Hammers 1st XV too strong against determined Cornish

/in , /by

The Hammers headed down to London Cornish in the freezing cold with the expectation to come away with 5 points straightforward points, however, this became a trickier task due to Storm Arwin.  With Hammersmith losing the toss and being forced to play the first half uphill into the strong wind, they knew that they were in for a tough first 40.

Cornish started off very brightly with them coming close to scoring within the first 10 minutes, however, the Hammersmith defense could not be beaten.  Although the defense held strong and had forced Cornish back to the 22-metre line, a soft penalty was given away and Cornish opted to take the shot at goal, which they successfully converted and led 3-0.  Following the kick off Hammersmith’s discipline slipped and led to consecutive penalties being given away and thus more pressure being applied on the defense, although Cornish couldn’t turn this pressure into points, the frustration within the Hammersmith squad was piling up  This pressure was however was lifted on the 26th minute when Rich Vaughan put on his dancing shoes and after receiving the ball on the right-hand wing stepped his way through 4 Cornish defenders to finish his run under the sticks and giving the Hammers the lead.  Joe Carolan with the conversion.  The rest of the half was sloppy with neither side looking close to scoring until Hammersmith on the cusp of halftime crossed the try line only to be held up by a fine piece of defense by London Cornish.

As the 2nd half kicked off the Hammers knew that with the wind in their sails, they could play the free-flowing rugby that we all know and love.  After some consecutive phases and the Cornish defense being pulled left and right, the ball was spread wide one final time before a smart pass by Harry Scarr put Peter Bicknell away to score in the left-hand corner, Captain Carolan missed the tough conversion.  Shortly after the restart, Hammersmith applied further pressure and it didn’t take long for the debutant Ben Quaqua after running a smart line and bulldozing a couple of Cornish defenders to get over the line for Hammersmith’s 3rd try, converted by Carolan.  There was no stopping the Hammers now, with another smart break down the right-wing Rich Vaughan threw a potentially forward offload along the floor to Ben Dugdale, who embraced his inner Ronaldo and fly hacked the ball past the last Cornish defender before dotting down.  Following the try, Cornish came back and started to once again to apply some pressure on Hammersmith, with some smart offloads taking them all the way into the Hammer’s 22.  Discipline once again was proving to be Hammer’s downfall and after numerous penalties, Steve John was shown yellow.  However, Cornish couldn’t make the extra man count and the pressure they were inflicting couldn’t be turned into points.

The final 15 minutes saw the Hammers put the contest to bed, after some fantastic attacking flair shown, Ben QuaQua went over the whitewash to add to his tally for the day.  The hattrick wasn’t far behind after some great lines run by the Hammer’s attack, QuaQua picked up off the base of a ruck and from 5 metres out he wasn’t to be stopped and bagged himself his debut hattrick.  Cornish did manage to get over the whitewash themselves, but this was simply a consolation try which was rather deserved.  The game was concluded Steve Joh caught the ball on the Cornish 22 and the defense parted like the Red Sea and he trundled in untouched.

Another good day at the office for Hammersmith & Fulham who are very much in the running for promotion this year and will be hoping to continue their fine run of form against a tough Horsham side next weekend.

Final Score – 47-10

Hammers 1st XV lucky to get the win against a strong Horsham

/in , /by

Saturday 4th December. The skies were clear, the temperature was brisk and Hammers boys were frantically brushing their teeth to mask the smell of their work Christmas party from the night before. At the meet, the atmosphere was relaxed. Maybe a little too relaxed as no one had been assigned to pick up the kit.  Nevertheless, the boys got out and executed a great warm up. Talks of the setting being perfect to play our fast and expansive game were in the air. Everyone was feeling good, and the shirts arrived just in time for kick off.

Horsham were our opposition for the day and they’d been in fine form of late. They had been really unlucky to lose a few of their games by only a few points and so were looking to change that. They started strong from the whistle and were looking to secure some points from a lineout on the Hammers 5m line. In steps the master of the line out. Our resident Scottish sensei was already in their heads and intercepted their line out using only his mind (and his go-go gadget arms). Unfortunately, our part time scrum half/full time DOD was not on the same wavelength. His head wanted him to kick from our own try zone, his legs did not, and he dropped the ball for Horsham to pounce on. The try was converted from an impressive kick from the side line and you could hear our Head Coach grinding his teeth.

