HRFC   10   SOUTHEND   38

Pre-Season Friendly

Not a score-line that would give Hav supporters confidence with the league programme starting next week-end. However, there was encouragement in seeing the Hav forwards more than holding their own against a pack that will surely need to improve if Southend are to make an impression at their new level.

The difference was behind the scrum, where the home side struggled to contain innovative and strong running backs who made the most of the good conditions and the limitations of Hav's inexperience.

Keeping the ball in the forwards, Hav started off well and it was against the run of play that the visitors went ahead to 0-5 after 10 minutes. Undeterred, Hav continued to drive forward and were able to draw level when scrum-half Simon Cole sneaked in after Hav took advantage of the 'penalty-lineout-catch-drive' process that had served them so well last season.

It was from this point on that Southend realised that by moving the ball around in the backs, they had a distinct advantage. A well executed back move saw them slice through the Hav defence for their second try, this time converted, to make it 5-12 mid way through the half. A third try came again from a quick handling move across the field that enabled a score in the right corner. (To say that the referee allowed it from a not-straight line out throw and a final forward pass would be being a bit picky!) It was 5-17 at half time.

Taking advantage of a poor Hav restart, it didn't take long for Southend to run in their fourth, again from their now rampant backs, and a conversion made it 5-24. 5-31 and 5-38 came along quite quickly and in similar fashion!

Inevitably, with both sides 'ringing the changes', the game became a little scrappy. However it was the home side who finished the scoring, not surprisingly thanks to the hard working forwards, with newcomer 'Maku' getting the touch down at the bottom of the traditional push-over. (More can be expected to be seen of 'Maku' in future weeks, so I'm hoping to be able to give a proper name rather than the 'nickname' I was given yesterday.). 10-38 is how it finished

Hav squad:

Backs: Alex Tomlinson, Richard Buck, Matt O'Shea, Steve Stapleton, Chris Brember, Pucs Ngapaku, Simon Cole, Shane Daughtrey, Grant Morris

Forwards: Stuart Ingram, Tom Drewett, Alex Davenport, Ollie North, Nick Whittle, Jon Barfoot, Matt Morgan, Harry Heasman, Dylan Raubenheimer, 'Maku', Ben Morgan, Omeed Matini, Karl Randle

Before the 1st XV match, in a shortened 'trial' the Dolphins came out second best to Southend 2 at 5-17.