HRFC   21   EALING RFC   19

National 3 South

Hav scrape their first win of the season with a push-over try deep into injury team after not one of the best performances ever seen at ‘the Lane’.

Tom Wells, Tom Drewett and Jon Barfoot returned to play in the pack with the rest of the side unchanged from last week’s defeat at Mounts Bay. Liam Davenport’s bench start was his first appearance on the team sheet this season. Chris Brember was playing his last game for a while; he’s now off to University in the midlands.

It was bright and dry, with little wind. The going was ‘good to firm’.

From the kick off, it was Ealing that looked the livelier, and, on 5 minutes, they got just reward, when Hav were caught offside on their 22, in front of the posts. Fly half Ben Ward’s easy kick made it 0-3.

Waking up a little, Hav were quickly back level when, almost straight from the restart, they forced a penalty at a ruck on the visitors’ 22 and Pucs slotted over a good kick, from out left, to make it 3-3 on 8 minutes.

On 12 minutes, Hav’s already limited back resources were further reduced when centre Matt O’Shea limped off to be replaced on the wing by Liam Davenport. However, Hav still managed to maintain the ascendancy for a while, although it was their own errors, rather than Ealing’s defence, that prevented them getting close to the line. Pressure was rewarded on 24 minutes, when Hav were awarded a penalty on the 22, in front of the posts, and Pucs made no mistake to make it 6-3.

For the next period, neither side were giving the crowd much to ‘shout’ about and Hav’s play in particular, as they made a succession of ‘basic errors’, was causing a few groans from those who’d opted to watch this game rather than England’s on the big screen. One of these ‘basic errors’ triggered a sequence that resulted in Ealing drawing level. An aimless kick downfield was collected easily by the Ealing full back, who ran through a disorganised midfield and was only stopped at the Hav 22, where he won a penalty, which was easily converted by Ward to level the score at 6-6 on 34.

With half time approaching, it looked like that would be it as far as the score was concerned; but the referee had other ideas. For a reason that seemed strange to the already frustrated supporters he awarded a penalty to Ealing on the Hav 22, and the signal was for Hav ‘coming in at the side’. No-one was quite sure as to the ‘coming into the side of what’ as neither maul nor ruck had been formed. An attacker had been forced in a tackle to drop the ball and the defender was quicker on the mark to pick it up, for which he was penalised! (This wasn’t the only decision that bemused supporters from both sides during the afternoon!) Ben Ward rubbed salt in the wound by slotting over his third penalty to make it 6-9 at half time. Not the most inspiring of halves!

The home support ‘frustration’ continued when it was apparent that Ealing had come out more determined for the second half. Hav’s poor execution of ‘the basics’ continued and another poor aimless kick ahead fell to an Ealing back who started a good move that passed through several pairs of hands before right wing Kiba Richards was set clear to run in under the posts, giving Ward an easy kick to make it 6-16.  Hav were now reeling, and, after giving away a succession of penalties, they eventually gave one in a kickable position, which Ward converted to make it 6-19 on 49.

There were more than a couple in the home crowd who were resigned to this being a fourth defeat on the trot, and the way things had been going, possibly an ignominious one, especially when the penalty at a ‘fracas’ went Ealing’s way to give Ward another kickable chance. However, he just missed, and it was a case of ‘Oh ye of little faith!’ as Hav finally managed to get their act together, and started playing to their strength – the pack!

From the traditional ‘penalty, kick deep into 22, catch, drive option’ Hav eventually got a reward. It took a time though. It required a second penalty and a repeat of the process, as well as turning over a scrum from a Hav knock on, for Hav to eventually be awarded a Penalty Try that Pucs converted to make it 13-19, with still 18 minutes to go of normal time.

Half that had gone when Liam Davenport, kicking instead of an injured Pucs, slotted over a penalty on the 22, when the halting of a Hav forward drive was penalised, to make it 16-19 on 71.

Ealing then had a short spell of dominance. Ward just missed a long penalty kick from 45 metres, and then the home defence were called into action to repel a succession of Ealing attempts to break through on the 22, which they did.

With the end of normal time approaching, Hav regrouped, and, through the strength of the forwards, they started to pile significant pressure on to the visitors’ defence, which, for a long time, appeared equal to the task. Drive after drive was halted, sometimes illegally, but Hav weren’t after 3 points, and kept taking options that enabled them to drive for the line. It took them until 10 minutes of added time before they eventually managed to break through, with ‘Maku’ coming up with the ball. Liam Davenport’s failed attempted conversion was the last action of the match which finished with Hav just scraping it at 21-19!    

Not a game for the faint hearted, nor indeed for the purists! That really was ‘snatching victory from the jaws of defeat’, but ‘a win’s a win’ and we’ve finally got league points on the board. (Can't think of any more relevant cliches). They haven’t come without a cost to our already thin back line. Matt O’Shea and Pucs look doubtful for the trip to Lydney next week-end, which, added to the loss of Chris Brember, means there is some thinking to be done at selection, and at training!  

Hav:

Richard Adams, Richard Buck, Matt O’Shea (Liam Davenport), Steve Stapleton, Chris Brember, Pucs Ngapaku, Simon Cole

Stu Ingram (capt), Tom Drewett, Tom Wells (Karl Randle), Ali Ramus, Matt Morgan, Jon Barfoot (‘Maku’ Karoiyadi), Steve Cruddas, David Beynon (Dylan Raubenheimer).

Hav Scorers

Tries: ‘Maku’, Penalty  Con: Pucs  Pens: Pucs (2), Davenport

Ealing Scores

Tries: 1   Cons: 1  Pens: 4