Harlow Rugby Club Youth Round Up  Sunday 8th January 2006. 

Essex Colts Cup. Quarter Finals.  Braintree Colts 27  Harlow Colts  0.

Harlow’s challenge for a place in the semi finals never got off the ground on Sunday at Braintree. The Young Rams put in a dismal performance against a Braintree side who were well organised and eager to win possession. The home side took the lead with a try after just five minutes some sloppy defending by Harlow allowing them to score. Ten minutes later and they extended their lead to 10-0 with another try and they scored a third which was converted before half time.

Harlow began to play leading up to the interval but were unable to score despite spending ten minutes on the offensive.

In the second half Harlow continued to press forward but were exposed at the back and conceded a penalty after fifteen minutes. Five minutes later and Braintree scored another converted try leaving them comfortable winners.

Harlow Colts. Kanobar, Newberry, Ray, Stonehouse, Barr, Smith, Brennan, McArdie, Hayden, Del Greco (Capt), Thomas, Kent-Pope, Kavanagh, Rundle, Heapy, Fricker, Mouncey, Banks, Quinton, Hearn.

Harlow Under  17’s  39  Upper Clapton Under 17’s  0.

Having been beaten by the visitors earlier in the season Harlow set about gaining their revenge in determined mood from the start. Clapton’s heavy pack were no match for the Young Rams when the ball was spun wide and winger  Jake Tucker ran in a hat-trick of tries.

With Harlow’s Jack Elston dominating the lineouts Harlow moved the ball away quickly at every opportunity and Clapton, whose scrum half had to leave the pitch injured after five minutes, had no answer.

In fact it was a try from the Harlow pack which opened the scoring when prop James Pike picked up at a ruck and drove over the line after five minutes.The conversion followed from fly half Aled Hills who then set up the best try of the match. With early ball from the line out Hills diagonal run brought his man out of defence before his pass to Tucker put the winger away on the left to score.

A similar move ten minutes later saw outside centre Richard Barnard break through to score in the corner leaving Harlow 17-0 up at the interval.

Clapton were penned in their own half for the first fifteen minutes of the second half and only prevented further scores by some dogged defence. Eventually the pressure told and Tucker scored twice again through the ball being swung out wide. Skipper Ian Adams then scored a brilliant solo try, the inside centre  running from his own half, weaving his way past defenders to cross the line.

Under 16 Michael Weston who came on at half time showed his class with Harlow’s final try breaking tackles to run in the ball from twenty metres, Hills’ Conversion the last kick of the game.

Harlow Under 17’s. Mamood, Davis, Pike, Elston, Swanton, Jarvis, Ellis, Brown, Woodington, Hills, Adams (Capt.), Barnard, Marriage, Tucker, Jones, Weston, Clark.

Next Week. At Ram Gorse Harlow U.13’s  Vs.Westcliff.

Away Harlow U.15’s Vs.Ignatians, Harlow U.16’s  Westcliff.

Harlow Colts  Vs. Bancroft.