Check out the recent action in Powergen London One
Staines 10 (Try: Barlow. Con: H Collins. Pen: H Collins.)
London Scottish 16 (Tries: Johnson, Templeman. Pens: Williams 2.).
Report courtesy of London Scottish.
Scottish produced another largely indifferent performance but this one had the undeniable merit of being a winning one.
With the teams above all winning as well, Scottish stay fourth and in the promotion hunt as the top four begin to draw away from the rest; of the eight teams in the division who perhaps harboured realistic promotion ambitions at the start of the season, with a third of it gone, four of those including last season’s runners up Worthing are surely too far off the pace.
Scottish will however have to step up in the coming weeks if they are not to fall by the wayside. They dominated the second 40, but for all but the last few minutes of the first half they again looked anything but national league material, and should have been well beaten before they finally got their recovery under way.
True, they took the half to work out how to scrummage, given that Mr JP Doyle appeared to take as his inspiration World Cup Final referee Andre Watson, who so famously considered all attempts to gain ground as illegal. Scottish were pinged half a dozen times for offences that mystified; and in part at least their second half improvement owed something to Mr Doyle’s apparent half time rethink.
But Scottish nevertheless dominated the tight and had the best of the lineout exchanges too; it was the rest of their game that was found wanting.
Staines indeed will rue an awful kicking display from Huw Collins who converted an eighth minute penalty awarded when James Templeman intercepted a home 22 drop out but failed to release when tackled, but missed four eminently kickable opportunities.
He did at least convert Chris Bishay’s excellent opportunist try, which arose when Scottish messed up lineout by throwing short and were caught by Collins' sliced cross kick. Former London Scottish youth player Ovie Koloko challenged Callum Morris for the high ball and came off better, enabling the former England youth player Bishay to collect the offload and disappear into the distance.
But not only were Scottish lucky to be down ten points and not 22, only one of the kicks they offered up was for a front row offence; other misdemeanours including not a shoulder barge penalised as an illegal tackle, and crossing.
It had thus been a disjointed and disappointing show from the visitors, right up to the moment when Fraser Smeaton set up their opening try as spectators were already heading for the half time queue at the bar.
Perhaps Staines where taken by surprise at the source of the threat. Hitherto, the Scots only attacking intent had come from Max Evans, three times running from deep and causing havoc as he weaved a path through the home defence before the moves disintegrated.
It was Smeaton, though, who created the opportunity when his cleverly angled run – the visitors first incursion into the home 22 – ended in a tackle five metres short at the corner; but home indiscipline conceded the penalty; Tom Williams kicked to the corner and the home side’s fulcrum, Chris Sheasby, was unable to organise a decent defence of the catch and drive. Templeman came up with the ball to claim the try and though Williams missed the awkward kick, the score meant Scottish were undeservedly right back in the match at the change of ends.
Williams then atoned with a penalty soon after the restart after another post-tackle offence, and as Mr Doyle dealt with the home side’s indiscipline the penalty count began to go in the Scots favour.
With, as a result, so much more possession and territory, overturning the deficit seemed only a matter of time, but the winning scores took a while to arrive. First the two stand-offs exchanged penalty misses, either side of a superb break by the hitherto quiet Matt Vines, which was only halted by a close but correct call for a forward pass.
However with Magnus MacDonald on for Jim Kelly, more than ever it was the scrum that looked the likely match winner and so it proved. From an attacking lineout just outside the Staines 22 the Scots eight formed a driving maul of textbook symmetry and perfection, and rumbled all the way to the line for Mat Johnston to claim the decisive score.
Williams missed the kick, but nailed a penalty ten minutes later when Turner was sent to the bin for pulling down yet another driving maul right under the posts; even Sheasby could hardly have complained had Mr Doyle awarded a penalty try – there was surely no other possible outcome had the maul stayed up.
Instead Scottish had to settle for defending only a six point lead against 14 men in the final ten; which they managed almost, but not entirely, without alarm.
They will have settled for that after a first half when Collins should have kicked the home side to an uncatchable score; true, Williams also had a poor day with the boot by his standards but his missed kicks didn’t determine the result, merely clipped the margin of victory
Old Colfeians 8 (Try: Tunnicliffe. Pen: Allen)
Canterbury 44 (Tries: Reilly 2, De Kock, Sykes, M Littlechild, Wolmarans. Cons: Reilly 4. Pens: Reilly 2.).
Canterbury were back to winning ways with this comfortable away win over struggling Old Colfeians.
James Reilly was again amongst the points for the visitors and notched up 24 to go past the 100 point mark for the season as the backs scored all six of the Canterbury tries. .
