SledgeHammers too strong for Wasps!

It was round 2 of the Middlesex Vets League and The Sledgehammers reconvened with the intention of securing their first win. It isn’t every day that you face a club with two Heineken Cups to their name and the Wasps clubhouse was a shrine to the days when they were a true powerhouse. Dallaglio, Andrew, Vickery, Probyn, Worsley et al glowered down from the photoframes. But Hammers’ history was being represented on the pitch, with a multi-generation squad that spanned those born in the early ‘90s to those who made their debuts in the early ‘90s.

Captain Ade Furniss spelled out the strategy from the start – get the ball out wide and let the quick lads do their thing. The three-quarter line licked their lips in anticipation. Some of the forwards wondered when they last, if ever, had been described as ‘mobile’?

The game started with a cheeky short kick-off. Wasps won it but Hammers counter-rucked hard. The ball went loose, Hammers regained and went wide immediately. It was fast, it was frantic. Your correspondent was advised from the touchline that 30 seconds in is a bit early to be walking between rucks.

Efficient ambition paid off in the first twenty minutes. Quick rucks meant Ed Clark was whipping it away early. Si Doherty marshalled his forward runners around him. Sean Richardson’s steady distribution caught the eye of the Middlesex County Super-Vets selectors. The speedsters started to find gaps as James Lo and Chris Reilly pulled defenders left and right. The gaps were there to be exploited and Tony B glided through them and over the tryline twice without a Wasps fingerprint on him. The boys were on the board!

The challenge well and truly laid-down, Wasps needed to respond. And that they did through some direct running and effective kicking. They reduced the deficit with a well-worked lineout and a rolling maul that Hammers got under but couldn’t quite hold up. Fired up by this, their pack started a spell of effective recycling and battling for gainline supremacy against some strong Hammers’ defensive sets. Some of us realised with horror that no-one had told the ref that Vets halves are usually 35 minutes max. A lung-bursting multi-phase period ultimately ended with a pick-and-go that made it over the whitewash for their second try on the stroke of halftime.

Halftime: Wasps 14 – Hammers 12. It was a proper battle. Relief in the eyes of some men as subs were made, panic in the eyes of Tom Hayes as he realised that he was the only hooker available, so lucky he’s so fit…

The momentum swing in the yellow and black direction needed to be addressed. Mid-field phases saw the boys fight their way into the Wasps half, but stout defence frustrated their attempts to get through. Steve Harris – now on for Dohers at 10 – read the Wasps backfield and dropped a perfect kick that beat the Wasps winger and found it’s way to touch. The ball was won messily by Wasps but before they could too much ground to give their 10 space to kick to safety. Julian Draper swooped like a falcon on a fieldmouse to turn the ball over. Hammers’ went open then went blind, inching forwards each time. Larry Furniss took it on the charge but couldn’t quite get through. Another quick ruck and Steve Harris surged into the line and fired a cut-out pass to the unstoppable James Cramp to score/flopped over in the corner.

The narrow lead wasn’t enough for comfort and the Hammers Bomb Squad started to flex it’s muscles. Rogan joined the rotation of props while 80-minute and man-of-the-match man Tommy Hayes provided the consistency. The trans-Atlantic scouting policy conducted by Cube paid dividends with big impacts from our American guest stars Norm and Travis. Another rapier thrust out wide by Will North had the defence backpedaling. Alex Stimpson scythed up the wide channel and ran the boys into the Wasps half. A few phases of attack down that channel made holes, and eventually Clarkey’s support play led to try number four and daylight between the sides.

Stings in the tail have to be expected when playing Wasps, but the later stages saw Hammers frustrate attempts at a second comeback. With Hugh Campbell at 8, and Dave Wickman in the engine room – also putting in a respectable 70-odd minutes – contributed to an increasingly dominant scrum. It was an arm wrestle that started to nudge in favour of red and white with driving mauls and good structure. The boys were finding their flair. Each of the nine Vets debutants made their mark as the clock edged towards the 80. There was time for one more score. Hugh Campbell popped a rib back into place, retook the field and definitely didn’t knock on in storming over for the fifth and final try.  Final score: Wasps 14 – Hammers 29

There were smiles all round at this first victory, the true highlight of which was seeing so many familiar faces back in the Hammers colours after the club’s hiatus from vets Rugby, ably supported by a sprinkling of of fresher faces. All looked forward to what’s to come.