Hammers needed to bounce back and as a captain should, Joe Carolan lead by example. Horsham looked to kick from their 10m line but could not get the ball over the huge stature of our captain who stands at a huge 5”11 according to his Hinge profile. Some close control with his feet and Joe went over near the posts before slotting his conversion. A few minutes after, Hammers found themselves playing their usual fast free-flowing rugby with the ball going wide to our most capped player J-Lo who used some dancing feet to get on the outside of his winger before executing a perfect chip and chase over the full back. Converted again by our captain.

Even though the score would suggest Hammers were starting to control the game, it would shortly become present that Hammers were being carried by a few individuals.

Mistakes again cost the home team. A misplaced box kick with a poor chase gave Horsham an opportunity to counterattack which they executed and scored near the sticks. With 10 minutes until half time, the opposition scored 2 more tries. One in the forwards from a lineout, the other a breakaway try from their 10m line due to a terrible pass off our own scrum from yours truly. You could see steam coming out of Marks ears. 2 of the 3 conversions were made making the score 26-17 at half time.

After receiving the hairdryer treatment from the coaches and some tactical changes for the team, Hammers started the second half fiercely. Debutant Huw Parks going through a gap on the oppositions 10m that parted like the red sea and scoring under the sticks with Joe converting again. The next 20 minutes saw some good play from both teams that resulted in 2 converted penalties for Horsham but also a yellow card. Even though the comms through the hammers team was to stop giving silly offloads, we continued to give silly offloads and butcher a lot of chances. Not the fast and expansive game we had discussed.

With 10 minutes to go, Joe Carolan stepped up again to lead by example scoring off a good backs move after Angus and Zander had linked up again in the lineout. 32-28 to Horsham with only minutes left.

Some people say that good things come from the unlikeliest sources. Others say that they come in small packages. I think both are applicable here. Now playing at 15 and with his DOD free pint secured, Ben Dugdale decided he wants to help the team secure the win with a try from a well worked backs move that AGAIN came from the forwards dominating their line out. Carolan’s 5th and final kick was also slotted making the final score 35-32. A great come back for the Hammers to keep pressure on the top spots. A great couple of bonus points for our opposition too who were unlucky to lose out at the end.

Man of the Match: Joe Carolan

DOD: Ben Dugdale

Hammers 4th XV show their class

/in , /by

On a brisk Saturday afternoon, the Hammers lads travelled away to Twyford Sports ground to face Wasps 2XV. A game where revenge was sought for the previous home defeat against a strong side. As the boys entered the grounds, harassed to pay an entrance fee (obviously the visible athleticism was going a miss), a noticeably large crowd awaits. Unfortunately for them, they were not there to witness Doug Maxwell’s finest Nicola Sturgeon look but the Ladies Premiership match.

Nonetheless, after a vigorous and loud warm up the Hammers’ team looked sharp and ready to face their opposition. With the game kicked off and the sun behind our backs, Hammers began to play some superb rugby, sticking to structure and stretching the opposition from touchline to touchline. After several phases, James Mitchell made a strong break through the smaller backline and great support play from Nick Turner resulted in a glorious try. Hammers’ increased their grip on the game with a length of the field effort from Matt Stevenson and a well worked try in the corner for George Nellany. Ed Haynes showed nimble footwork to step a number of Wasps’ defenders in space equivalent to a phone booth to race away for a try. Matt Stevenson managed another try, created through hard work from the forward pack, carrying hard to get front foot ball. Some crunching hits form Matt Durrant and Jakob Terry to name a few, provided the boys’ with great spirit and left Wasps’ dazed and clueless as to how to make breaks. Adam Heaps managed a solo effort, dummying his opposing number before rounding the fullback and showing some unexpected wheels. Replacements came a calling just before the sliced orange break with Matt Stevenson making an impressive solo break, only to go down like he had been shot by a sniper

The second half brought about the challenge of playing into a blinding sun and against a challenging wind. Wasps rejuvenated by the half time break managed to string together some promising phases of rugby, even managing to cross the Hammers’ line only to have it called held up. Hammers’ scramble defence was on full show throughout the early stages of the 2nd half. Unfortunately, a run of successive team penalties and Adam Heaps getting pinged for a high tackle led to the fly half getting put in the sin bin. As Adam went off and take up role of nominated team medic, the rest of the team held firm, riding out the opposition’s pressure. Even down to 14, the Hammersmith and Fulham boys managed to run in another 2 tries by Ed Haynes including a great defensive read leading to an intercept and 2 for Jamie Drysdale. Wasps’ hampered by a Tyson Fury wannabe (red card) managed to sneak a consolation try to finish the game 62-5.

