Upper Clapton Colts 10 Harlow Colts 5

With regular scrum half Mark Ellis missing and stand in number 9  Chris Poon injured during this match , the Young Rams are finding it hard to select a balanced side, and are still without several first choice three quarter backs. Nevertheless they played well against a strong Clapton side in a match which could have gone either way until,the final whistle.

For twenty minutes both sides defended well but it was the home side who scored first with a well struck penalty. They continued to press and went further ahead  with a converted try following powerful forward pressure.

Harlow had a try disallowed just before the interval and trailed by 0-10 at the break.

 With the injury to Poon , Terry Blackwell moved to scrum half and Harlow began the half well. |After ten minutes they scored their only points, a try from second row Ray Tovey who crashed over following a good mauling drive by the Harlow pack.

The try went unconverted and was the only score in a second half when each team struggled to find a way through two dogged defences.

Harlow Colts. Carter (Capt.), Mortimer, Cunningham, Lewis, Blackwell, Buckner, Ashcroft, Tovey, Mintoff, Poon, Hockley, Bowering, Perry, Heeney, Jenner, Drake, Rodruiges-Haribo, Read, Potter, O’Donnell. Ansell,

Harlow u17’s 12 Braintree u17’s 29

The Young Rams did well to keep going in this game losing their number 8 , Jack Palmer,  with  a serious ankle injury during the first half. Without any substitutes Harlow had to play with fourteen men against the side which had scored sixty points against them last year.

The visitors won more of the possession in the first half and scored two tries , both converted , to lead by 14-0 at half time. They would have been further ahead but for excellent tackling from the Young Rams. After the interval Braintree continued to attack apart from some spirited spells from Harlow . The visitors scored three more tries out wide profiting from the missing Harlow player but in the final fifteen minutes it was the Young Rams who took the initiative.

A powerful forward surge took them close to the posts and Flanker Lenny Hayden burrowed his way through to score. Fly Half Danny Smith converted the try.

With minutes to go Harlow worked hard to get the ball out wide and winger Chris Turner beat his man to score in the corner. Just reward for the Harlow boys who stuck to their guns throughout.

Harlow Under 17’s.  Heaton, Davis-Gardner, Dickerson, Sanderson, Gleeson, Palmer, Hayden, Hammond, Gregory (Capt.), Smith, Mortimer, Cable, Turner, Coleman,  Elston.

Harlow u16’s 7 Saracens u16’s  36

The mighty Saracens travelled to Harlow with a big squad of players and were able to give them all a run out. The first half was excellent for the Harlow lads who tackled and fought for the ball thus restricting the visitors  for the first twenty minutes.

Harlow dominated the scrums and their backs tackled very well particularly David Briggenshaw and Ryan Clark .

Saracens managed only one try in the first half which was converted and the score at half time was 7-0 to the visitors. Harlow continued to frustrate the Saracens in the second half but they then brought on their first choice players, several of them being  County caps .As the game wore on the Harlow boy s began to tire and the visitors ran in another five tries. It was however,  the Young Rams who had the last word and their efforts were rewarded with  a fine try. A run from the twenty two supported by both centres Judge and Clark was finished off by winger Ball whose try was converted by Denzil Crafton.

A great effort by the Young Rams who made the visitors work hard for their win.

Harlow Under 16’s.  Patch, Cunningham, Mortimer, Judge, Doyle, Dunn, Pedder, Ball, Blackman, Walsh, Ryde, Darby,  Foster, Flynn, Goodchild, Crafton (Capt.), Briggenshaw, Clark, Newton-Rae, Norris.

Harlow u15’s 12 Colchester u15’s 22

 The Harlow boys boosted their numbers with three under 14’s who played very well in this age group. They were Zac Chamnaouie, who scored a try, centre Vinnie hunter and second row Josh Doe.

Harlow competed well and won most of the scrummages in the first half creating several chances. It was, however,  the visitors who scored first with an unconverted try but Harlow took the lead when Chamnaouie crashed over, his try being converted by centre Ryan Matthew.

Another unconverted try by Colchester gave them a lead of 10-7 at half time and with a big squad of players they were able to bring on a number of new faces in the second half. Despite good tackling by the Junior Rams The visitors scored two more tries , one of which was converted but Harlow replied with their second try just before the end. It was Scott Melville , playing at prop, who scored a well deserved try which was again converted by Matthew.

The Harlow boys played well and are improving all the time.

Harlow Under 15’s. Melville, Peters, Alden (Capt.), Walker, O’Len, Humphries.J, Chamnaouie, Humphries.L, Pucill, Perry, Matthew, Evans, Hunter, Sinfield, Cobbin, Healey, Foley.

Harlow u13’s 5 Braintree u13’s 50

The Junior Rams found the going hard against a strong and well organised Braintree side. Harlow battled well in the first half having the better of the set pieces and restricted the visitors to three tries, two converted.

Braintree brought a big squad of players and replaced half their team at half time which made it very difficult for the Junior Rams as the match wore on. Braintree scored five further tries  and converted three of them before the Junior Rams were rewarded with a try in the last minute. The try scorer was Scott Whitby who did well to beat the defence and score in the corner.

Harlow Under 13’s.  Glanfield, Harvey, Kuczko, Coughbough, Clark.C.,  Stallman, Shipp, Gallagher, Lang, Hoy, Humphries, Davis, Clark.R., Whitby, Seeley, Cunningham, Whitby, Jones.