Chilly day yields a warm result for the 3s.

The Hammers 3s dusted off the festive rust on a chilly January afternoon and got straight back to business, gearing up for a tough day at the office with cold hands, heavy legs and the usual uncertainty that comes with the first game post Christmas chops.

The boys welcomed their opposition for what would become a performance brimming with grit, flair and a yearning for points.

Early exchanges were cagey, with both packs scrapping for front-foot ball. But once the Hammers got into their stride, the tries started to flow like a nice vintage. 

A sloppy spill of the ball from Hampstead lead to a nice breakaway down the left wing at which time Charlie Hay appeared from the bushes to get on the end of it to lock down some points nicely and get the scoresheet started. Hampstead didn’t take anything lying down this game and fought back to gain some tries in the corners. Their kicker taking the full 90s every time to slot absolutely nunza; a recurring theme of the day fortunately for us.

With the game starting to descend into a scrappy nightmare the boys found themselves having conceded 4 edge of the field tries and looking for a way back in when none other than Cameron Roberts steps up to the mark with a penalty advantage and a good 7 scoring opportunities at his disposal. There’s out of the box thinking and there’s whatever happened here, with overlaps on just about 3 sides Cam puts boot to ball and luckily Brandon Leschert manages to attach himself to the end of it securing our first try of the day. 

As the structure started to return to the field the boys started making use of the overlaps and space gaining traction up the field. This culminated very nicely with an edge field play getting up to the Hampstead 22. The ball making its way nicely along the line to fall fatefully into the hands of Dan Hogg who finished it off in the corner.

The boys starting to take control of the game now and getting some good front foot ball thanks for some class performances in the forwards the game was looking hopeful. The forwards then decided to not only help us get a foothold in the game but also get a taste the fruits of their labour. First clocking in was the Italian Stallion Valerio Marcantognini, the man of few words and even fewer mistakes. If any man that day claims to have seen what happened they’re lying. He appeared out of a mist with the ball just inside the opposition 22 and trundled his way over the try line. 

In a fitting turn of events Rob Harris gained some rewards for his consistent hard work on and off the field, making his weekly highlight unrelated to Pitchero was a nice touch. Dotting over from a whopping 2 metres out left the boys speechless.

Having kept the opposition out for the whole second half we entered the final countdown. the boys took a momentary foot off the gas to let in a unfortunate breakaway try not long before the close.

The game now sat with a try in it – Kieran Smith steps up to the plate for a very efficient: tackle, thieve and score combination, a real blink and you’ll miss it moment.

With the 3’s now in command, Kieran stayed consistent to add the extra points with the boot — sinking his classy third conversions to give the scoreboard a satisfying glow. It cannot be ignored how village it is having your no 8 kicking conversions…but if there’s grass on the pitch play ball.

In a game filled with big hits and big heart, one performance stood above the rest. Man of the Match went to Jonty Callaway — a man who, legend has it, sacrificed a family lunch to pull on the famous shirt. It’s this level of commitment that embodies what our club is all about.

A special mention too for Joe Hennigan, who bravely attempted to warm up before the game only to suffer a dislocated knee – so wish you all the best with recovery mate x, The pre game team talk was enough to inspire the masses to battle so your role as war commander was complete.