Bracknell 3rds 10, Henley Hawks 3rds 17
ON a wet and windy afternoon, Hawks 3rds travelled to local rivals Bracknell for a top of the table clash that was built up to be the ultimate test of the season so far. After a number of telephone calls with the Bracknell ground staff, the game was given the all clear to proceed.
As expected Bracknell came out of the blocks guns blazing and bombarded the Henley line with a number of driving mauls and powerful forward play, resulting in a well deserved try for a 5-0 lead. Going behind within the first 20 minutes is something Henley has not been used to, so this match was going to be a huge test of character.
They responded well, however, with numerous breaks, notably from full back Adam Cotton and ex-Pangbourne College student James Short.
Henley applied pressure to the Bracknell line and with great handling skills by the back line, wing Sam Taylor ran in unopposed wide out. Short added the additional points with an excellent conversion.
Bracknell were physical in the loose and at times counter-rucked with effective results. Henley’s forwards, shoulder-to-shoulder, met fire with fire and man of the match Ollie Wilkinson had an outstanding performance in all areas of the game. His dynamism in the loose and explosive tackling aided Henley’s fight back and gave the edge they required.
Another great move by the backs resulted in Jack Adamson scoring in the corner and at the interval the Hawks went in with a 12-5 lead.
With the weather deteriorating, the second half was full of unforced errors and stoppages. After a nasty late hit on Ollie Scholtz, James Short moved inside to fly half with Scholtz moving to the wing for time to recover. A decisive break by Short inside his own half resulted in a fantastic solo effort and he outran the Bracknell defence to score in the corner.
The home side hit back hard and applied constant pressure to the Hawks’ line. With 20 minutes to go Bracknell eventually broke the defence to make the score 10-17. With a tense last 10 minutes, Henley managed to hold on for the victory and stay firmly at the top of the league.
Henley Hawks 3rds: Adam Cotton, Sam Taylor, James Short, Dan Tate, Jack Adamson, Ollie Scholtz, Ben Hall, Matt Reed, Gavin Moolman, Spencer Jordan, Martin Champion, Sean Rendall-Corrigall, Nick Smith, Ollie Wilkinson, Matt Vines. Replacements: Adam Williams, Ben Roper, Fraser Boyd.
Published on 23 November 2009
|