A great win for the boys in red and thoroughly enjoyable to get one back from earlier in the season. Onto the next week before a well earned Christmas drinking break.

Tries: Nick Turner, Matt Stevenson x2, George Nellany, Adam Heaps, Ed Haynes x3 , Jamie Drysdale x2

Conversions: Steve Danby x 6

Man of the Match: Will Parker

DOD: Adam Heaps

 

Hammers 2nd XV hold onto top spot with gutsy win

/in , /by

The Hammers 2XV travelled away to 5th in the league Rosslyn Park Bs on a cold and blustery Saturday morning. Off the back of an excellent win against league title contenders London Welsh 2XV, the boys were feeling confident for back-to-back wins on the fast Rosslyn Park artificial turf. With Hammersmith playing with the wind in the first half, the game remained a tight affair for the majority of the first 40 minutes. The hammersmith scrum was on top form with the forward pack dominating Rosslyn Park at set piece, utilising this advantage in the dying minutes of the half, the boys opted to take a scrum penalty 5 metres from the Rosslyn Park line. Unable to handle the Hammersmith power, and with some excellent control at the base of the scrum, number 8 Ainsley Howard walked the ball over the line and doted down for the first and only try of the game. The try was smoothly converted by captain Huw Parks, despite the difficult windy conditions.

The second half turned out to be a cagey affair, with penalties and territory being traded backwards and forwards. The first points of the half came from the delightful penalty kick from Parks far out on the left-hand side of pitch against the wind. Parks call for a shot at goal seemed to be an audacious one. Undeterred by the wind, he stepped up and slotted the kick through the uprights, settling Hammersmith in to the second 40 minutes. Hammersmith then came under a period of pressure from Rosslyn Park camped within the 22, but stout defence from the entire team kept the Rosslyn Park team away from the line. Good game management by the boys and a further two penalty kick by Parks settled the game, which finished 3-16 to Hammersmith. Man of the Match was awarded to Huw Parks for his flawless kicking performance from the tee and steadfast management of the game from the centre of the field. This win solidified the teams position at the top of the league with one more game remaining before the Christmas break.

Special shout out to Mitch Lewis, who adorned the Hammers jersey for the final time this weekend before heading home to Australia. Following a solid hammers career, his final game was no different. He controlled the game from fly half putting in some sublime passes and subtle kicks, keeping the Rosslyn Park team constantly guessing. He left the field in true gladiatorial fashion sustaining a nasty cut above his right eye, leaving the UK with a nice souvenir to remember us by. Best of luck Mitch.

Hammers 3rd XV squeeze past a tough Hampstead

/in , /by

This was no weather to be outside and some would have rather spent this Saturday watching Netflix. The temperature was close to freezing, the rain was lashing the faces and the wind was blowing the flags off the pitch. It was rumoured that some Hammers, despite being on the team sheet, had preferred to stay at home in the warmth, fortunately others were called up at the last minute and rallied to the hammers cause.

With condensation on their Movember moustaches, the Hammers 3s were ready to defend the fortress Hurlingham. Starting the game into the terrible wind of storm Arwen and despite some valiant kicking, it was almost impossible for us to get out of our half. The conditions were difficult for both teams: poor passing, lots of knock-ons. But no excuses, the weather is the same for both teams, it’s winter rugby after all. Hampstead used the wind to keep the Hammers penned in and scored a try (after a fortunate bounce on a kick after sustained pressure on strong defence) and pressed the advantage using the wind to seal a couple of penalties. We were behind at the break, without having scored a single point.

