Hammers set piece sets up classic win!

The day began with a somber and reflective mood, most certainly due to this match being played on remembrance weekend which was respected by both sides and supporters with a minute’s silence prior to kick off.

What ensued afterwards was a real back-and-forth of a game, an arm wrestle – as some would refer to it – but a fantastic display of attritional rugby and grit in the first instalment of the ‘Dan Hostetler Cup’ (Named after the hooker who recently transferred to Hammers from Maidenhead, who also happens to have written this report…oops). 

In the first minutes of the game it was clear Maidenhead, a team higher in the table, had come with some venom to attempt to assert the dominance their league position suggested they deserved. This was, however, not on the agenda for Hammersmith & Fulham who viewed this as a must-win game after not being on the positive side of a series of results since the first game of the season. 

There early parts of the game were, as you’d expect, a cagey affair, with some handling errors and the majority of play in between the 22’s, other than the odd kick-and-chase scare for both teams. However, what was already apparent, 10 minutes in, was the Hammers dominance at the scrum… more on this later. 

Uncharacteristic Hammersmith errors led to a couple of penalties which Maidenhead looked to put into the corner and drive over. However, some inside knowledge on this meant they were not successful in this area paid dividends, with the Hammersmith jumpers Harry Scarr (6) and Tom Proctor (5) running great aerial interference. Maidenhead did put the first points on the board just before the 20th minute with a strike from their fullback. 0-3 to the visitors. 

Moving on and Hammersmith regather their composure post kick to pressure Maidenheads defence, forcing the visitors to commit a series of penalties which leads to the first try of the game.  A perfectly thrown ball to the tail of the lineout allowed for the driving line-out maul – a reliable try source this season- to set and go, allowing tackle machine Marcus McNeil to drop over the line safely. Extras are added, 7-3. Game on… 

…only for Hammersmith get caught offside a couple of minutes after kick off, the Maidenhead fullback puts it through the posts, 7-6. 

What ensued for the remainder of the first half were errors in defence leading to penalties but neither team able to take the initiative and trouble the scoreboard further. Hammersmith threatened to add 3 to the tally with the best opportunity thanks to a scrum penalty, (credit to the Ferraris of the team for this one (Front 5)) but unfortunately the kick sailed just wide. Maidenhead came closest to a try but the valiant Hammers defence stopped any such thing, holding it up on the line. HT 7-6 

We came back from the HT break, both teams hydrated, rested and ready for action. Excellent, smart rugby from the home-team back line allows for Hammers pressure to be consistently applied to the visitors, keeping them down in their own half.  

This is where the real fun began. From early in the second half, the Hammers scrum displayed a feat of pure dominance, the Maidenhead loosehead quite literally bending over backwards to meet Ed Wynne’s need for forward direction of travel at scrum time. It really was a thing of beauty and set the tone for the second half. 

This penalty led to a lineout, for which the maul was subdued on this occasion, with the Hammers hooker breaking off to not go backwards but found himself in space about 20 metres out from the line. It is a fair assumption, he did not make it but ball was recycled and the ensuing phases left Hammersmith with a fantastic attacking position which was unfortunately not capitalised on and led to an away penalty. So close…

Once possession was regained, the backline continued their fine job of keeping Maidenhead under pressure and playing in their half. The ball was turned over at lineout which led to Hammer’s own crossing the line…but a definite travesty resulted as it was called held up  Nevertheless, pressure continued and Hammers added points from the tee, 10-6. 

After clearing their lines from kick off Hammers fullback Max Dugdale unfortunately receives a yellow card for a high tackle, thankfully both players were okay. This however leaves Hammers under pressure for the next 10 minutes – time to dig deep, time for the beauty’s (front row) to turn into beasts. 

Maidenhead looked to make use of the extra man on the pitch, especially out wide with a couple of rapid wingers, consistently looking to quick tap penalties but could not keep the phases together… leading to scrums, which Hammers were more than happy with. Even a untimely injury to talisman Marcus McNeil who, after finding himself on the wrong side of a collision and had to be removed from the field of play, couldn’t hold back the boys. We wish him well in his recovery. 

Finally, Hammersmith’s scrum dominance led to the sin-binning of Maidenheads tighthead prop, who had a tough day at the office but was a bit unlucky to earn the referee’s gaze (I wouldn’t want to come up against 139 year old 42 cap Andrew Rogan either).  Dugdale now back on the pitch, goes on to add the 3 points and make it 13-6. 

Maidenhead, to their credit, kept fight, and – energised by being a man down – finally were able to string together the phases they are known for and shift the ball wide to their pace men, eventually scoring and making it 13-11, hitting the post with the conversion. With 7- minutes down on the clock, the question now was would that prove costly? 

The final 10 minutes were frantic, both teams wanting to secure the result with a try, which actually led to some of the most entertaining rugby of the afternoon (other than the scrums, which are always entertaining). Hammersmith however took the opportunity to make it 16-11 deep into the second half following yet another scrum penalty to give themselves some breathing room. 

Some close calls almost led to Maidenhead stealing the win but consistent pressure from Hammersmith’s brilliant backline in defence and Hammersmith’s dominance at scrum time saw them fought off. The whistle goes and Hammer’s get the W, with the full time score 16-11 and Rogan securing man-of-the-match on behalf of the front row.

Bring on next week!