HAVANT RFC   11   DINGS CRUSADERS RFC   3

National 3 South

It wasn’t pretty, but a resolute performance by Havant against determined opposition, probably secured National 3 rugby at Hooks Lane for next season.

Dings are having their best season in league rugby, and they showed that they had come determined to achieve their highest ever league finish by overcoming their Hooks Lane hoodoo and adding to the humiliation they gave Havant in a 27-0 victory at their place in mid January. However, buoyed by their win against London Scottish, Havant showed that they were now made of sterner stuff, and, thanks to a magnificent effort again from their forwards, and some determined defence by the whole team towards the end of the game, they ground out a ‘back to back’ win for only the second time in the season.

Unusually the Hav ‘19’ were as per programme. The starting line up showed a couple of changes from the team that beat London Scottish a couple of weeks ago. Liam Davenport was given the No 9 berth, Steve Cruddas moved up to hook with Jon Barfoot replacing him at ‘7’.

Neither side dominated the initial exchanges, but after 10 minutes Hav’s forwards had worked their way into a good position in the Dings 22, where the visitors were caught offside, enabling Pucs Ngapaku to kick an easy penalty from in front of the posts to make it 3-0.

With the forwards looking to be getting on top, Hav were awarded another penalty, but this time some way out. Unusually, rather than go for the line-out option that has served them well this season, Pucs attempted a long kick at goal and wasn’t successful.

From the restart Dings forwards took the initiative for perhaps the first time in the match and found a way into the Hav 22. When their momentum was halted, the ball was delivered quickly back to full back Rob Dempsey who dropped a neat goal to level the scores at 3-3 on 22 minutes.

Hav came back almost immediately and, following some neat passing, wing Richard Adams was given some space on the left. He made good ground into the 22 but lacked sufficient determination to take on the closing defence and the opportunity was lost.

As the game approached the half hour, Dings looked the more likely to get their noses in front as they drove at Hav whose defence looked a little shaky. However they weren’t able to capitalise and it was Hav who eventually woke up the scorer. A good long penalty kick from Pucs found touch inside the Dings 22. Winning the line-out Hav drove forward and over the line for lock Nick Whittle to get the touch down. A missed conversion was the last action of the half, and Hav went in 8-3 ahead.

It was Dings who started the livelier in the second half and they soon got themselves in a position to have another drop at goal to reduce the arrears, but this attempt failed. A few minutes later, after passing movements that first went left then right then left again along the 22, they looked to have clearly broken through, but the final pass was deemed forward and the Hav faithful breathed again.

Hav’s forwards then had a good patch and, after a period of pressure, they managed to force a penalty on the visitors’ 22 that Pucs converted, to make it 11-3 on 56 minutes, enabling Hav to get those vital two scores ahead.

Dings kept at it, and with the ball moving in their backs they looked dangerous, something that Hav’s weren’t able to do. However, Hav’s forwards were more than holding their own, and it was they who were able to keep the ball moving in the right direction. As the game moved into the last quarter, they managed to force their way into the Dings 22, and winning a penalty, such was their confidence, they took the scrum hoping for a push-over. The advantage was lost as the defence held out getting a turn over at the scrum. A hurried clearance to touch inside the 22, put Hav back on the attack, but instead of the usual drive for the line, and trying to maintain control in their opponents’ half, Hav had a couple of rushes of blood to the head which put them on the back foot for the rest of the match, scrambling to keep Dings at bay.

The first was a poorly executed attempt at a drop goal when the ball came out along the line. It was easily charged down on the 22, gathered and enabled Dings to charge off upfield at speed. The second was a reckless forearm from flanker Harry Heasman who had impressed up until then, which stopped the charge upfield in its tracks, causing Heasman to gain a straight red, Hav’s first of the season.

There was 10 minutes to go and Hav were down to 14. From the resultant penalty Dings went onto an offensive that kept up for the rest of the match. For much of the time the ball was deep in the Hav 22, but the 14 defended like demons and try as they might, the 15 couldn’t find a way through, leaving it at 11-3 at the whistle.

Havant’s Director of Rugby, Simon Morgan, was seen smiling for the first time for some time when he commented. ”It would be an extraordinary sequence of events that would cause us to go down now. I’m delighted with the way everyone gave their all today to grind out a result against a good side. However, I want to make sure that there will be no doubt when we finish off the season at home to Clifton, by getting points when we visit Rosslyn Park in a couple of weeks!”

Havant

Keith Molyneux, Richard Buck, Neil McGovern, Sid Claffey, Richard Adams, Pucs Ngapaku, Liam Davenport.

Stu ingram (capt), Steve Cruddas, Karl Randle (Tom Wells), Tom Drewett, Tom Wells, Nick Whittle, Ali Ramus, Harry Heasman, Jon Barfoot (Tom Drewett), Dylan Raubenheimer.

Reps not used; Ollie North, Grant Morris

Hav scorers:

Try: Nick Whittle  Pens: Pucs Ngapaku (2)

Dings Scores:

DG: 1