Braintree 36 Harlow 18

London Three North East League

Harlow started well taking an early lead and staying in front for the first half hour. Even at this stage however they looked vulnerable as the home side wasted a lot of good attacking opportunities by not conforming to the new much tougher laws on infringements at the ruck. As the game progressed Braintree settled into a good pattern of play making combined use of accurate kicking for position and penetrating attacks by their very fast backs. Defensive mistakes by Harlow allowed them to break through on many occasions and too often they were allowed to make the try line. Harlow also had some good attacking moves when they should have scored but the Braintree work in defence was much better and their line was only broken twice. The outcome is in line with Harlow’s overall performance this season. The are scoring as freely as any club in the league but are conceding far too many tries, if they could sort out their defensive play they could still have a good season.

Harlow went ahead in the third minute with a penalty from fly half Humphries who extended their lead thirteen minutes later with a superb solo try. He stepped outside on defender and then inside the next to run in under the post, slotting the conversion for a ten point lead.  Braintree hit back on the 22^nd minute with a try from their lock forward Loftus making to 10 – 5 to Harlow. A good link up between McFerran and Vanbeck saw Harlow come very close to another try and Humphries was just wide with another penalty shot before on the 31st minute Braintree centre Ashford split the defence for a good try and their fly half Monk slotted the kick to give them a 12 – 10 lead. An unconverted try from Braintree fullback Shine  extended the lead and on the stroke of half time Humphries slotted his second penalty to make it 17 – 13 at half time.

The home side started well with a try from their hooker Sewell finishing of a forward drive and Monk added the two points making it 24 -13. For the next 20 minutes play was cut and thrust with both sides having chances before Harlow suffered a double setback losing both flanker Roberts and fullback McFerran to injury. A 63^rd minute try from the Braintree winger Chapman gave them a fairly safe margin. Harlow did however strike back four minute later when fly half Paul Humphries broke through and was held 5 years from the try line. Harlow skipper Eynon however was in support and took the pass to crash through for a try in the corner. In the final minute of the game a second try for Chapman this time converted left the final score at  36 – 18.

Next Saturday Harlow are away to Div IV side Basildon in the second round of the Senior Vase before they resume their league campaign at home against Sudbury the following week. Sudbury have a similar record to Harlow, scoring well but also conceding heavily, it makes for an interesting encounter, critical for both teams

Tries: Paul Humpries, Paul Eynon

Conversions:  Paul Humpries

Penalties: Paul Humpries (2)

Team List

1 -  Ricky McKinley (Sub 65 mins Rob Treamer)

2 -  Stuart Wilkins
3 -  Tom Webb  
4 -  Darren Hawkins
5 -  Mark Twinner  (Sub 70 mins, blood, Ricky McKinley)
6 -  Shaun Roberts (Sub 60 mins, blood, Adam Paine)
7 -  Lee Covington
8 -  Paul Eynon

9 -  Neil Fitzpatrick

10 - Paul Humpries
11 - Will Grimley
12 - Gareth Powell

13 - Daniel Visser
14 - Simon Vanbeck
15 - James McFerran (Sub 70 mins Luke Bowering )

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