The match was won in the first half with the visitors 32-3 up at the break and well on their way to victory.
Richmond 31 (Tries: Piggott, Allhusen, Whitfield, Dixon. Con: Hart. Pens: Hart 3.)
Barnes 13 (Try: Bonney. Con: Farmer. Pens: Farmer 2.).
Richmond made it eight out of eight and are four points clear at the top on the Powergen London One league table.
Hooker James Whitfield got them on their way with his fifth try of the season, Matt Hart converted and added a penalty to make it 10-0 on 27 minutes. Second row Steve Dixon got a second home try before Paul Farmer pulled three points back for the visitors. Hart kicked a penalty on 40 minutes and Richmond went in 18-3 ahead.
In the second half Farmer kicked a second penalty goal before prop Rupert Allhusen went over for the third Richmond try on 48 minutes.
Travis Bonney went over for Barnes just after the hour mark and Farmer converted but Richmond responded with a third Hart penalty goal on 69 minutes. They rounded off the win when wing Neil Piggott went over for his 4th try of the season.
Ealing 32 (Tries: Norman 3, Dunne, Price. Cons: Ward 2. Pen: Ward.)
Tabard 7 (Try: Butler. Con: Whelan.).
With many players out through injury, Tabard were forced to field a weak side on Saturday but still put in a commendable performance as they lost to Ealing by 32 points to 7. Although the whole side played well a special mention has to go to Iain Jeffries who must have been the shortest second row ever to play in Tabards first team. Not only did Jeffries acquit himself well but towards the end of the game he was still going strong with several penetrating runs through the Ealing defence.
Tabards number 8, Mick Hyde also played well until he retired with a bad injury to the jaw towards the end of the first half and this injury will further undermine Tabards player shortage.
The game started almost predictably, with Ealing putting the pressure on Tabard as Tabard tried to get some cohesion into their game. With nine minutes on the clock the Ealing pressure was rewarded when their wing Norman eventually forced his way over for the opening try. Tabard then settled down into the game and defended stoutly as well as setting up some attacks of their own, with stand off Jamie Whelan making good use of a paucity of possession. However, Ealing were able to increase their score with a try by hooker Hodson, from a melee over the line, converted by stand off Ward, who also kicked a penalty and then another converted try from Norman.
Tabard were still able to mount their own attacks and after a period of pressure scrum half Richard Butler forced his way over the line for a try which Whelan converted, to bring the half time score to 22 points to 7 against Tabard.
In the second half Ealing quickly stretched their lead with another try, this time from their flanker Price. The game then settled into a routine with both sides mounting attacks but not breaking through, especially prominent for Tabard were wings Michael Thomas and Daniel Ashcroft, who both had some good runs and centre Jack Reilly who made a great solo break but in so doing just put his foot into touch.
Although Tabard defended hard Ealing still got through for one more try, Norman getting his hat trick after the ball was passed along the line, to bring up the final score of 32 points to 7.
Haywards Heath 15 (Tries: Lyall, Otuhouma. Con: D Morath. Pen: D Morath.)
Worthing 14 (Try: Smith. Pens: Taylor 3.).
Excellent win for Haywards heath over Worthing to record their fourth win of the season. Duncan Taylor kicked Worthing ahead on 17 minutes before Dan Morath levelled in the 26th minute. Just after the half hour mark Worthing went ahead again with flanker Rob Smith scoring the games opening try. Taylor missed the conversion but did kick an injury time penalty goal to send the visitors in 11-3 ahead.
They went further ahead six minutes into the second half with Taylor’s third penalty goal.
HH started their recovery on the hour mark when flanker Damian Lyall went over for a try and Morath converted to make it 14-10.
The winning score for the home side came in the 73rd minute when right wing Leiataua ‘Otuhouma went in for an unconverted try and HH were a point in front and they held out for the win.
Bishop’s Stortford 11 (Try: Hale. Pens: Hughes 2.)
Old Albanians 31 (Tries: Gregg 2, McLean, Bulatovic. Con: Gregg. Pens: Gregg 3.).
Old Albanians pick up just their second win of the season with this away success at Bishop’s Stortford.
Tom Hughes gave the home side the lead on 10 minutes with a penalty goal but just two minutes later the visitors were in front with winger Andrew McLean going over for an unconverted try. The home side regained the lead on 25 minutes when right wing Craig Hale touched down.
Old Albanians fly half Richard Gregg took control of the scoring with the next 18 points for his side as they went into a 26-10 lead. He went in for a couple of tries added a conversion and two penalty goals. |
