HRFC   11   NUNEATON RFC   18

EDF Energy National Trophy Round 3

In what at times were some pretty awful conditions, Hav gave a decent account of themselves against their National 2 visitors which should give them confidence in the National 3 South survival battles ahead.

Constrained to some extent by injuries and unavailabilities, Hav were delighted to welcome back leading league points scorer Sid Claffey into the centre and to have big Al Davenport fit again to start at prop. The match was played on a pitch that started off pretty squelchy underfoot in places, and which didn't get any easier thanks to some pretty awful stuff that came down at times.

Kicking off from left to right, Hav immediately took the game to their visitors and with some controlled forward play kept them pegged back in their 22 for several minutes. On 8 minutes they were rewarded when Pucs Ngapaku stroked over an easy penalty from the 22 to make it 3-0.

Over a quarter of an hour had gone before Nuneaton managed to get any play outside their on half. However it was with a foretaste of things to come as their well drilled pack started to march Hav back into their 22 with perhaps too many Hav forwards hanging off rather than getting involved. Winning a penalty in the 22, Nuneaton went for the 'traditional' touch-catch-drive option. They didn't quite manage to make the line, but caught Hav offside in front of the posts and, with an easy kick, scrum half Huw Thomas levelled the score at 3-3 on 20. Injured in the first attack, Al Davenport had to come off to be replaced by Rupert Grant.

Having survived their shaky start, Nuneaton now started to take control and it was Hav who were being put on the back foot. Pressure paid off when a hurried kick out of defence gave Nuneaton a 5 metre line out on their left from which they caught and drove over for flanker Ian Critchley to touch down near the corner. No conversion left it at 3-8 on 26 minutes.

The remainder of the half saw the ball mainly in the home half, with Hav being put under pressure. However, thanks to some determined defence, helped by some untidy finishing, there was no further score before half time.

The second half started as the first had finished with Nuneaton in the ascendancy. Their backs almost broke through on the right but knocked on as they went for the line. Hav weren't able to clear cleanly and almost immediately gave away a penalty for use of hands on the deck on the 22. Huw Thomas had no trouble in slotting it over to make it 3-11 on 47.

Hav showed more urgency from the restart and, for the first time for some time, had the visitors back pedalling in their own half. Good work from the forwards resulted in Nuneaton conceding a penalty at a scrum some 35 metres out. The Hav faithful were then treated to the once familiar site of Sid Claffey stepping up and slotting over the kick to make it 6-11 with just less than half an hour to go. A couple of minutes later, Sid had another go from 42 metres, but this one didn't have the legs and resulted in a 22 drop.

Although Hav caught the ball and drove forward from the drop, they lost the ball and gave away a penalty just inside the Nuneaton half. Although it was a poor kick for touch just inside the Hav 10 metres, the catch and drive made up for it, taking the ball into the home 22. When halted, the ball was moved out left and it was only a good last ditch tackle from wing Richard Adams that prevented a try. Nuneaton were awarded a scrum 5 metres out. Hav's forwards managed to hold the drive, so the ball was moved out right, and with the visiting forwards getting across quickly in support, a pushover was achieved with lock Ben Griffiths getting the touch down. Another easy kick for Thomas made it 6-18 on 59. Hav were also reduced to 14 for a spell as centre Neil McGovern was adjudged to have illegally attempted to halt the drive.

Hav now brought on fresh legs for the final quarter: Liam Davenport for Grant Morris, Omeed Matini for Rupert Grant and Tommy Horn for Maku. The ploy seemed to work for, from this point on, it was Hav who had nearly all the play. They were helped by the numbers first being evened up by Nuneaton's 'abrasive' tight head prop being carded for a ridiculous improper 'tackle', and then, when Neil McGovern came back on, by a second row being carded for illegal defence. What didn't help anybody much was the rain lashing horizontally down the pitch for a while.

Continuous Hav pressure was eventually rewarded on 75 minutes when, from a line out 5 metres out, Hav caught and drove for No 8 Harry Heasman to get the touchdown out right. Sid just missed with the conversion attempt to leave it at 11-18.

Any thoughts of a last minute 'draw level', and extra time 'in the dark!', were dispelled, as the visitors forced Hav to defend in their 22 from the restart for the last few minutes, but they were unable to add to their score and 11-18 is how it finished.

On balance, it was a fair result, and, considering the 'conditions', a decent game well refereed by an unusually young referee, Luke Pearce. Next week, both teams return to league 'survival'. Provided they play with the determination showed at times today, Hav should have a good chance of halting their run of defeats and gaining what is a 'must win' against Rosslyn Park.

Hav:

Steve Stapleton, Richard Buck, Neil McGovern, Sid Claffey (McRae Robinson), Richard Adams (James McCann), Pucs Ngapaku (Sid Claffey), Grant Morris (Liam Davenport).

Stu Ingram (capt), Tom Drewett (Steve Cruddas), Al Davenport (Rupert Grant, (Omeed Matini)), Ollie North (Rob Matthews), Ben Morgan, Maku Karoiyadi (Tommy Horn, (Ollie North)), Steve Cruddas (Tommy Horn), Harry Heasman

Hav Scorers:

Try: Harry Heasman  Pens: Pucs (1), Sid Claffey (1)

Nuneaton scores

Tries: 2 Con: 1 Pens: 2