Choughs 'Gunned Down' by HAC at Armoury House

The Choughs have had a tough start to the league season; an error strewn but entertaining high scoring draw opened season at home followed by a disappointing away loss to Ruislip. Next up had been CS 2s Away who comprehensively outplayed us in attack and despite being outmuscled in the pack took all their chances out wide.

Saturday saw us playing at the great central London venue of the ‘Armoury House Ground’ against last year’s league winners and current league leaders HAC2s, life wasn’t going to get a lot easier.

Fielding an experienced (could be called ageing) squad the Choughs knew they had to front up in defence and take any chances they would get with the ball in hand.

Winning the coin toss (‪#‎stillgotit‬) the skipper made the tactical decision to stay in the half where his team were currently huddled and we would be receiving the kick. Well we would have received had Surrey Lock and new Choughs kit man Pete Calvert not opted for the jump and miss, clearly a strategy to unsight the onrushing HAC pack. The ball bounced and some rugby started to happen.

Straight away it was clear that the Choughs defence wasn’t going to be quite as fragile as the week before at Kings House with the ‘youthful’ centre partnership of Keitho and Shorty marshalling the backline up quickly and dragging the loose forwards across where needed.

Although mostly being played within our half, the first 15 mins were a very tight affair with our defence holding firm and led by Ex Premiership Player errrrr…. ‘Bradley Simons’, (definitely not the unavailable 1s player Simon Brading) we were fighting hard at the breakdown.

Annoyingly Brades was pinged a couple of times for what I can only think can have been for being a ‘bit too good’ and after missing an earlier attempt the oppo fullback slotted 3 points.

Missing regular ‘jumpers’ Stocky, Springer and Coatesy and with HAC having a solid lineout themselves, our usually strong lineout was faltering and our scrum was being stifled by some very debateable scrummaging from the HAC tighthead. The referee unwilling to listen to my protestations. Those factors and a strong HAC defence were making it difficult to set up an attacking platform and were leaving us pinned in our half.

After a couple of scrappy breakdown’s HAC managed to run in a try on about 25 mins to put them 10 – 0 up. Heads were still very much up for the Choughs still and we would soon get a chance to get back into the game.

An overthrown lineout found its way in to the bewildered hands of the Choughs skipper just inside the HAC half, with a turn of pace akin to an oil tanker I found myself with space and approaching the HAC 22. With a gap inside and the line in sight I instead opted to offload to Monkley on my outside shoulder (team game) who was tackled well by the oppo 10 and 12 in tandem. With the ball secure and men out wide the ball was slapped down by the HAC 13, offside and making no effort to catch it from scrum half Lloyd Richardson’s pass. Amazingly, although looking straight at it the ref said he hadn’t seen it and HAC were suddenly breaking at pace down the left. Not willing to let this happen the supporting HAC runner was then taken out by the Choughs 6 (no names mentioned) and pinged for a high tackle.

Around this point in the game Turner ended his involvement by opening up his chin pretty spectacularly and after an interesting bandaged look reminiscent of something from a World war One field surgery he was off to hospital for a few stitches. A Choughs debutant was on in his place with Ricky West coming in to the second row and Ed Monkley moving back to join Brades and myself.

Cornishman Patrick Jeynes had also been replaced by Jake Cannon of the wing after taking a big hit.

The half finished frustratingly with 3 more points and HAC went into the break at 13 – 0 up.

Doing the honourable thing and not wanting to show up Brades any more I subbed myself off at the half with Tom Riddolls coming into the back row. George Carne was on for Laverick at tighthead for his first game of the season.

The hard work in defence throughout the first half was starting to show on a side with about 3 training sessions between them and HAC came quickly out of the blocks. They got some points somehow and were about 25-0 up with 20 mins remaining.

Several shuffles around and I was back on for Shorty with Riddolls moving out to 13. Shorty had gone down after a big hit whilst carrying the ball and looked in serious danger. It soon became clear though he was only suffering a dead leg and response when asked if ok by the ref was ‘It just really hurt, Sir’.

Some great defence again saw us preventing HAC scoring with Calvert marshalling the much changed pack very effectively. We still struggled to get any decent possession within the HAC half.

Annoyingly a late and well worked HAC try saw them secure the bonus point and cap a difficult day for the Choughs.

HAC were worth their win but the score line didn’t fully reflect the great defensive work put in by the Choughs. Ominously this HAC side look much stronger again than the team that won the league relatively comfortably last season.

If we can get some continuity and take this defensive display forwards the always slow starting Choughs will be back to last season’s form in the not too distant future!

1. Laverick 2. Myatt 3. Hashemi 4. Calvert 5. Monkley 6. Newton 7. Turner 8. Brading 9. Richardson 10. Buscombe 11. Lang 12. Keith 13. Short 14. Jeynes 15. Britton SUB Carne, Cannon, West, Riddolls