Harrodians catch up

....the reason Craig Joubert ran off the pitch with such astonishing haste last Sunday was because he was hoping to read the inaugural Harrodians Vets math report having been left frustrated by its absence in previous weeks!

Unfortunately for Joubert he wasn’t to know that yours truly was high up a bloody ladder in the Boudoir hanging a flipping chandelier in true Delboy style and ‘F’ing and blinding all the way!

So my lovely people welcome to Harrodians 15/16 Season and an update on activities so far to date.

A distant summer break facilitated plenty of Tuesday night Touch which has managed to continue in to the autumn and helped prepare a few of us (but not our Vice Captain) for a couple of early season joint fixtures with the Occies who faced tough opposition at Wimbledon and Dorking! The concept of actually playing two 40 minute halves in September sunshine chasing aged twenty something gym bunnies around the park is most certainly not what a Vets chassis is designed for. The Occies clearly face some very tough opposition and I have no doubt their spirit will galvanise a stronger side as the season develops.

Though we (but not our Vice Captain) were relieved to have our first proper Vets fixture in the league away to Cobham on 2nd October under flood lights; not only did I struggle to see who was on the pitch, but it was three weeks ago so I can’t even remember! Though after an hour or so with neither team really breaking each other’s defence, we managed to secure a perfectly positioned penalty for Marek to kick the winning points taking us to 8-7!!

After a few beers with the Cobham boys, (who are a really decent bunch of lads) we all enjoyed a mouth watering curry at the Nepalese curry hose, which with England’s performance to be, was the weekends highlight!
With no fixture possible the following weekend as everyone was otherwise busy researching their Celtic heritage in order to salvage some form of patronage, we put all our efforts into finding a ‘friendly’ fixture for Saturday 17th. And indeed they don’t get any friendlier than nearby neighbours Hammersmith & Fulham RFC who sent over a combined 2s & 3s side...... a backs coach, a forwards coach, a physio, copious warm up cones and possibly even some tackle bags!!

This type of reception was most certainly not what Harrodians Vets (but not our Vice Captain) had anticipated as we gingerly peered out of the changing rooms checking to see if the breeze had died down and the clouds past by! In fact even our stand in referee, Andy Pickering, looked perplexed.....”Rich have you a watch I can borrow as I’ve left mine at home”......hmmm Yes Andy!
H&F warm up was indeed put to good effect with the side running out some well drilled moves and catching a weaker than normal Vets side off guard, though in the set piece we were pretty even throughout the game. A full match report is below care of loan spectator Peter Boyd who kindly put pen to paper.

It’s a game we could have won perhaps with a stronger side and greater belief in the way we are best at playing our game.........pick & go! Though in the end, despite a last minute flurry we lost 15-27.

This weekend we were all set to play Old Pauline’s in a home league fixture, though as at 13:00 on Friday that all changed when they pulled out and so did my promise to my youngest of arriving home early! With our fixtures secretary in New York, Admin Manager Angus Graham at a long lunch and no access to the exchange; horrible visions of a Saturday afternoon back up a ladder re-adjusting the Chandelier dawned on me.....there must be a side out there to play!
One quick email to a Club I knew well......!

So by 16:30 Hammersmith & Fulham RFC mixed 5s were confirmed for a 13:00 hrs KO at home!
Best not tell the boys until......err.....until 12:30 on Saturday....and that indeed is when I told them!
This time we had a stronger side and it’s with immense pleasure I can officially announce that Ed Stott has shuffled to the right and found a new home in the No3 jersey....and the simple negotiating skills to entice him to accept this esteemed promotion?
A ‘medium’ fit jersey to compliment his more athletic build......in no time at all from the bottom of the kit bag came that jersey, (quickly peeled off the number 1 and No 3 it was!), perfect!