Half Time Hammers 0 – Hampstead 16

In the second half we had the wind with us and with the help of some good touches, a solid scrum and some good mauls, we gradually started to gain the ascendancy. The main turning point of the game came when Ed Hayes had a break through running halfway to the edge of Hampstead’s 22 popping it from the floor for the team captain (in a rare spate of running for a front row forward) to go over and get us on the board. It put the fight back in the lads and the real hammers heart came through. The next try came from a hammers lineout on the opposition 5 with the maul going over with Nick Turner putting it down topping off a great day for the front row. The pressure was then on and a good use of the boot kept the lads down in Hampstead’s half. Eventually Hampstead had to relent to that pressure resulting in Ben England going over in a convertible position, which Steve Danby stepped up to the plate and slotted.

Hammers 17 – Hampstead 16 less than ten minutes to go the tension was cutting.

From the kick off we returned the ball to Hampstead’s  22 well and kept it there to ground out a 1 point victory. Got there in the end and the teams place at the top of the league continues, the Lads retired to the Wolf pack to escape the weather and for well fought for Beers at the Hammers Charity night.

Hammers come agonisingly close against London Welsh

/in , /by

It was a clear dry day, with a slightly stiff breeze as both sides arrived at Hurlingham Park with pints being poured, burgers on the grill and a reasonable crowd gathering.

London Welsh kicked off into the wind, and quickly put Hammers under pressure as perhaps the size of the occasion had gotten to some of the boys and nervous errors crept in. Deep in our own 22, someone needed to rise to the occasion and lead the way and rising highest was the long-haired heartbreaker Tim ‘Le Scooby-Snack’ Russell. Spying an opportunity, he plucked a floated pass out of the air and pinned his ears back for the full 90 metres to continue his prolific try-scoring form.
7-0 to the Hammers, five minutes gone.

Top of the table after 8 games doesn’t come by accident however, and Welsh showed their quality by coming back hard with some serious forward pressure. Ill discipline was costly and penalty kicks to touch allowed Welsh to set up their driving maul, and from this platform they scored thrice in quick succession to leave the score looking far less rosy from a Hammers perspective, 7-21 after 30 minutes.

Up until this point it would be fair to say that Hammers had shown a little too much respect to their opposition, and it took a yellow card from a dangerous high tackle from the Welsh Captain to provide a bit of spark. For the last five minutes of the half Hammers had the bit between their teeth and went into the break disappointed that they had let the score line get away from them.

Hammers began the second half strongly, a scrum on the halfway line led to a set piece move in which centre Peter Bicknell blasted his way through the Welsh midfield and around the cover defence to score in the corner. The conversion was just pushed wide, leaving the score at 12-21 with 35 minutes of rugby left to play.

Frenetic would be a fair description of the next period of the game. Hammers spent long periods in the Welsh 22 but struggled to find that crucial breakthrough. After some quick hands through the backs released substitute winger Bryce into the corner, Hammers were incensed that the reckless dive from the Welsh covering tackler led to naught due to the ref’s view being blocked. This energy led to a score not long after, with flyhalf Pete Morris wriggling through the defence and reaching out to place the ball on the scoreline. With Captain Carolan knocking over the extras it was a two point game with ten minutes to go.

When reattaching Bryce’s head some of the wires must’ve got crossed, and his ‘over exuberant celebration’ after Morris’s try led to Welsh having a penalty from the halfway line instead of the usual restart. Welsh once again showed their fortitude by using this platform to launch an attack which saw them score an unconverted try and gain a little bit of breathing space on the scoreboard, as well as the bonus point. 26-19 after 72 minutes.

After the ensuing restart and a good clearance kick, the Hammers fullback Marshall MacLeod decided to do his best Marionette impression after taking contact and being held up by the Welsh defence. From this scrum in the middle of the park Welsh again launched deep into Hammers territory, eventually scoring in the corner. At this point there was a translation error, with the thick Scots accent of Hammers 9 Ross Anderson being mistaken for naked outrage by the referee, who showed him a yellow and told him to take an early shower.

For the last five minutes Hammers showed some serious fight, and launched attack after attack in the Welsh 22, only being stopped by repeated blatant infringements at the offside line and ruck, giving the referee no choice but to pull the card out of his pocket once again for the Welsh openside flanker. With the final play of the game Hammers finally crossed the line, to earn two bonus points and a final score of 26-31 to London Welsh.

