HRFC    32   LUTON RFC   7

National 3 South

Buoyed by the result of the curtain raiser between England and Australia, the Hav faithful were further entertained by a better all round Hav performance, which moved them four places up the table.

Hav were again forced to make changes from their previous game. Captain Stu Ingram had to withdraw with his wife having a baby; Ali Ramus hadn't recovered from injury and Jack Price was at a wedding. Steve Cruddas took over the captaincy with Karl Randle getting a start. Nick Whittle came into the second row and Steve Stapleton, recovered from injury, came in as full back.

It was dull, but dry, with a bit of a breeze blowing from right to left. The going was 'good'.

Luton kicked off with the breeze, and it was they who looked the more controlled during most of the first quarter as Hav, following the pattern of recent weeks, made errors and gave away penalties. Fortunately the visitors weren't able to capitalise, and gradually the Hav pack started to take the initiative. From a sequence of good drives they won a penalty for offside mid-way in the Luton half: Pucs Ngapaku made touch 5 metres out, and the well drilled pack executed the catch and drive-over to perfection, with Dylan Raubenheimer getting the touch down. The conversion failed, leaving it at 5-0 after 19 minutes.

Ten minutes later, winning another penalty, in the same place for the same reason, the action was repeated with Raubenheimer again getting the touch down. This time Pucs kicked the conversion to make it 12-0 after 30.

Having reduced their error rate, Hav were now the side 'in control', particularly in the forwards, and it was the trademark 'penalty, kick for touch, catch, drive, touch down', this time by prop Tom Wells, with a conversion by Pucs, that moved the score to 19-0 as the game moved into stoppage time, which is how it finished at the break.

Shortly after the restart, Hav found themselves defending deep in their 22. Luton had attempted a kick for touch close to the line, having been awarded a penalty. They failed to make touch, but the ball was dropped giving them a scrum a few metres from the Hav line. However, good scummaging from Hav enabled them to thwart the danger and force the ball into touch for a Hav throw. However, a poor clearance kick was easily caught by the Luton full back, who put in a good kick to force Hav back again into their 22. This time it was the Hav backs who got them out of trouble, and particular good work from the centre partnership of Richard Buck and John Knowles that saw the play move upfield into the Luton 22.

Luton's attempts to recover were penalised and it was John Knowles, rather than Pucs, who made touch a few metres out. The now familiar process was repeated and this time it was prop Karl Randle who got the touch down for Hav's first bonus point of the season! (It was Karl's first league try for Hav!) No conversion left it at 24-0 on 50.

For a while the game became a little scrappy, with Hav in particular making mistakes as they tried to throw the ball around. Luton upped their work rate and it was their forwards who started to get on top and force Hav on the back foot. It was poor 'foot work' from Hav that resulted in a Luton score. Rather than secure a loose ball on the ground a careless 'toe-poke' delivered an easy ball to the Luton attack who moved it quickly right to enable replacement wing John Rudgard to go over for a try that was converted by full back Mark Gray: 24-7 on 73.

With their tails up, Luton continued to press and having been awarded a penalty just inside the Hav half, then given an extra 10 metres, they kicked for a line out 15 metres from the Hav line. They looked like they were making good progress from the drive, but, just short of the line, they were penalised, and Hav were able to clear.

With the game moving into stoppage time, the initiative swung back Hav's way. The Luton No 8 was sin binned for an offence in kickable distance and centre John Knowles put the ball between the posts to make it 27-7. There was still time for Hav to finish on a high as good runs, initially from Karl Randle, and then 'Maku', took Hav into the visitors' 22, and a well timed pass enabled full back Steve Stapleton, coming in at speed, to break through the defence and go over near the corner. No conversion made it 32-7, which is how it finished.

It looks like things are starting to come together at last. It was a better all round performance, with the young backs starting to show real confidence in themselves. However, there's still a lot of work to do to ensure that upward table momentum can be maintained and a safer position achieved

Hav:

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

Karl Randle, Tom Drewett (Steve Cruddas), Tom Wells (Omeed Matini), Nick Whittle, Matt Morgan, Harry Heasman, Steve Cruddas (Jon Barfoot), Dylan Raubenheimer ('Maku').

Hav Scorers

Try: Dylan Raubenheimer (2), Tom Wells, Karl Randle, Steve Stapleton  Cons: Pucs (2)  Pen: John Knowles

Lydney Scores

Tries: 1  Cons: 1