We trotted out in to a blustery autumnal day only to see a similar sort of enthusiastic warm up by H&F but no cones or tackle bags this time. Harrodians main difference was we had a Vice Captain who had come out of hibernation and with an extra stone of ‘tesco finest’ to show for it, (another Prop option I quietly contemplated in case Ed Starts to play like a 13)....welcome back Russ Barnes!
H&F were very spirited from the start and scored quickly to wake us up, so we scored in reply and they scored again and so we scored in reply!!!!

Skips rallied the troops and knew that as we didn’t look like YoYo’s, playing a game of ping pong, back and forth like squash and as boring as a Scot playing tennis it was not to be.......so like our Kiwi cousins kicking off a couple of hours later; we focused on ‘all black’. Black ball simply being our pick & go.........it worked wonders and having dominated the scrum and imperious in the lineout we actually looked pretty good too with ball in hand!

BUT, arrogance has no place in my book, Harrodians are not England, (high fiving tries against Uruguay) and H&F were a well drilled group of much younger and fitter players who didn’t have the experience our age boasts. They did contest well for the duration of the match and were physical with it too and in fact up front they actually played better than their chums form the previous week.
Frodo at 9 started to get quicker ball realising Jayden at 10 who delivered all sorts of options to the likes of Curran, Morgs and Jose who all ran great lines and angles, but it was probably No 13...er No3 Ed who had a cracking game both up front and still scored 3 tries!
Big Al and Sean make our lineouts look very effective and perhaps time now to expand our options here! And another great game by James Lancaster who has rediscovered all his form!

A good convincing win which leaves us in high spirits, but 53-14 is the sort of score margin we need to be putting on other Vets sides not youngsters!

Tries:
Ed x 3 Vice x 3! Morgs, Harry & Jayden x 1
Cons:
Vice x 2 Morgs and Ed x 1
Two weeks off now to help road test Clappy’s new mobility car!!
Skips/Finche
07774 254162

Harrodian Vets v Hammersmith & Fulham 2/3s

The Vets demonstrated strong advantage at the scrums and line-outs. The much younger opposition were good at the breakdown
The Vets' kick-off resulted in a line-out which they stole. Two turnovers followed then Marek made a half-break; this resulted in a scrum for the Hammers just outside their 22. The Vets forced another turnover and kicked for territory. The Hammers ran the ball down the wing to get into the other half for the first time and their scrum 8 metres into the half. From this they advanced keeping the ball tight to get a penalty 18 metres out in centre field and they kicked the points at 5 minutes.
Hammersmith dealt with the restart and soon kicked long for territory. A good follow up forced an error from Harrodians giving the opposition an attacking scrum 5 metres out. The Vets' pack stole this against the head and advanced to get a penalty 18 metres out then were awarded another 10 metres by the Ref. The kick took them to their line-out not far into the other half. The Hammers stole that and went wide but not far to an opposition scrum just past halfway. The Vets recycled twice before being intercepted but the Hammers didn't get far and then there was another put-in for Harrodians. From it they broke through the defence but were penalised at the breakdown at the visitors' 22. A very good kick took the Hammers to their line-out just 13 metres from the Vets' line. They released to centre from the line-out and their wing went comfortably to the line for a converted try at 13 minutes.

