Last Hurdles....

While the 1s were busy dodging them we were doing our best to trip at one of the final hurdles.

With the club stretched for players across all sides for the first time in a while, late dropouts and call-ups to the higher teams ensured a smaller Choughs squad than predicted made its way out to Perivale to face an OP Saints team had have had a difficult year but seem to be coming good late in the season.

Warming up, it was clear to see that the OPs had a much stronger backline than the one that had played at the REMPF earlier in the season so naturally I moved myself back into the pack. With most players arriving on time it was Mr ‘Away Game?’ Alex Coates with the kit and the balls and sporting what could only be described as a perm that turned up 10 mins before kick-off red eyed and muttering something about accidental Friday night infernos, Portuguese girls and starting on the bench. Straight into the second row he went.

Another coin flip won (#unstoppable) and the Choughs would start with the strong breeze on their side playing on a good pitch on a warm and sunny spring day! Back-row Kael O’Sullivan, again having to play at 10 kicked off and the rugby started to happen.

A diet of baked goods and beer has ensured our pack is pretty unmovable in Middlesex Merit 1 and today was no different. Unfortunately for us an early blood injury to the opposition prop meant they had to go uncontested for 10 minutes within their half, stifling our scrum. I should say OP were good lads and dropped a man whilst he was off and brought him back on relatively quickly when bandaged up.

Good defence for Saints and some ill-discipline from us meant we weren’t using our early dominance up front to full effect and turning it into points (a problem all season). However a few forward phases did result in Rob Moore crossing the whitewash for a try to the left. Kael O’Sullivan, missing the conversion. 0 -5.

After this I can’t remember an awful lot. A bash to the shoulder brought Fisher off to be replaced by George Carne, we defended well after a couple of good backs breaks and they had a man sent off for a high tackle on hooker Will Murray. Some more rugby occurred. With the wind and a man advantage we needed to make more of the first half but unfortunately didn’t. 0 -5 and the half

The half time chat started with Coatesy pleading for some time on the bench, refused and no changes being made. An injured Rich Parsons being our bench.

With the wind, fitness and youth on their side (b*******) OP Saints flew out of the blocks with their good 10 becoming more influential on the game. The big lad coming on at 6 would make my life more difficult as well! A well-executed backs move early in the second half brought them a try for their winger out to the left. Conversion missed and game square at 5 -5.

Unfortunately this fired them up more and a second home team try followed. Conversion made and suddenly we found ourselves at a 7 point deficit. At this point Parsons was on at hooker for Murray and Fisher on in the second row for Coatesy. Our scrum was not moving anywhere…… The best comment being from the oppo prop, saying, ‘I literally can’t bind, their front row is too wide.’

A big chase on the kick-off resulted in a turnover and we finally had the ball in hand within their half. With an injured Ali Springer on the sidelines screaming for the forwards to put together some phases we did what we do best. Jab, Jab, Jab and not quite as bad as Pollard but nearly as sickening saw Rich Fisher over the line to the left. Conversion missed by the returning scrum half Sam Portham. 12 -10.

With the ball back in our half and with our poor discipline around the ruck resulting in several penalties OP Saints were soon adding to their points tally with another try wide right. A good conversion was struck and the score was 19 – 10.
Unfortunately it wasn’t to get better. After giving away another penalty in our half and then not retreating 10, a mix up in midfield (their shirts remarkably similar in colour to ours is the excuse) saw them stride through for another Try, again converted. 26 – 10 with 15 to go.

The next kick was well chased and turned over by the always on form Chris Turner and some strong carries from George Carne and an increasingly angry Scillonian back row put us up near their try line. After another couple of pick and go’s that man, the dynamic Rich Fisher shoved me out the way, chose his spot and scored his second try of the day. This is getting worrying with Pollard and Fisher now joint top try scorers with Kael in the Chough’s charts. I suppose it just goes to emphasise our expansive and exciting brand of rugby. 26 – 15 and we were closing the gap, needing to be within 10 for at least the bonus point.

With Will Murray back on the field and clearly feeling he needed to give Coatesy a run for his money in the D.o.t.D race the opportunity arose. After an unstraight throw at the lineout and some handbags kicking off with Will not releasing the ball and being shoved by an oppo back row. Will decided to do a little hop and open palmed slap across the Saint’s player’s face. Trying not to fall over laughing I attempted to break up the following scramble with even Will’s ‘victim’ (luckily for Will) seeing the funny side. The opposition captain screamed for a yellow, but the French ref decided against punishing him any further safe in the knowledge he wouldn’t be living it down for a while.

Our final efforts to push for the points were dealt a last blow when we gave away another penalty. Going for the post the 3 points were kicked and we were down 29 -15.

With no last minute heroics, that is the way the score stayed. And we headed off to the changing rooms wondering exactly how we threw the game away so easily.

Credit to OPs though they played well and worked much better to their strengths and if they had managed to pull a side of that quality together more consistently would surely have been challenging higher up the league. They also came good with laying on some free beers for us to watch their 1s in a London 1 encounter with a strong Colchester side.

With a few green cards we carried on into the evening with sleeping beauty Alex Coates waking up and getting pretty creepy with a taxi driver on the long journey from Greenford. Thom ‘Peer Pressure’ Lang caving in on his ‘I’m leaving early’ chat and last being seen at the Chicken shop in Clapham at 1 am with the skipper.

One regular league game to go, HAC at home this weekend.

#upthechoughs