LYDNEY RFC    21   HRFC    11

National 3 South

With thanks to Bill Sugden

In a match of stops and starts, where 98 minutes were played, the home team came out worthy winners, but not before a depleted Hav had made a good account of themselves and nearly took home a bonus point.

With centres Matt O’Shea and Steve Stapleton injured and wing Chris Brember off to university, Hav’s brought new boys Jack Price and John Knowles into the centres and Dickie Dukes on to the wing, making one of the youngest three quarter lines for some time. Liam Davenport made his first start of the season at scrum half.

In the pack, the front five was as last week, but in the back row, Steve Cruddas was joined by Harry Heaseman at 6 and the evergreen Dylan Raubenheimer at 8.

In the first five minutes Hav transgressed twice, in kickable positions, but Lydney’s prolific full back Adam Westall was only able to kick one of them, to make it 0-3. Twice in the next five minutes the home team had a chance to go further ahead from ‘chip and chases’ The first went over the dead ball line, and the second, after a scramble in goal, Hav managed to be first to touch down.

Hav were reduced to 14 a few minutes later when Harry Heaseman was sin-binned for an offence at a ruck, but they managed to thwart initial Lydney’s efforts to capitalise, and started to force themselves into the home 22. However, a careless long pass was easily intercepted by Lydney’s lively wing Tom Beechey, who ran the full length of the field to score under the posts, for Westall to easily convert to make it 0-10, with 20 minutes gone.

For the next fifteen minutes or so Hav were on the back foot, but they managed to prevent further scoring and then, somewhat against the run of play, and with injury time approaching, they managed to close the gap when, first, Pucs Ngapaku kicked a penalty, then Dylan Raubenheimer got the touchdown from a catch and drive near the line after a good long kick by Pucs put a penalty deep in the Lydney 22. No conversion meant it was 8-10 at half time.

The start of the second half saw Hav gradually taking the initiative, and on 60 minutes to actually go ahead to 11-10, when Pucs converted a penalty. However this served to sting the home team into action and a good drive by the home pack resulted in prop Steve Price getting a touch down, for an unconverted try to make it 11-15 on 68. Two minutes later, Westall kicked another penalty, to make it 11-18. Hav rallied, but were unable get close to the home line, and their hopes of a bonus point were dashed deep into injury time when Lydney fly half Craig Jones dropped a goal to make the final score 11-21.  

We have never beaten Lydney at their place in a league match, and considering the resources currently available to use, the overall result can't be regarded as too disappointing. We put up a creditable performance and have run them even closer if we had made fewer mistakes and transgressions. Other league results have meant that for Hav now ‘the only way is up’, and let's hope that, by Saturday evening we will have started that upward climb with a home win against Luton.

Hav:

Richard Adams, Richard Buck, Jack Price, John Knowles (Simon Cole), Dickie Dukes, Pucs Ngapaku, Liam Davenport

Stu Ingram (capt), Tom Drewett, Tom Wells (Karl Randle), Ali Ramus (Ollie North), Matt Morgan, Harry Heasman, Steve Cruddas, Dylan Raubenheimer (Nick Whittle).

Hav Scorers

Try: Dylan Raubenheimer  Pens: Pucs (2)

Lydney Scores

Tries: 2   Cons: 1  Pens: 2  DG: 1