Hackney RFC 59 - 14 Datchworth RFC

Following last week's home triumph over the Grasshoppers, the boys in green felt in good stead facing an unbeaten Hackney side. With the 2nd team facing a narrow defeat just two weeks prior to the halloween weekend fixture, Datchworth knew what Hackney as a team had to offer; fast hands, great organisation, and real passion for success. In identical fashion to the game aforementioned, it was Hackney who took advantage in the first five minutes of the game, placing the ball underneath the posts after several superb support lines. On the back foot, Datchworth struggled to maintain the hard drive from the home side, despite notably big hits from Nick Holland and Stuart Young. Two more tries for Hackney within the opening 15 minutes left Datchworth dazed, but not disheartened.

The 20 minute mark brought a Datchworth try fabricated from their own half, after a strong line from Young off Captain Nick Gudgin initiated the break, and having disassembled Hackney’s defence, James Watt executed the team try with perfection. Converted by Wood, the score now 21-7 to the home side. These points proved costly, with the dedication of Nick Gudgin’s ‘drawing the defender’ amounting in two broken ribs and the neck injury of Nick Moore leaving the Green Army two players down against a notably fitter Hackney side. This saw the young duo of Joe Wing and Geoff Clapp come off the bench with intentions of injecting the Datchworth side with some youthful energy, and successfully so. Datchworth once again broke towards Hackney’s posts, with sharp running from James Watt gaining metre after metre. However, Datchworth’s flow was broken after a Hackney player fell ill to the step of Tom Bennett; a dislocated knee put the game on ice for a period of time.

Hackney reorganised, and passages of play from a strong 10 and well drilled back row saw the home side consistently break the gain line to Datchworth’s dismay. More tries for Hackney were generated by this patience, and the half time whistle saw Datchworth trailing 33-7.

The green pack certainly had the upperhand on the smaller opposition in scrummages and lineouts, with the strength of Harald Honzik and John Scarratt causing difficulties for Hackney to gain clean ball. But fitness proved key in the second half, with the the support play frequently creating overlaps and 3-on-1’s, to which Hackney made no error in executing. Datchworth struggled to find any gaps in the blue defence, with line breaks from Alex Nolan and Matt Blackwell being abruptly covered by the second wave of blue shirts. Finally, swift hands from Bennett and Clapp released James Watt in the five metre channel, and his pace proved too much for the final 3 to handle. More line breaks and offloads from the Hackney side brought more points, with the full time whistle being blown with the scorecard showing 59-14 to the home side - a disappointing trip for the boys in green. We certainly missed the presence of several individuals; we avidly await the return of Brunton, McBroom and Potter whose skills may well have shed light on what was a rather dreary day in October. Nonetheless, Datchworth must regroup and head into the following fixture against rivals Stevenage with clear minds and confidence.

Bleed Green,
Geoff Clapp