LONDON SCOTTISH FC   26   HRFC   5

National 3 South

The score-line suggests an easy game for the home side, but it was far from that. Scottish took advantage of the few chances they made, or were given, and Havant were unable to turn their pressure into points, more often than not through their own ‘mistakes’.

The back division, that had started to click in recent weeks, remained unchanged. In the forwards, Matt Morgan was available this weekend and was selected for the second row with Maku Karoiyadi making a return into the back row. Big Al Davenport made his first start of the season as prop. Scottish included both recent Havant favourites, Anton Petzer and Cam Avery. In the warm up, replacement prop Karl Randle was injured reducing Havant’s later options on the field.

Over half an hour had gone before the scoreboard moved. During that period, there wasn’t a great deal to chose between the sides. Scottish had one good attempt to catch and drive for the line, but resolute defence from Havant kept them out. Havant never really came close despite having as much possession as their hosts.

Scottish got the breakthrough on 33 minutes. They were attempting their second drive from a line-out 5 metres out. Again Havant’s defence stood firm and won a scrum. Centre Jamie Knowles was hurt in the incident and had to be replaced by Grant Morris. Havant, however, immediately lost the initiative as Scottish were awarded a scrum, still on 5. Rather than go for a push over, the ball was moved out quickly and a neat interchange between the centres opened up the Havant defence and centre Duncan Hayward went over near the posts enabling fly half Lee Cholewa to make an easy kick to make it 0-7.

Havant came back strongly, although good work on several occasions was let down by simple mistakes. Continued attacking from Matt Morgan’s strong run into the 22 was prevented by an unnecessary supporting offside; a line-out in a good attacking position was lost, not for the first time in the afternoon by a poor throw; and two poor attempts to defend speculative kicks out of defence enabled the home side to take the pressure off. Havant’s best effort so far came with injury time approaching, when wing Matt O’Shea was stopped just short of the line, following a good run by Nick Whittle. For 10 minutes it had been all Havant, but four minutes into injury time they found themselves further behind! Havant had won a scrum in front of their posts, but Scottish not only came out with the ball, but at pace took it quickly upfield and, catching the Havant defence at sixes and sevens, with some effective passing sent centre Rory Greenslade-Jones over in the corner. The conversion just missed, leaving it at 0-12 at half time. Havant wing Matt O’Shea was injured in attempting a tackle and had to be stretchered off.

Wing forward replacement Harry Heasman came on for O’Shea in the second half. Havant were quickly on the offensive, thanks to an excellent 40 metre driving run from flanker Maku Karoiyadi, that took play deep into the home 22. The ball came out right to wing Richard Buck, but the defence closed quickly on him and he was bundled into touch 10 metres from the line.

Then, yet again against the run of play, Havant’s line was breached for a third time, and it came from yet another ‘mistake’. Passing the ball right on half way a ‘less than clever’ pass was gratefully accepted by Scottish left wing Gareth Swales who sped in unopposed from half way to touch down under the posts to enable an easy conversion to make it 0-19.

Havant’s forwards had more than held their own against the home eight, and it was they who eventually managed to change the Havant number on the electronic scoreboard. Havant were awarded the penalty from a moment of ‘handbags’ and a good touch was made 5 metres out on the left. A good catch and drive resulted in no 8 Jon Barfoot touching down, and, with the conversion being missed, it stayed at 5-19 on 51.

Although they continued to take the game to their opponents for some time, Havant were unable to turn their advantage into points. Their line-out in particular was not working as well as it should and the weakened backs were not able to engineer breaks beyond the gain line.

With the game moving into injury time, with Havant unable to take advantage of their pressure, and Scottish hardly having got near the Havant 22, it looked like the score had been set. However on 85 minutes Scottish at last put an effective attacking movement together. Keeping ball in hand they broke into the Havant 22, sliced through some less than effective tackling enabling back replacement Charles Broughton to score near the posts for Lee Cholewa to convert to make it 5-26, the final score, and one that that far from reflects the afternoon’s activity! 

Despite the defeat, Havant Director of Rugby, Simon Morgan, was upbeat in his comments after the match. “On their own patch, I believe we were a match for one of the top teams in the league in most areas this afternoon, although certainly not in turning pressure into points! It was simple mistakes again that let us down, both in preventing us from ‘finishing’ and allowing them to. We must find ways of minimising these. Once we do there’s no doubt that we are capable of climbing up the table.”

Havant:

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

Stu Ingram (capt), Tom Drewett, Al Davenport, Nick Whittle (Ben Morgan), Matt Morgan, Maku Karoiyadi, Steve Cruddas, Jon Barfoot

Havant Scorers

Try: Jon Barfoot

London Scottish Scores

Tries: 4 Conversions 3