HRFC   34   CLIFTON RFC   10

EDF Energy National Trophy Round 2

Hav move into the third round with a comfortable win over fellow National 3 South strugglers Clifton by five tries to two. Four tries were scored by the backs, more than they had scored in all ten league matches this season!

In the starting fifteen, Hav made only one change from the side that had run Bridgwater close last week-end. Back row man Matt Morgan was unavailable and his place was given to Tommy Horn.

It was the visitors that looked the livelier at the start, but, having forced Hav into giving away mid-field penalties, they squandered the initiative by failing to make touch on two occasions and, almost immediately from the second, found themselves 3-0 down after 7 mins. Fielding it in his 22, full back Steve Stapleton sent a ‘speculative’ kick upfield that found space in the 22. Following up quickly, the Hav attack forced Clifton first to give away a free kick, and then a penalty in front of the posts that Pucs Ngaku had no trouble in converting.

Hav were soon back on the attack and, although execution was less than tidy, they were able to keep their momentum going as Clifton kept incurring the ref’s displeasure. From one such penalty Pucs made touch 5 metres from the Clifton line on the right. Although not gathering the catch cleanly, the ball was eventually secured and a drive made for the line. It was stopped ‘illegally’, for which indiscretion the Clifton hooker was given a 10 minute rest, and Hav kicked for the 5 metre out line out again. Not for the first time the throw left something to be desired, but again Hav were able to keep control and won a scrum five metres out, 15 in. Pushing for the line, quick thinking from No 8 Jon Barfoot saw him pick up and offload neatly to scrum-half Liam Davenport, who went in unopposed down the blind side. No conversion left it at 8-0 after 13.

From the restart Hav were soon back on the attack. A good forward drive, followed by a quick break from the growingly impressive Neil McGovern, saw Hav move into the visitors 22. With the defence caught at ‘sixes and sevens’ Pucs found centre Jamie Knowles with a neat inside pass. Neatly skipping round ‘the last man’, Knowles went over for his first try for the club. Knowles converted his own try to make it 15-0 and only 16 gone.

With Hav now playing with some confidence, both forwards and backs, smiles had at last returned to the faces of the recently suffering Hav faithful. The smiles broadened when further good work, yet again involving the ubiquitous McGovern, saw Hav move into the 22 and start driving for the line. They went over, but were held up. From the resultant 5 metre scrum Barfoot repeated his earlier move, this time passing to wing Richard Buck, who dived over just to the right of the posts. Knowles converted, and Hav were ahead 22-0 at fractionally under a point a minute.  

However, as far as the first half was concerned, that was the end of the scoring. In fact it was the visitors who now had most of the play. Full back Paul Teixeira and left wing Robert Trinick both found that they could make good ground by running hard at the Hav ‘defence’ and with Hav giving away penalties as they retreated, on two occasions Clifton were throwing in a few metres from the home line. Through both good forward defence and handling errors they weren’t able to make the final break through, and 22-0 is how it finished at half time.

Hav looked in determined mood at the start of the second half and they made an excellent 20 metre driving maul almost from the kick off. Illegally stopped outside the 22, Pucs kicked for touch 5 metres out. Yet again a poor throw prevented the catch and drive and Clifton were able to clear. It was they who had the next attack as they were able to capitalise on some poor Hav defensive handling after a speculative kick upfield. It was good work from first Steve Cruddas with a good tackle that prevented progress into the Hav 22, and then Jon Barfoot with a strong break that resulted in a Hav penalty back in the Clifton half, that started the move to the next score. A quick ball right found that man McGovern breaking swiftly down the right and deep into the 22. Approaching the ‘last man’ in defence he neatly offloaded to Steve Cruddas at speed, who went in a dived over such that Pucs could add the extras to make it 29-0 on 48.

To their credit it was Clifton who then grabbed the initiative, were easily the better side for several minutes, and managed to capitalise on their pressure through two well worked tries. From the restart they were quickly on the attack in the Hav 22. Attempting to make use of an overlap out left, they were thwarted by a ‘deliberate knock on’ by wing Richard Buck that incurred him a 10 minute rest. From the penalty kick for touch 5 metres out, Hav knocked on at the line out giving Clifton a 5 metre scrum from which they drove over, with no 8 Paul Reid getting the touch down. No conversion left it at 29-5 on 54. Keeping up the pressure, aided by Hav errors, Clifton scored their second when fly half Andy Bell executed a neat ‘chip’ over the head of the advancing Hav defence enabling wing Rob Viol to win the race for the touchdown to make it 29-10 on 60.

One of the biggest cheers of the afternoon was given to the arrival of ‘Big Al’ Davenport on the pitch for his first appearance of the season after injury. He was the first of all seven replacements that Hav then used; Clifton also used all seven during the afternoon. This, together with the yellow cards, kept 4^th official Adie Hire perhaps the busiest he had ever been!

The ‘disruptions’ worked in Hav’s favour as for most of the final quarter they were back on top and had their visitors struggling to get out of their own half. Despite their efforts Hav were only able to add one more score. It came from a break by Pucs who, as he moved into the Clifton 22, fed a neat inside pass to Neil McGovern who went over on the left for a well deserved try. No conversion made it 34-10 on 77. The home side did have a last minute scare when Clifton engineered a break that took them deep into the Hav 22. Only a last minute tackle from replacement scrum half Grant Morris prevented a score, and 34-10 is how it finished.  

At last Havant Director of Rugby, Simon Morgan, had something to smile about after the match. ‘It’s good to see the backs at last making a big contribution and, although I recognise there is still much to do, and that we were playing against fellow strugglers this afternoon, this win will give us a confidence that should enable us to eventually fight our way up the league table and give anybody a good game in the next round.”

Hav:

Steve Stapleton (Dickie Duke), Richard Buck, Neil McGovern, Jamie Knowles, Matt O’Shea (Richard Adams), Pucs Ngapaku, Liam Davenport (Grant Morris)

Stu Ingram (capt) (Rupert Grant), Tom Drewett (Steve Cruddas), Karl Randle (Al Davenport), Nick Whittle, Ollie North (Rob Matthews), Tommy Horn, Steve Cruddas (Giles Healey), Jon Barfoot

Hav Scorers

Tries: Liam Davenport, Jamie Knowles, Richard Buck, Steve Cruddas, Neil McGovern  Cons: Jamie Knowles (2), Pucs Ngapaku 1   Pens: Pucs Ngapaku 1

Clifton Scores

Tries: 2