U13 Match Report: Sunday 13th February 2011
London Scottish (0) vs Hitchin A (48)
Tries (8): Ollie Red (4), Matthew (1), Frazer (1), Ollie P (1), Dan H (1)
Cons (4): Max (2), Jack (1), Harry (1)
Squad: Ashley, Benji, Ben, BMW, Bradley, Christian, Dan B, Dan C, Dan H, Frazer, George V, Harry E, Jack D, Jack W, Maitiu, Matthew, Max, Ollie P, Ollie Red, Will M
Our third league game of 2011 sees us playing away at London Scottish RFC located near Kew Gardens in south-west London. It’s a dull February day with threatening rain and a brisk, cold crosswind blowing across the pitch. We’re right under the flight path to Heathrow – so we have low jets thundering overhead every other minute as they decelerate to land. Our boys are busy practicing their Chris Ashton ‘swallow-dives’ and the opposition are nowhere to be seen…
London Scots turn up a few minutes before kick-off at mid-day. Hitchin win the toss and choose to play upwind in the first half. The Scots kick-off deep into our bottom corner. A fumbled catch gives them a knock-on scrum dangerously close to our try line in the opening seconds of the game. We win the scrum and clear the ball into the Scots’ half. Continued Hitchin pressure keeps the ball there. At 7 mins into the game, The Scots concede a penalty at 22yds - Ollie Red is shipped the ball and rockets across to score our first try. Max attempts a conversion at a difficult angle – score 0-5. The Scots restart with resolve and apply good pressure managing to break through our defences a couple of times with long runs but are frustrated by our backs. Steady pressure from Hitchin brings the ball back into the Scots’ half and a knock-on gets us a scrum at 16 yds in the closing minutes of the first half. Ollie Red, playing no. 8 position, steals the ball from the back of scrum and accelerates forward to plant our second try in the centre of the posts. Max converts successfully bringing the score to 0-12 at half-time.
The second half sees Dan H, Will M, Ashley and Harry come on, while Bradley, Ben, Max and Maitiu take a break. We kick-off deep into London Scots’ half and continued pressure keeps us there. Some great passing down the line gets the ball to Matthew who breaks through the Scots’ defences to score our third try in the bottom corner at 3 mins into the second half. Harry attempts a conversion at great distance with good accuracy but falling just short of the posts (score 0-17). The Scots restart but a poor kick forces a scrum in the centre. We win the scrum and some great Hitchin teamwork rucking and passing gives us steady progress into the Scots’ half. 10 mins into the second half, Ollie Red steals the ball from the back of a ruck to land his hat-trick try near the posts. Jack W converts bringing the score to 0-24. The Scots restart and with continued Hitchin pressure the ball is soon back in their half. We concede a penalty giving the Scots temporary relief to kick the ball into our half – but Max catches and kicks it back to 22 yds and then chases it taking the Scots’ fallback into touch. Scots win the lineout and clear the ball into our half. Christian captures the ball and manages a phenomenal run across three quarters of the pitch only to be cut-down 5 yds before the try line. Ollie Red was in the right place at the right time to carry the ball the final 5 yds to score his 4th try of the game! Harry successfully converts bringing the score to 0-31 at 20 mins in the second half. The Scots wearily re-start but barely 3 minutes later the ball is back in their half. Frazer captures the ball from a bounce in front of him and rockets forward to plant our sixth try (score 0-36). London Scots restart with a high kick with the ball stalling mid-air in the breeze. With monotonous certainty the ball is back in their half – this time Ollie P carrying it over the try-line. A final push in the closing minutes of the game sees another scrum 10 yds from the Scots’ try-line. Dan H, playing no. 8, steals the ball from the back of the scrum and bulldozes through exhausted Scots’ players to plant our eighth and final try. Max converts successfully leaving the score 0-48 at full-time.
Some brilliant teamwork again gave us continued possession of the ball throughout most of the game with everybody contributing to set up some excellent tries – a joy to watch! And fair play to London Scottish who gave a great game and kept going to the very end.
Team Daniel Barnes, Oliver Pomfret, Harry Elleston, Ben Firth, Daniel Holland, Christian De Trafford, Oliver Malczyk, Jack Wuidart, George Vivian, Benji Cowell, Ashley Gibson , Frazer Mcgowan, Max Smith, William Mercer, Daniel Cowell
Subs Matthew Harding, Jordan Mensah, Bradley Harper, William Martin-Wren, Maitiu Emson
Scores 
League Tables