Man of the Match was awarded to Peter Bicknell for his tireless efforts punching holes in the midfield and giving front foot ball. Dick of the Day was reserved for Ross Anderson, there will be a collection at the next home game to provide him with some elocution lessons.

Final Score:
Hammersmith and Fulham 26 – London Welsh 31

Try Scorers:
Tim Russell
Peter Morris
Peter Bicknell
Joe Carolan

Hammers 2nd XV take down London Welsh

/in , /by

The day was Saturday the 13th of November year of our lord 2021, it was a mild November day dry and about 14 degrees at Hurlingham park where this titanic top of the table clash was to take place. Despite this mild weather Huw Parks still found it cold enough to wear his Welsh Students warm up top, which was a point of contention as we were about to play London Welsh, getting his DOD nomination in early.

Despite the uncertainty over Huws’ allegiance there was a palpable excitement amongst the team during warm up, lineout darts were looking sharp, Nugget was in his finest Merrell hiking boots and the backs were looking slick. The only concern was from Rich Vaughn who was concerned the wind was blowing South Easterly not Easterly, another putting in a strong DOD nomination.

The game kicked off with great ferocity, some strong kick chasing straight from the off caused errors all over the Welsh backline. With ball in hand the carrying was aggressive, strong carrying from the pack put the Welsh defensive line under more pressure resulting in a handful of penalties. We managed to win a penalty and put ourselves in the corner for an attacking lineout 5 meters out. As in the warmup, the darts were sharp, and a powerful maul saw Max Imfield over for the first points of the game. Conversion missed 5-0 to the hosts.

The pressure kept on showing as the penalty count of the visitors mounted, Huw Parks proved his loyalty by slotting a 3 pointer between the sticks making it 8-0.

The Welsh gathered their composure and after seeing our impressive structure scored their first points of the game by using a driving maul. Conversion missed putting the score at 8-5.

The second half was closed out by some strong Hammersmith pressure, the Jacks and Queens flying into the Welsh defensive line, strong carrying from the back row allowing Ash Mitchell to win a penalty in front of the sticks. Hammers opted for the 3 pointer and there was no mistake from Mr Parks. Score at halftime 11-5.

The second half started in much the same way as the first half, with unbridled aggression. This resulted in another penalty to Hammersmith in the Welsh 22. Huw got his first points of the second half with another fine kick to make it 14-5.

However, London Welsh rallied after this and after several phases of defence on our own line Welsh dove over out wide to score a try. Conversion made 14-12.

This was the wakeup call Hammers needed to close out this game, like the ice bucket challenge the attack was refreshed. Strong running from Rich Vaughn and Sam ‘the eel’ Nursey put Rufus Falkner-Lee into acres of space, as he galloped down the line like a gazelle, the hopes of the crowd were lifting as a try would seal out the game. However instead of feeding the ball to the fullback in a 2 on 1. He decided he was Louis Rees-Zammit and kicked the ball straight into the opposition fullback and instead of letting the ball go into touch for an attacking lineout, he decided to be charitable and carry it out himself. A really strong DOD nomination.

Despite the self-sabotage from Rufus, we managed to win the ball back, compound pressure which resulted in a penalty and Huw Parks made no mistake from the tee. Score 17-12.

During the final minutes, nerves were jangling, as the crowed watched on with great anxiety. The seconds managed to absorb the pressure. Matt Newman, decided enough was enough, went from Scrumhalf to flanker to secure a game winning penalty.

Fulltime Hammers 17 London Welsh 12.

Try: Max Imfield x1

Penalties: Huw Parks x4

Man of the Match: Scott Howe

DOD: Rufus Falkner-Lee

Wordsmith: Chris Ralph

 

Hammers I’s Defeat Battersea in Legendary Derby

/in , /by

 

Rome vs Carthage. Sparta vs Troy. Colin vs Cuthbert. Rivalry is a common theme throughout history going back to the dawn of time. This Saturday past produced yet another epic encounter. A match to determine which team would wear the crown of Best South West London 1 South Club Located Around the River and Not Too Far Out of the City.

Hammersmith & Fulham vs Battersea.

