Harlow II  19 Chingford II  10 (To view more match reports - click here)

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Harlow continued their winning ways yet again on Saturday to open up the title race on a blustery day at Rams Gorse.

Harlow’s dominant pack were the key to victory, marshaled superbly by Peter Keeling, where the windy conditions forced Harlow to change their playing style to a physical encounter upfront in the forwards.  

Harlow’s pack were excellent from the off set where immediately they started to put Chingford under pressure making some solid hits and signaling their intent for the rest of the game.  The line of defence was well organised and with both of Harlow’s flankers shutting down Chingford’s outside halves they failed to make any impact on the game resorting to kicking the ball out to touch.  Chingford just simply had no answer to Harlow’s scrummaging on numerous occasions winning the ball against the head.  It was Harlow’s dominance in the scrum that resulted in Harlow’s first try.  A player offside resulted in Chingford conceding a penalty on their 5 metre line.  Harlow opted for the scrum and a massive shove from Harlow’s pack put them over Chingford’s try line which No.8 Keeling put down Bate missed the conversion to make the score 5-0. 

Chingford started to rally after that and realising they were no match in the forwards started to try and use their faster backs. Again Harlow’s defence were in no mood to allow anybody through and some excellent communication and tackling from backs L. Hodges, Rundall and Worthington saw them make little ground.  A lapse of concentration saw Harlow concede a penalty on their 22 and a well struck penalty from Chingford’s fly-half saw them claw back the deficit to 5-3.

Harlow remained unperturbed by this and a half break from around the halfway line from Odell and quick off loads to Hawkins and Edwards saw Harlow move into just inside Chingford’s 22 were a deliberate knock on from Chingford’s winger resulted in yet another penalty were Harlow decided for a scrum.  Another big shove moved Harlow within 10 metres of Chingford’s try line.  The ball was passed out to Bate who spotted Inside Centre L. Hodges angled run offloaded to him who broke through one tackle and held off another showing great strength powering over the line for Harlow’s second try which Bate converted 12-3 at half time.

Chingford started off brightly in the second half using their forwards to crash the ball up and suck in the Harlow defence.  With the defence sucked in they started to use the overlap they created and great covering tackles from Ward and Phillips keeping them out.  With Harlow’s foot off the pedal for a while Chingford used this to their advantage and spent a spell in Harlow’s half.  Yet again excellent defending, which is beginning to be Harlow’s main strength this season, keeping them out.  Harlow then started to use crash ball up the middle to slowly wrestle back control of the game.  A scrum in the middle of the park was driven forward and another well-timed pass from Bate saw fullback Phillips break through two tackles in Chingford’s backs line to leave him one on one with his opposite number who he then turned inside out to score Harlow’s third try of the match under the post’s.  Bate duly converted to make the score 19-3.

A few substitutions in the second half due to injuries disrupted Harlow’s style of play which Chingford used to their advantage pinning them back in their 22.  Some brilliant tackling and big hits kept a now resurgent Chingford desperately at bay for much of the remaining half.  In the dying seconds of the match Chingford managed to capitalise on Harlow’s lack of communication at a ruck, which the Chingford flanker managed to pick up with a hint of offside, to score.  Their fly-half converted but by then Harlow had done enough to kill the game off as a contest making the final score 19-10.  

Team: Bayford, Snell, Clarke, Hawkins, Palmer (Capt), J. Hodges (Cochrane 60mins), Keeling, Edwards, Odell (Claridge 75mins), Bate, Ward (Spencer 70mins), L. Hodges, Rundall, Worthington, Phillips.  Subs not used: Hansson

Tries:  Keeling, L. Hodges, Phillips.  Conversions: Bate (2)

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Back row, left to right: Don Smale, Martin Clark, James Hodges, Adam Spencer, Kain Claridge, Ali Phillips, Darren Hawkins, Ian Rundall, Robert Cochrane, Lee Hodges, Paul Twilly

Front row, left to right: Steven Ward, Richard Snell, Jim Worthington, Will Bayford, Kerry Palmer (Captain), Dominic O'Dell, Martin Edwards, Guy Hasson, Ian Bate.

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