1st XV
Matches
Sat 29 Oct 2016  ·  Herts/Middlesex 2 - Phase 1
Harlequin Amateurs Rugby Club
1st XV
Tries: J Addis, A Armel-Close, L Povey, G JaquesConversions: G Jaques (3)
26
21
Chess Valley
1s Dig Deep at The Stoop

1s Dig Deep at The Stoop

David Love2 Nov 2016 - 17:40
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Back to winning ways ... just

After a chastening defeat at the hands of league leaders Thamesians, the 1s continued their league campaign against Chess Valley. Regardless of the opposition however, this was always likely to be our biggest game of the season so far as it was our annual fixture at The Stoop.

The game began amid some confusion as licensing restrictions meant that the kick off time was brought forward at the last minute but having seen the pros dispatch Worcester, a couple of hundred spectators took the opportunity to continue their afternoon’s entertainment and cheer on the boys in quarters.

From the kick off it was clear that Quins were up for the game ... perhaps too pumped as players went that yard too far with the ball, tried the pass that wasn’t quite on or shot out of the line a fraction early.

With the penalty count starting to rise however, nerves were settled slightly by a well worked try from James Addis in the right corner. The typically reliable George Jaques adding the extras. 7-0 to Quins.

Chess Valley’s results may have gone against them so far this season but they are far from a pushover as demonstrated when they scored next. 7-7. This was beginning to look like the pros’ game which had been all square at half time – let’s hope for a similar final score.

With Quins clearly on the wrong side of the ref, our good play was being broken down by needless penalties. Nonetheless, Quins had the next chance to score with a shot at goal. Unfortunately, it drifted wide. And worse was potentially to come as Valley’s fly half lined up his own kick. Luckily, he too was missing his kicking boots.

With halftime approaching, Quins weren’t learning from their mistakes as great phase play would be ruined by a silly off side or holding on in the tackle. Each penalty easing the pressure on Valley and giving them the chance to strike back.

However, it was Quins who next crossed the line with Ash Armel-Close scoring a trademark try. Almost on the stroke of halftime his bullocking run in the centres breaking the line and giving him the chance to dot down by the upright. George Jaques again adding the conversion. 14-7 and the ref’s whistle marked the end of the first 40 minutes.

Quins talk at in the changing rooms was focused on fixing two problems: first up tackles and overenthusiasm. It seemed that we had taken the game by the scruff of the neck when Luke Povey produced a jinking run to score fairly early in the second half. Our own Jonny Wilkinson, George Jaques, slotted the two. At 21-7, Quins perhaps thought they had the opportunity to relax a little more into the game and enjoy the occasion.

Valley had other ideas however and soon hit back to bring the score to 21-14. As it became increasingly clear that Quins couldn’t get a handle on the ref’s interpretations, Valley grew in confidence. The inevitable result was a dubious penalty conceded by yours truly which led to another Valley try. 21-all with five minutes to go.

At this point, Quins could easily have folded. Valley’s tails were clearly up whilst Quins were now feeling the pressure. However, the Quins pack had been dominant from the set piece with Jack Williams taking a number of Valley throws and the Quins scrum disrupting the opposition ball.
With just three minutes of play remaining, Valley were awarded a scrum on their own 22-metre right in front of the posts. A mighty shove from the Quins eight coupled with a clean strike by Mark Taylor saw Quins win the ball against the head. Paul Hibbert passed to George Jaques who handed off his defender, jinked past another and scored to the left of the posts. With George unable to add the conversion, it was 26-21 with a minute left on the clock.

Valley kicked off and attacked hard. They had little to lose. Quins however were able to play out the last 60 seconds for a hard-fought win.

Man of the match for his characteristic aggression and avoiding a yellow card: Alex Horsfall

Ultimately, this was a game Quins could've thrown away but we managed not only to hold on but also to gain another try bonus point. That's four from five league games. Many thanks to all at Quins for making the game happen and good luck to Valley for the rest of the season.

Match details

Match date

Sat 29 Oct 2016

Kickoff

18:30

Meet time

17:00

Location

Instructions

Meet in the changing rooms of the college.

Competition

Herts/Middlesex 2 - Phase 1

League position

8
Harlequin Amateurs
10
Chess Valley
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Sponsor - MYCO
Club Sponsor - Savills
Club Sponsor - Norman Rourke Pryme LLP