Round 3 Hanwell Away – Two Birds One Rugby Ball
Final Score: 14 – 45 Win
Man of the Match: Robert Wixey
Dick of the Day: Andy Presly
Squad:
1 Alex Raue
2 Rob Wixey
3 Rainier Deysel
4 Will Kosek
5 Xander Bobir
6 Connor Shea
7 Peter Lacey
8 Michael Buchan
9 Dave April
10 Slade Siameja
11 Martin Holley
12 John Sanger
13 Troy Clayton
14 Tom Stott
15 Tom Rouse
16 Rhys Davies
17 Fidel Brizuela
18 Andy Presly

Write-up:
After two disappointing losses Hanwell loomed as the only team in the conference that we didn’t chalk up a W against last season. It was an itch that definitely needed scratching for anyone that played either of those games as a late intercept and a 26 point collapse assisted by a referee that simply couldn’t count led to the 0 and 2 record and cost us a home semi-final down the stretch. The rugby gods, obviously feeling a bit guilty for our treatment last season, obliged with blue skies, no wind and a fast track that is well suited for our mobile team.
Rumours swirled around the changing room pre-match that the opposition only had 7 players, they didn’t have a front row, we were going to have to give them 3 players and play 10-a-side and we embarked on the most piss-pour warm up I’ve ever seen. Of course come KO time they had 18 players and a huge pack and front row –the perfect example of why you focus on yourself, warm up like you are starting and playing 80 minutes with your balls on the line. Ignore the bullshit.

We won the toss and opted to run downhill, which at Hanwell is steeper than the cost of a pint up the Shard. Thanks to a duffed KO we were gifted a scrum at halfway and a great platform to take some territory with a kick in behind forcing their fullback to carry the ball dead and give us a lineout inside the 22. Clean ball off the top gave the backline a chance to launch and Sanger ran a strong inside line to beat several defenders and get some real go forward going. Wixey spotted some space on the blindside and went close himself, the forwards cleaned out strongly and Sanger was barely back on his feet before he had the ball in hand again and the first 5 pointer of the game before topping it off with a great conversion from a tough angle.

Kosek climbed high to take the restart and again after some organised phases we were on the front foot with the chance to run in Hanwell territory. With all eyes on Sanger steaming in for another carry Slade held on and went clean through before putting a right foot step on the fullback and head round under the posts with Sanger tapping over from in front.

14-0 with 7 minutes gone and apart from taking the restarts Hanwell yet to touch the ball meant only one thing – time to switch off. We took received the KO well but the first of what would be a series of iffy, and eventually costly penalties, went against us. Finally getting their hands on the ball Hanwell were more protective than new parents, to afraid to pass it they inched forward one pick-and-go after another, eventually the ruck defence got the numbers wrong and they skirted blindside to get their opener. They managed to get the ball beyond their 10 for the first time before Sanger snuffed any thoughts of that out with a decent chest high shoulder that was followed by the most theatrical arm waving and appealing that the ref bought, using all his experience Sanger was nowhere to be found by the time an angry Hanwell mob arrived at the ruck leaving Troy to be the focus for their handbags. More penalties, more pressure, more pick-and-goes and another try levelled the scoreboard at 14-14.

Regaining possession Quintin launched from deep, Slade taking the same gap which again had been left ajar, the full back again got a front row seat to a right footstep but a great 50m chase from the left wing forced the try out wide and Sanger wasn’t able to convert leaving Quintin with a slim 5 point half time lead in the face of a literal uphill battle in the second half. The bench was cleared Rhys, Fidel and Presly being tasked with bringing new energy into the second half and everyone acknowledged the need to roll up the sleeves. The forwards corrected the numbers at the ruck and Hanwell found themselves crashing against a red and green wall with no option but to kick possession away which played into our hands as we were finding big holes and stacking up some big running metres. The pressure building due to ascendancy around the fringes and in the set piece eventually told as some broken field play eventually resulted in the ever-industrious Wixey finding space and scoring from 25m out.

As the game continued to open up the inside backs were having a field day, breaking at will with Mr Maybe (Troy) racking up some serious running metres backed up by Fidel and Presly, unfortunately the last pass was left wanting and a lot of chances remained just that. But it resulted in more territory and more pressure. Some sensible pattern play had us knocking on the try line and having memorised the path Slade took the same gap to go under the sticks untouched. More breaks, more missed chances, more pressure and this time Will Kosek, casting of his familiar tag of being late to the party, was the quickest to react to a partial charge down and had the engine to run clear from 40m.

Presly found himself in so much space he took a quick nap, knitted a sweater, wrote his girlfriend a poem and placed two hands firmly on the shaft of the Dick of the Day hat as he threw a wildly forward pass, robbing Stott of certain try. The forwards were loving the chance to run in space with Pete and Connor making some trademark aggressive metres but you know there’s a lot of it when there’s enough for Rainier, who was the next to take full advantage. Receiving a short ball of the shoulder from 40m out he looked like he’d just committed a highstreet smash-and-grab only to find the getaway driver was gone, arms and legs were going in unusual directions but to his credit he was still increasing the gap to nearest chaser as he dove over.

With the first win of the season and the first win over Hanwell that’s two monkeys off the back and the beers tasted that much sweeter with a W on the board.

Next Weeks Information:
AWAY to Hayes
KO at 14:15, meet 12:45.