The 1s undone by errors at crucial times.
The day starts, as many away days do, with the meeting at East Putney Waitrose where the coach driver collects the Hammers. The coach journey offers the Hammers the chance to eat breakfast, fuelling for match, catch some shut-eye (for the night owls), and catch up after trundling through a harsh couple of days post thirsty-Thursday. This particular transit carried a favourable atmosphere of cheese, an attitude of trees, and a melancholy of disease.
Reaching their destination, the boys unloaded, unpacked, and settled into the two changing rooms provided: one a gloomy, fetid space for the unkempt and grotesque; the other gleaming with reflections from 360° mirrors and stocked with complimentary hairbrushes and moisturiser. Amazingly, the lads easily managed to organise themselves aptly into the respective changing rooms, and after their ritualised pitch walk, the Hammers prepared.
Tight shorts, beaten boots, and flashing red jerseys – time for the warmup.
The original saturnine mood of a forecasted rainy day was swiftly lifted as the English sun chose to shine with a pleasant warmth, partnered with winds ushering the clouds asunder. Hammers break led by Captain Tommy P; ready for kick-off. DONG… DONG— FWHEET— THWUMP! Bracknell initiate the match. The Hammers comfortably receive, organising into shape for an exit off 9, Ben Dugdale. The opponent catcher turned aghast due to an urgent chase from Tim Russell, 14, earning a penalty. An easy judgement and controlled kick create an attacking opportunity, applying instant pressure inside the opponents 22. A dart in and a driving maul carried the ball a further 10 metres. The ball travels from edge to edge before finding Charlie Scott, 11, who commands the Bracknell 11 to BE GONE as he subsequently plants the ball past the try line bang on the two-minute mark (120 seconds). Conversion successful, 9. 0 – 7.
Bracknell come back. Despite being a relatively clear day – and that is saying something given Bracknell appears to exist in a rain shadow – the pitch is a muddy bog, and in what has become an all too familiar tale, the Hammers undo their good opening work through the compounding of mistakes. Despite a clear take off the kick-off and a decent clearing kick, several phases later the Hammers begin find themselves on the losing side of a kick battle. A well-formed Bracknell maul is defended by an equally well-formed Hammers defense, but in a moment of madness, Jacob Poulton, 3, clears out the Bracknell 6 and decides he is Gary Goodrigde against Pau Herrera, circa February 16th, 1996. His cheeky right on the Bracknell player manifests a slice of cheese that sees a sheepish Poulton having a rest on the sideline for 10. Bracknell, in the meantime, attack through a uneven Hammers defense and score through the middle and convert. Shortly after the restart, the situation repeats itself, except this time the home side attack from coast-to-coast. An uneven fold gives Bracknell a 2-on-1 on the right wing, allowing their floating hooker to slide in right at the corner. 10-5. This is followed by a regulation red infringement leading to a regulation Bracknell penalty kick. 13-5. The boys know they need to get their head back in the game. They need something.
That “something” starts within their own half from a lineout. The planned strike delivers the ball to Bryce Morgan, 15, fleet of foot and elusive as smoke, who slips the first tackle and offloads through the second, releasing Tim Russell bursting through with pace to earn extra yards and a penalty advantage. Within two phases, play has returned to the starting edge, allowing the team to maintain their attacking shape and continue with momentum. Feeding the ball back right, Bryce Morgan, ever nimble, steps and weaves to break the gain‑line yet again, sowing the disruption needed for Edward Shand, 10, to grubber through the five‑metre line and claim a try. Ben gets the extras, 13–12.
The second half is initiated with a nourishment of collisions, but the curse strikes again, and the boys conceede an early try. Showing that they seem to fight hardest when under pressure, the Hammers responded with a ferocity that powered them through ~25 phases of assault rounded by a hard-earned penalty of their own. From it, a driving maul — unstoppable via legal means, resulting in some Bracknell cheese this time — celebrated a consecutive penalty five metres from the try line, securing an exciting opportunity. With repeated success in mind, a direct dart delivered into a driving maul was the most logical option, and this attempt saw Dan Hostetler, 2, square over the Bracknell try-line. 20-17.
Bracknell strike back. A Hammers penalty sees them the home side kick to corner, and fair play, it’s a good one. Right on the Hammers 5. A solid Bracknell maul again meets a ferocious Hammers defence and is shredded, but in what is a cruel blow by the Rugby gods, a sublime rip by Ben Dugdale see the the ball pop right out into the unexpected hands of the Bracnkell hooker. He flops down for a try, taking the score line out to 25-17.
Entering the final ten minutes of the match, the Hammers have a right‑hand‑side scrum inside the opposition half. A solid platform makes it simple work for 9 to feed the pill straight to Marshall MacLeod, 12, who tips it blindly inside to Russell. He stings through the defenders, only to be halted by an ignominious high tackle from Bracknell’s 21. No matter — one wide pass, then a second, is received by our own Hammer Hermes, Bryce Morgan, who delivers the message past two would‑be interceptors for all to hear: try time. 25–22. We’re on!
No, we’re not. A wayward pass whilst attacking on the half-way line finds grass, surrendering possession and momentum at a crucial time. Hardly terminal, it was followed up by Marshall MacLeod performing a King Kong (hollow) rock smash, which – while protecting his dearest Ann Darrow from the dinosaurs on Skull Island – saw a penalty reversed. From this point, Bracknell play territory, and the Hammers are forced to run everything from their 22 in an attempt to keep the ball alive. Two penalties awarded to Bracknell in the dying minutes allow them to slot six more points, stripping the Hammers of an extra bonus point. Final score: 31–22.
It was a performance featuring sublime periods of superior Rugby undone by crucial errors at crucial times. Effort and heart are present in spades, but it will be execution and discipline that will have to see them through against Camberly on the 14th. Let’s go boys!