Hammersmith secured the restart and soon kicked for territory then regained possession after a Vets' error. Under pressure close to their line Harrodians won a turnover and cleared to touch to 13 metres from halfway. They stole another line-out and recycled well but while being forced back and kicked to touch again, this time 17 metres inside their half. From this line-out the Hammers' pack kept the ball close and put together a very strong set of phases resulting in their no.8 breaking the last tackles to touch down at the posts at 19 minutes and an easy conversion.
The visitors secured the restart and ran the ball, soon kicking into Harrodians' 22. The Vets cleared to touch nearly to halfway then stole another line-out. Immediately Hammersmith forced a turnover and released to centre. They went wide again sending their fullback to the line 3 minutes after the previous try. The conversion was wide.
The Vets regained possession after an opposition error at the restart and advanced strongly to get to within 4 metres of the visitors' line. They recycled twice before the ball came out of a ruck at the side enabling the defence to get it and kick well into the opposition half. Harrodians cleared to touch at halfway. After recycling twice following the line-out the Hammers tried an up-and-under. The Vets dealt with this but then kicked out on the full. In amends they forced a turnover soon after the line-out. They advanced before being forced into touch 14 metres into their opponents' half then stole another line-out. After 3 recycles their no. 8 broke through the defence; the ball was recycled once close before it was dropped under pressure 5 metres out. From their 5 metre put-in the Hammers' back row advanced to be penalised at the next breakdown 18 metres out. Harrodians kicked for a line-out 10 metres out and after it first kept the ball in before going wider. Following 4 recycles their no. 8 sent the fullback over at the corner 2 minutes before halftime. The conversion missed leaving the score at 5 - 22.
The Vets secured the high 2nd half restart and kept the ball close, advancing to get a penalty just inside their half. This was kicked to touch at the opposition 22. Now it was the turn of the Hammers to steal a line-out and they kicked for territory. Harrodians ran the ball back and recycled 4 times before sending their no. 8 through the defence on an individual run to the line at 3 minutes. The conversion missed.

The Vets secured the restart and kept the ball close for a few phases before kicking to touch at the opposition 10 metre line. From the line-out the Hammers kicked into the other half where an error gave them the next scrum. Soon after it Harrodians forced a turnover then recycled 6 times before kicking to touch well into the other half. The Hammers took a quick throw-in and ran the ball. After being recycled once the ball was hacked ahead by the Vets and into touch 19 metres from the visitors' line. The line-out was stolen but the home team were soon penalised. Hammersmith kicked for a line-out 11 metres into the other half. Yet again that was stolen but the Vets were forced back and another error gave the Hammers a put-in at the 22. Harrodians' pack pushed their opponents backwards and got the ball. Kicks were exchanged, the second out on the full giving the Vets a line-out 9 metres into the visitors' half. At this one the ball went loose and Hammersmith got it and immediately got a penalty that they kicked to touch to the other 10 metre line. They threw this not-straight; the Vets recycled twice after the scrum then were penalised at halfway. The Hammers ran this and recycled twice before chipping to touch 13 metres from the opposition line. Now Harrodians threw one not-straight but took the following scrum against the head. They went blind and kicked long; too far and the ball went dead giving the visitors a scrum back, 12 metres into the Vets' half. From it they kicked over and nearly regained, knocking-on 6 metres out. After the scrum they were turned over and a Hammers' large forward, with a dancing slow-motion sidestep, avoided the apparently mesmerised defence to touch down near the posts at 21 minutes for a converted try.
The visitors dealt with the restart before an error gave Harrodians a scrum 14 metres into their opponents' half. The Vets attacked strongly from this with good passing and offloading; they got to 6 metres out before the defence got the next put-in. Here Harrodians got a free-kick for a crooked feed and they ran the ball; it was recycled 5 times to get over not far from the posts at 27 minutes. The tee couldn't be found and Marek tried a drop goal that had no chance.

The Vets kicked the restart back long into touch to 6 metres from the visitors' line. From the line-out the Hammers cleared to touch still inside their 22. Harrodians kept the ball in from this line-out and drove forwards to get a penalty 12 metres out. They should have chosen another scrum but opted for a line-out 6 metres out that the opposition stole. The Hammers cleared to touch again, still inside their 22. Again Harrodians drove from the line-out but the defence forced an error 12 metres out. The visitors kicked ahead from the scrum; the Vets ran the ball back then were turned over. Once again Hammersmith kicked ahead and the ball was run back at them. This time it was recycled 6 times to get a penalty. They kicked for a line-out and advanced from that until the defence forced an error 14 metres out. After an error following the penultimate scrum the Vets got another and the whistle went after another tired error.
Conditions: cool, dry, overcast but brightening by halftime, some wind; the pitch firm.