Campion 2nd XV 17 Harlow 2nd XV 29

Harlow put their previous disappointing results to one side and got their season back on track with a fine win against Campion 17 points to 29.

The game for Harlow started off slowly with Campion using their bigger pack to good effect.  Their impressive rolling mauls getting them deep into Harlow’s half only some stubborn defending keeping them out.  The only way Campion seemed to be getting any headway was from these and it was from one just outside Harlow’s 5 meter line that they got their score to make it 5-0 within the first 5 mins.

Harlow started to rally after this and after some quick turnover ball started to pass the ball out wide where the Harlow back’s could do the most damage who in turn were well supported by Harlow’s back row to work their way into Campion’s 22.  One such quick passage of play allowed Harlow to get their first try.  At the base of a quick ruck the ball was passed out to Vanston whilst Campion’s defence was still lining up. A dummy switch with Powell opened up Campion’s defence with good vision Vanston decided to go himself and went through to run in under Campion’s posts. Vanston converted to make the score 5-7. 

For the rest of the first half it was pretty much one-way traffic with Harlow starting to play as a team playing quick expansive rugby offloading in tackles showing good awareness with the players around them.  On the occasions when Campion had the ball excellent play from Romaine, who seemed to be everywhere, slowed them down and when they managed to get the ball out to their fly-half excellent pressure from Harlow back-rows Cochrane and Mckinley seemed to turn the ball over at every opportunity.  It was only a matter of time till Harlow scored their second try, which was again scored by Vanston.  Another dummied pass saw him step inside Campion’s flanker who then broke through and rolled out of the full back’s covering tackle to score again, which he dully converted 5-14. 

Just before the break Harlow scored again this was probably by far Harlow’s best try of the game where the ball seemed to go through every players hands before Cochrane popped up on the wing to run in and score outside.  An excellent conversion by Vanston saw Harlow go in 5-21 at half time.

The second half started pretty much like the first finished with Harlow disrupting Campion’s ball the only ground Campion seemed to make was by employing their rolling maul tactics that they used so well at the start of the first half.  Again Harlow defended well and when a Campion player conceded a penalty for holding onto the ball Harlow come close to scoring again.  A quick tap penalty saw Romaine run the ball out wide.  The offload in the tackle was passed to Vanston who timed his pass perfectly to release Cochrane through to run in again however the try was disallowed as the referee harshly adjudged that the final pass was passed forward to award Campion a scrum just outside their 22.  A sliced quick out to touch by Campion’s fly-half saw Harlow full back Brown catch the ball out wide and just inside Campion’s half.  With all the time in the world a sweetly struck drop goal attempt saw the ball sail between the posts to extend Harlow’s lead 5-24. 

After this score Harlow started to take their foot off the pedal a bit and allowed Campion to slowly work their way back into the game.  With growing confidence Campion started passing the ball around again using their rolling mauls to keep hold of the ball and work their way into Harlow’s half. Two quick tries by Campion saw them reduce the deficit 17-24.  Harlow held out though for a nervy finish and a penalty for diving over by a Campion forward saw a massive kick out by Brown ease the pressure off Harlow and put Campion on the back foot as it took them deep into Campion’s 22.  Rather ironically a good rolling maul from Harlow’s forwards saw them move to a within a metre of Campion’s try line.  Romaine peeled off the back of the maul and scored the final try that his performance warranted to make the final score 17-29.

Team:  Clarke, Romaine, Branch, Hawkins, Palmer, Cochrane, McKinley (Summers), Marchett, Snell (Capt), Vanston, McClarnon, Powell (Hodges), Rundall, Whiting, Brown.

Tries: Vanston (2), Cochrane, Romaine.  Conversions: Vanston (3),

Drop Goals: Brown.  

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