It was a fierce mild day for rugby. Like Caesar himself crossing the Rubicon, Hammers crossed the Thames into Battersea territory. ‘Alea iacta erat.’ The die was cast. Hammers had every reason to be confident. A BP win against Chichester the week before had put us on a four game win streak. The augurs portended poor omens however when much of the team struggled to locate the field of battle, with many including the author relying on the navigation skills of consul Joe Caravan to steer us through enemy territory.

The warm-up was sharp. The forwards rumbled through their set-piece, building their maul, line-out and scrum like the great siege engines of old. The backs meanwhile, consubstantial in mindset, practised their moves seeking to expose chinks in the Battersea defence. The winds calmed. The stage was set. The gods waited with bated breath. Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war.

Despite promising preparations, Battersea drew first blood soon after kick-off. Having quickly made it into Hammers’ half, their scrum-half, displaying artful chicanery, embarked on a daring raid of the Hammers’ defence. Having found space where none thought possible, he found his supporting man who charged over Hammers’ line. The conversion duly missed, the score read 5-0 Battersea.

This was the wake-up call Hammers needed and bearing an upright zeal, and great fortitude of character, the 15 men descended upon the Battersea defence. James Lo’s inspirational words of ‘lads these boys all work in the city with us, this game has serious bragging rights’ ringing in our ears. The attack, renewed with great vigour, advanced deep in Battersea territory, halting only briefly when Alex Hart threw a pass where he looked not, drawing great wrath from the sideline. Hammers had a new resolve. ‘Aut cum scuto aut in scuto.’

Stealing the ball from their lineout like a thief in the night, the ball found its way into the hands of Pete Bicknell who punched through the Battersea defence like Moses parting the Red Sea, offloading to his comrades before Pete Morris touched down. Consul Caravan added the extras to put Hammers ahead 7-5.

This foray was followed in quick succession by another, this time, some excellent line-out work marshalled by Zander Stephens gave the backs the platform they needed. Then, in the manner of Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae, Hammers’ backs once again pincered the Battersea defence leaving none other than magnanimous Mitch Lewis to score. Hammers led 12-5.

Not content to rest on their laurels, Hammers once again made a break for Battersea’s line, earning penalty after penalty five metres out. Settling for a scrum, the Hammers pack heaved Battersea backwards, front row Rogan, Gus, and Poulton leading the charge, and some clean-cut passing from the backs put James Lo over in the corner. Consul Caravan added the extras to see Hammers into halftime 19-5 up.

Even in classical times, the gods were oft reluctant to involve themselves in mortal affairs. However, the sheer incredulity of Hammers’ fourth try leaves nothing other than divine intervention as an explanation. With Hammers quickly regaining possession, Mike ‘Lav’ Laverly threw an audacious miss pass along the winds of time themselves. This was quickly followed by a cross-field kick which was, in turn, caught and kicked forward for a waiting Tim ‘le Snack’ Russell to pounce over the line. The Bonus point had been secured.

To their credit, Battersea quickly responded with a score of their own, leaving the score 26-12. However, that would be the last time the ball would cross the whitewash. Other notable occasions included Rosco continuing the team’s black eye tradition. Much like Achilles taking an arrow to the ankle, scrum-half Rosco was punched in the face. Somewhat less poetic sure but no less of a mighty sacrifice to the Hammers cause. Content with his miss pass and having secured the bonus point, Lav duly smashed their 12 off their ball and left the field, having been shown some cheese.

When the final whistle blew, it was Hammers who triumphed in the South West Derby. Man of the match was awarded to Angus ‘Gus’ Brown, a man forged in the sands of the Colosseum, who was decisive in Hammers’ set-piece coming out on top. With five wins in a row, attention now turned to London Welsh at Fortress Hurlingham.

(It should also be noted that the author was not allowed to submit this report unless he included how, in the dying minutes of the game, he was utterly melted by their biggest bloke. Think David vs Goliath but instead of using a slingshot, David just runs into Goliath. That sort of thing.)

Hammers 2nd XV bounce back strong

/in , /by

The Hammers 2s had an away league fixture at Chiswick to face HAC. It had been a tough week of soul searching for the team after the heavy loss against Belsize 2s.

It was a beautiful day for footy and playing on the 4G pitch would encourage running rugby. The boys started well going up 5-0 after 15 minutes and looked the better team, especially in the backs. Then it was a real arm wrestle from then on. By half time it was 12-7. Small errors and lapses in concentration kept HAC in the game.

