries all from
the backs indicates that running rugby is alive and well in Harlow Conversions: Steve Scanlan (3).
Harlow 3rd XV 25 Old Albanians 4th XV 5 A good win by Harlow thirds shows promise for the coming season. Tries: Danny Fitzpatrick (2) Adam Paine, Matt Howard. Drop Goal: Ian Bate Conversion: Andy Scales.
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