A try early into the second half gave us some breathing room taking the score 17 – 7. We looked to close out the game from there but through weak defence and silly mistakes HAC managed to score and bring it back to 17-14.

The last 25 minutes were going to be tough for Hammers as HAC had their tails up and had the boys defending their line for long periods of time. Then we clicked into gear and showed real steel holding off waves off attack.

A break off the scrum on our 5m from winger Joe Crawley swung the momentum and gave the boost the boys needed to finish off the game. With some great individual efforts, we took the game away from HAC with the final score being 29-19. HAC scored on the last play of the game.

Great step up as a team from the previous week and we are looking forward to taking on one of the top teams in the league, London Welsh. It should be a cracker of a game

Farnham remind Hammers 1st XV the wins don’t come easy

/in , /by

The Hammers came into Saturday in buoyant mood, having previously dispatched the ‘Wild Geese’ convincingly in their last outing and bolstered by the return of London’s premier Doctor, Steve John, and Mykonos’s favourite beanpole, Alex Hart. In some further changes, club veteran Rogan was asked to carry the water, offering a first start to a man half his age, Ricky Drewitt, at loosehead, whilst Joe Crawley was set to make his debut off the bench after some strong performances for the 2s. The challenge this week lay in the form of Farnham, a side who were marooned near the foot of the table. Nevertheless, closer inspection of results unveiled important nuance – their defeats have all been by tight margins and they pushed table-toppers Welsh close. The warm-up was sharp, and Coach ‘Jacko’ may even have displayed a minor smile across his pursed lips, which should have been a warning sign.

The Hammers got off to a delightful start. A clean kick-off return (not a common feature thus far this season), preceded a fluent period of possession. Playing our attacking shape, the forwards made some dynamic carries, before Joel Caravan played a flat miss pass out to ‘Le Snack’ Russell who kindly returned the egg to the Caravan via the delicate, sun-kissed hands of Hart.

15 minutes later, and it was 14-0 to the Hammers. The combination of Caravan and Russell striking again, with the former making an electric line break before feeding the gas to finish. The Hammers were in control, and with Hart having been yanked on his return midway through the half, they could have had more. Some intense harrying work by the back row titans, John and McMahon, made Farnham cough up possession and our nippy 9, Rossco looked set to score his first ever Hammers try. Sadly, raw pace is not something our Tartan warrior is known for, and a panicked offload found turf rather than the expectant stick-mitts.

As the second half arrived, the portents were rather less promising. Early on, Joel Caravan, drawing inspiration from the burgeoning centre partnership of Lavery and Bicknell, won a brave turnover in the middle of the park, which he soon ruined by booting the ball sideways and straight out. In times gone by, Bicknell would have engaged death stare mode and lessons would be learnt. Sadly, with his fellow Kray twin, Harry Scarr, missing with a sore hand, the aura has faded and he would now struggle to scare a kitten.

Sure enough, Farnham came back into the game, putting the Hammers under pressure. They controlled both possession and territory convincingly during the second half but strong defence kept them at bay barring a single penalty which the Farnham 10 knocked over for some stats-padding. With Farnham knocking at the door, the resolve of the boys was tested further due to a number of injuries. Poulton (back), Bennett (wrist) and John (head) all trudged onto the sidelines with the game in the balance.

However, against the run of play, the Hammers struck to put the game to bed. A penalty provided the opportunity for some territory, however, not for the first time, Lavery missed touch. Fortunately the ball was kicked back to the Caravan himself who manufactured a 3 on 2. Russell showed everyone he has power to go with his raw pace and burst through a double tackle, offloading to Morris who dummied and made it to the line.

The last throes of the game saw a return to the pattern of the second half, with Farnham asking difficult questions in the Hammers 22. Questions which were mostly answered, until they went over with the last play in the game to deliver a final scoreline of 19-10. We wish Farnham well for the rest of the season and look forward to our away trip to Guildford.

MoM: Tim ‘Le Snack’ Russell.

Tin Man: A very unscary Peter Bicknell for impacting the operational capacity of South West London’s emergency NHS services by knocking out Dr Steve John.